What is the difference between “happy” and “joy”?
Question:
I can't find a defined difference between happy or happiness and joy or joyfulness in the Bible. I was wondering about the difference. I remember learning about it one time, but I can't find what I learned anywhere and my dictionaries are not that in-depth.
Answer:
"Joy" is the translation of the Greek word chara. It means a calm delight or cheerfulness in attitude.
"Happiness" is the translation of the Greek word makarios. It means to be especially blest, fortunate, or well off. In fact, this word is more often translated as "blessed" than as "happy."
