צָחַק
𐤑𐤇𐤒
tsâchaq
H6711 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Semantic Range
to laugh (joyfully or incredulously), to mock, to jest, to play, to sport, to ridicule, to express disbelief through laughter, to show affection through laughter
Root / Etymology
Root צ-ח-ק (צחק), meaning 'to laugh'. The verbal stem denotes the act of laughing or expressing laughter, with both positive (joy, amusement) and negative (scorn, ridicule) potential depending on context. The root is straightforward and continued through Hebrew history into related Semitic languages.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צָחַק appears in both literal and figurative senses. In the patriarchal narratives (e.g., Genesis 17:17; 18:12-15; 21:6-9), it refers to the laughter of Abraham and Sarah—sometimes as a response to extraordinary news (joy, amazement) and at other times mixed with skepticism or disbelief. At Genesis 21:9, Sarah observes ישמעאל מצחק ('Ishmael laughing/mocking'), which is ambiguous: it may refer to mere playing or to mocking Isaac, hence the traditional rendering 'mocking.' In Genesis 26:8, Isaac is seen מצחק with Rebekah, which implies playful intimacy. Later periods and contexts (such as Judges 16:25) favor meanings closer to mockery or derision, often in antagonistic settings. The verb can imply different shades of meaning depending on whether the laughter is shared (joyful) or directed at someone (scornful). English 'mock' and 'make sport' cover only the negative range and may miss the possibilities of innocent or affectionate laughter. A related noun is צְחוֹק (laughter). In Rabbinic Hebrew, the stem again means 'to laugh,' usually in neutral or positive contexts. Related verbs, such as שׂחק (sachaq), similarly mean 'to laugh' or 'to play', sometimes with overlap but distinct usage patterns; שׂחק is more often used for general merriment, play, or sport.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to laugh outright (in merriment or scorn); by implication, to sport; laugh, mock, play, make sport.
Bantu Hebrew
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemba | seka | laugh | |
| Chichewa | kuseka | laugh | |
| Fipa | kuʃeka | to laugh | |
| Ga | koseka | to laugh | |
| Herero | okuseka | laugh |
Root Family
צחק (Yitsechaq) — to laugh, to play, to mock
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3327 | יִצְחָק | to He-Laughs |
| H3446 | יִשְׂחָק | to Yitzḥaq |
| H6712 | צְחֹק | for laughter |
Word Forms
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6711-02 |
לְ/צַחֵֽק | letsacheq | HR/Vpc |
to mock | to laugh or mock | to mock | 3 |
H6711-03 |
מְצַחֵֽק | metsacheq | HVprmsa |
mocking | the laughing one | mocking | 2 |
H6711-01 |
כִ/מְצַחֵ֖ק | khimetsacheq | HR/Vprmsa |
as joking | mocking one | as one joking | 1 |
H6711-04 |
צָחֲקָ֨ה | tsachaqah | HVqp3fs |
Sarah laugh | she laughed | she laughed | 1 |
H6711-05 |
צָחָֽקְתְּ | tsachaqete | HVqp2fs |
you did laugh | you laughed | you laughed | 1 |
H6711-06 |
צָחַ֖קְתִּי | tsachaqeti | HVqp1cs |
I laughed | I laughed | I laughed | 1 |
H6711-07 |
וַ/תִּצְחַ֥ק | vatitsechaq | HC/Vqw3fs |
laughed | and she laughed | and she laughed | 1 |
H6711-08 |
וַ/יְצַחֵק֙ | vayetsacheq | HC/Vpw3ms |
and he entertained | and he mocked | and he entertained | 1 |
H6711-09 |
וַ/יִּצְחָ֑ק | vayitsechaq | HC/Vqw3ms |
and laughed | and he laughed | and he laughed | 1 |
H6711-10 |
יִֽצְחַק | yitsechaq | HVqi3ms |
will laugh | He Laughs | will laugh | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
13 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6711-09 |
Genesis 17:17 | וַ/יִּצְחָ֑ק | vayitsechaq | HC/Vqw3ms |
and laughed | and he laughed | and he laughed |
H6711-07 |
Genesis 18:12 | וַ/תִּצְחַ֥ק | vatitsechaq | HC/Vqw3fs |
laughed | and she laughed | and she laughed |
H6711-04 |
Genesis 18:13 | צָחֲקָ֨ה | tsachaqah | HVqp3fs |
Sarah laugh | she laughed | she laughed |
H6711-06 |
Genesis 18:15 | צָחַ֖קְתִּי | tsachaqeti | HVqp1cs |
I laughed | I laughed | I laughed |
H6711-05 |
Genesis 18:15 | צָחָֽקְתְּ | tsachaqete | HVqp2fs |
you did laugh | you laughed | you laughed |
H6711-01 |
Genesis 19:14 | כִ/מְצַחֵ֖ק | khimetsacheq | HR/Vprmsa |
as joking | mocking one | as one joking |
H6711-10 |
Genesis 21:6 | יִֽצְחַק | yitsechaq | HVqi3ms |
will laugh | He Laughs | will laugh |
H6711-03 |
Genesis 21:9 | מְצַחֵֽק | metsacheq | HVprmsa |
mocking | the laughing one | mocking |
H6711-03 |
Genesis 26:8 | מְצַחֵ֔ק | metsacheq | HVprmsa |
was caressing | the laughing one | was laughing |
H6711-02 |
Genesis 39:14 | לְ/צַ֣חֶק | letsacheq | HR/Vpc |
to mock us | to laugh or mock | to mock |
H6711-02 |
Genesis 39:17 | לְ/צַ֥חֶק | letsacheq | HR/Vpc |
to mock | to laugh or mock | to mock |
H6711-02 |
Exodus 32:6 | לְ/צַחֵֽק | letsacheq | HR/Vpc |
to play | to laugh or mock | to play |
H6711-08 |
Judges 16:25 | וַ/יְצַחֵק֙ | vayetsacheq | HC/Vpw3ms |
and he entertained | and he mocked | and he entertained |