Lexical Definition

‎χαίρω‎ chaírō (khah'-ee-ro) to rejoice ^G:V
a primary verb

farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hall, joy(- fully), rejoice.

• to be "cheer"ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off
• impersonally, especially as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well

Abbott-Smith

χαίρω [in LXX for שָׂמַח (Ge 45:16, al.), גִּיל (Pr 2:14, al.), etc.; inf., as greeting (v. infr.), Is 48:22 57:21 שָׁלוֹם), I Mac 10:18, II Mac 1:1 and freq. in these books ;]
1. to rejoice, be glad: Mk 14:11, Lk 15:5, 32 19:6, 37 22:5 23:8, Jo 4:36 8:56 20:20, Ac 5:41 8:39 11:23 13:48, II Co 6:10 7:7 13:9, Phl 2:17, 28, Col 2:5, I Th 5:16, I Pe 4:13, III Jo 3; χ. καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθαι, Mt 5:12; κ. σκιρτᾶν, Lk 6:23; opp. to κλαίειν, Ro 12:15, I Co 7:30; to κλαίειν κ. θρηνεῖν Jo 16:20; to λύπην ἔχειν, ib. 22; c. cogn. acc, χ. χαρὰν μεγάλην, Mt 2:10; χαρᾷ χ. (B1., § 38, 3; Dalman, Words, 34 f.), Jo 3:29; ἡ χαρὰ ᾗ χαίρομεν, I Th 3:9; c. prep. (Bl., § 38, 2), ἐπί, c. dat. (simple dat. in cl.), Mt 18:13, Lk 1:14 13:17, Ac 15:31, Ro 16:19, I Co 13:6 16:17, II Co 7:13, Re 11:10; διά, Jo 3:29 11:15, I Th 3:9; ἐν, Phl 1:18; ἀπό, II Co 2:3; c. acc. (Dem.), Phl 2:18; seq. ὅτι, Jo 14:28, II Co 7:9, 16, II Jo 4; ἐν τούτῳ ὅτι, Lk 10:20; c. dat., Ro 12:1; ἐν κυρίῳ, Phl 4:10
2. In salutations, imperat., χαῖρε, χαίρετε,
(a) at meeting, hail: Mt 26:49 27:29, Mk 15:18, Lk 1:28, Jo 19:3; pl., Mt 28:9; so χαίρειν λέγω, to give greeting, II Jo 11; in letters, χαίρειν (sc. λέγει; Bl., § 81, 1), greeting: Ac 15:23 23:26 Ja 1:1;
(b) at parting, farewell: II Co 13:11;
(c) on other occasions, be of good cheer: ἐν κυρίῳ, Phl 3:1 4:4 (cf. συν-χαίρω).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

χαίρω,

[Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural imperative χαιρόντων [Refs 5th c.BC+]: imperfect, Epic dialect χαῖρον [Refs 8th c.BC+], Ionic dialect χαίρεσκον [Refs]: future χαιρήσω [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect reduplicate infinitive κεχᾰρησέμεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; later χᾰρῶ variant in [NT]: aorist ἐχαίρησα [Refs 1st c.AD+]: perfect κεχάρηκα [Refs 5th c.BC+], participle -ηκώς[Refs 8th c.BC+] —middle (in same sense), χαίρομαι, noted as a barbarism in [Refs 5th c.BC+]future χᾰρήσομαι Ps.-[Refs 2nd c.BC+]; Doric dialect χαρησοῦμαι [LXX+4th c.BC+]; Epic dialect κεχᾰρήσομαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist 1 participle χαιρησάμενος [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: Epic dialect aorist 1 χήρατο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; participle χηράμενος [Refs 1st c.AD+]: Epic dialect reduplicate aorist 2, 3rd.pers. plural κεχάροντο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; optative 3rd.pers. singular and plural κεχάροιτο, -οίατο, [Refs 8th c.BC+] —passive (in same sense), aorist 2 ἐχάρην [ᾰ] [Refs], etc., Epic dialect 3rd.pers. singular χάρη [Refs]; subjunctive χᾰρῇς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; infinitive χᾰρῆναι [Refs 4th c.BC+]; participle χᾰρείς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; perfect κεχάρημαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; participle κεχαρμένος [Refs 5th c.BC+]pluperfect 3rd.pers. singular and plural κεχάρητο, -ηντο, [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—rejoice, be glad, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χ. νόῳ to rejoice in wardly, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to λυπεῖσθαι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to ἀλγεῖν, [Refs] —Constr.,

