The Hebrew verb chadah means to rejoice with gladness, particularly in response to good news or blessing. It appears relatively rarely but with significant impact in key passages celebrating God's provision and justice.
Chadah is a word of pure celebration. In Exodus 18:9, Jethro 'rejoiced' (chadah) over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel — the outsider's response to covenant faithfulness. It reminds us that true joy is rooted in witnessing God's saving acts. This verb points forward to the New Testament theme of joy that spills beyond ethnic and social boundaries, where Gentiles rejoice with Israel over the Gospel.