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לַעַג

𐤋𐤏𐤂

laʻag

H3933 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לעג to mock, to ridicule, to scoff, to make fun of

Definition

Public ridicule, mockery, or scorn directed toward an individual or group, often communicated through speech, gestures, or symbolic actions. The term 'לַעַג' generally refers to acts of derision, sometimes intended as social humiliation or to marginalize the object of ridicule. In poetic and prophetic contexts, it can describe the scorn of enemies, the public shaming of a defeated people, or sarcastic expressions directed against foolishness or incompetence.

Semantic Range

mockery, ridicule, derision, scorn, jeering, public humiliation, taunt

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ל-ע-ג, which fundamentally conveys the idea of mocking, making fun, or deriding. 'לַעַג' is the nominal form, meaning 'mockery' or 'derision,' directly stemming from the verb לָעַג ('to mock, ridicule, deride').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, 'לַעַג' typically appears in contexts of public humiliation or hostility, such as the treatment of defeated enemies or when outsiders ridicule the distress or downfall of Israelite/Judahite individuals or communities. The term can also refer to the mockery of the righteous by the wicked, or to those who mock divine instruction or wisdom. This usage has clear social and psychological implications, visible in wisdom literature (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs) and prophetic invective. The noun usually refers to the act or result of derision, rather than simply to a feeling, emphasizing performative or public scorn. The concept overlaps somewhat with related terms like חֶרְפָּה (disgrace, reproach) and קָלָס (reproach, taunt), but 'לַעַג' emphasizes mockery as ridicule or jeering, rather than shame or insult alone. In later Jewish tradition, the term retained its association with ridicule, but also carries connotations of blasphemy or irreverence, especially in reference to divine matters. English translations often use 'mockery,' 'scorn,' or 'derision,' but the original sense may carry a sharper or more public inflection of humiliation than these terms always convey.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from לָעַג; derision, scoffing; derision, scorn (-ing).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לעג (l-ʿ-g) — to mock, to ridicule, to scoff, to make fun of

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3932 לָעַג I will mock
H3934 לָעֵג with mockers of

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3933-02 לַ֥עַג laag HNcmsa mockery mockery 3
H3933-04 וּ/לְ/לַ֖עַג ulelaag HC/R/Ncmsa and derision and for mockery 2
H3933-01 הַ/לַּ֥עַג halaag HTd/Ncmsa the scorn the mockery 1
H3933-03 לַעְגָּ֖/ם laegam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their derision their mockery 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3933-04 Ezekiel 23:32 וּ/לְ/לַ֖עַג ulelaag HC/R/Ncmsa and for derision and for mockery
H3933-04 Ezekiel 36:4 וּ/לְ/לַ֔עַג ulelaag HC/R/Ncmsa and derision and for mockery
H3933-03 Hosea 7:16 לַעְגָּ֖/ם laegam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their derision their mockery
H3933-02 Psalms 44:14 לַ֥עַג laag HNcmsa mockery mockery
H3933-02 Psalms 79:4 לַ֥עַג laag HNcmsa a scoffing mockery
H3933-01 Psalms 123:4 הַ/לַּ֥עַג halaag HTd/Ncmsa the scorn the mockery
H3933-02 Job 34:7 לַּ֥עַג laag HNcmsa mockery mockery
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