__1 with dative of things, rejoice at, take pleasure in a thing, νίκῃ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; with a participle added, χάρη δ᾽ ἄρα οἱ προσιόντι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; with a participle added, ἐπ᾽ ἐξεργασμένοις κακοῖσι χ. [Refs 5th c.BC+] express one's joy by laughter, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__1.b of a plant, χαίρει ὑφάμμοις χωρίοις [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__2 rarely with accusative, with a participle added, χαίρω δέ σ᾽ εὐτυχοῦντα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χαίρω σ᾽ [ἐλθόντα] [Refs] (this usage is said to be Oropian, [Refs]
__2.b with a neuter adjective, ταὐτὰ λυπεῖσθαι καὶ ταὐτὰ χαίρειν τοῖς πολλοῖς [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__3 with participle, χαίρω.. τὸν μῦθον ἀκούσας I rejoice at having heard, am glad to hear, [χαίρω.. κόμπον ἱείς 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “N.” 8.49; χαίρεις ὁρῶν φῶς, πατέρα δ᾽ οὐ χαίρειν δοκεῖ; 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Alcestis” 691; χαίρω φειδόμενος 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 247; θωπευόμενος χαίρεις [prev. author] “Eq.” 1116 (Lyric poetry), compare 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Symposium” 191e, etc. ">Refs 8th c.BC+]
__3.b with participle present, delight in doing, to be wont to do, χρεώμενοι χαίρουσι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__4 χαίρειν ὅττι or ὅτι.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐχάρην καὶ ἐθρασυνάμην ὅτι ἔμαθον.. [Refs 4th c.AD+]; χ. οὕνεκα.. [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II with negative, especially with future, οὐ χαιρήσεις thou wilt or shalt not rejoice, i.e. thou shalt not go unpunished, shalt repent it, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὣς Κῦρός γε χαιρήσει [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with an interrogative, σὺ.. χαιρήσειν νομίζει; [Refs 1st c.AD+]: rarely with other tenses, ὅπως ἂν μὴ χαίρωσιν. [Refs 4th c.BC+]participle, see below [Refs]
__III frequently in imperative χαῖρε, dual χαίρετον, plural χαίρετε, as a form of greeting,
__III.1 at meeting, hail, welcome (especially in the morning, accusative to [Refs 8th c.BC+]; in greeting one's native land, the sun, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.1.b sometimes implied in the use of χαίρω, κῆρυξ Ἀχαιῶν, χαῖρε.. Answ. χαίρω I accept the greeting, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; νῦν πᾶσι χαίρω, νῦν με πᾶς ἀσπάζεται I hear the word χαῖρε from all, [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive, τὸ χαίρειν uncertain reading in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χαίρειν δὲ τὸν κήρυκα προὐννέπω I bid him welcome, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but χαίρειν τἄλλ᾽ ἐγώ σ᾽ ἐφίεμαι I bid thee have thy pleasure, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.1.c infinitive alone at the beginning of letters, Κῦρος Κυαζάρῃ χαίρειν (i.e. λέγει) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; used by Alexander the Great to Phocion as a mark of respect, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III.2 at leavetaking, fare-thee-well, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; frequently put into the mouth of the dying, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: hence in sepulchral inscriptions, [Refs]
__III.2.b hence, imperative χαιρέτω, χαιρόντων, have done with.., away with.., εἴτ᾽ ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος εἴτ᾽ ἐστὶ δαίμων, χαιρέτω [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.2.c ἐᾶν χαίρειν τινά or τι dismiss from one's mind, put away, renounce, [Refs 7th c.BC+]ad Them.255a.
__III.3 on other occasions, as in comforting, be of good cheer, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χαῖρε, γύναι, φιλότητι good luck be on our union,[Refs]
__IV participle χαίρων glad, joyful, [χαίρων 17.83 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; λυπούμενοι καὶ χαίροντες in sorrow and in joy, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: also perfect participle κεχαρηκώς [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__IV.2 joined with another Verb, safe and sound, with impunity, χαίροντα ἀπαλλάσσειν [Refs 4th c.BC+]; more frequently with a negative, οὐ χαίρων to one's cost, οὐ χαίροντες γέλωτα ἐμὲ θήσεσθε [χαίρων.. ἐρεῖς 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 363, compare “Ant.” 759, “Ph.” 1299, 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Medea” 398, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Acharnenses” 563, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 510d; οὐ γὰπ.. χαίρων τις.. τοὐμὸν ἀλγυνεῖ κέαρ 5th c.BC: Eupolis Comicus 90; οὔτε χαίροντες ἂν ἀπαλλάζαιτε 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 5.6.32; also οὔτι χαιρήσων γε σύ 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Vespae” 186; compare above 11. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__IV.3 in the same sense as imperative (above [χαίρων ἀφίκοιο ">Refs]fare-thee-well, and may'st thou arrive, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χαίροισ᾽ ἔρχεο go thy way rejoicing, [Refs 7th c.BC+]; ἀλλ᾽ ἑρπέτω χαίρουσα let her go with a benison, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χαίρων ἴθι fare-thee-well, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__IV.4 τὸ χαῖρον τῆς ψυχῆς [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__V Astrology texts, of a planet, occupy the position appropriate to another of its own αἵρεσις, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]. (Cf. Sanskrit háryati 'take pleasure in', Umbr. heriest 'will wish', Latin horior.)

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Rev.11.10 ☩ LXX.Prov.1.26}