cher, cher'-fool-nes: The English word "cheer" meant:
(1) originally face, countenance (Greek kara, "head," through Old French, chere, "face"),
(2) then the expression on the face, especially
(3) the expression of good spirits, and finally
(4) good spirits, without any reference to the facial expression.
The noun "cheer" in English Versions of the Bible is only found with adjective "good" (except 1 Esdras 9:54, "great cheer"), the word not having quite lost its earlier neutral character (any face expression, whether joyous or otherwise). In Old Testament, Tobh, is translated "cheer," "let thy heart cheer thee" (seeGOOD); sameach, "to rejoice" is so translated inDe 24:5, "shall cheer his wife" (the King James Version "cheer up his wife"), andJud 9:13, "wine, which cheereth God ('elohim) and man." The phrase "of good cheer" occurs in Old Testament inJob 9:27(the King James Version "comfort"); in Apocrypha, 1 Esdras 9:54; The Wisdom of Solomon 18:6; Baruch 4:5,30; Sirach 18:32 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "luxury"); in New Testament for Greek euthumeo, euthumos, inAc 27:22,25,36, and for tharseo inMt 9:2,22. (the King James Version "comfort");Mt 14:27;Mr 6:50;10:49(RV; "comfort" in the King James Version);Joh 16:33;Ac 23:11. "Cheer" as verb transitive occurs inEc 11:9;Deu 24:5;Jud 9:13.
Cheerful occurs inPr 15:13,15(the King James Version "merry");Zec 8:19;9:17the King James Version; Sirach 30:25;2Co 9:7.
Cheerfully,Ac 24:10.
Cheerfulness,Ro 12:8.
D. Miall Edwards