שָׂחַק (H7832) — Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂחַק

𐤔𐤇𐤒

sâchaq

H7832 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שׂחק to laugh, to play, to mock, to make sport

Definition

To laugh, express joy or amusement, often as audible laughter; to engage in playful or lighthearted activity; in extended usage, to mock, ridicule, or treat with derision. The primary lexical meaning is to laugh, but the verb is also used for both positive (joy, play, celebration) and negative (mockery, scorn, derision) actions depending on context.

Semantic Range

to laugh in joy or amazement, to laugh in derision, to play, to behave playfully or flirtatiously, to mock, to make sport of, to celebrate

Root / Etymology

From the root שׂחק, carrying the core sense of 'to laugh' or 'to play.' The root appears to denote audible expressions of emotion—primarily laughter—but by association extends to play or mockery. No clear cognates have been identified in related Semitic languages, so the etymology is considered native to Hebrew and its immediate linguistic relatives.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׂחַק occurs throughout various periods of biblical literature. In Genesis (e.g., Gen 21:6, Sarah’s laughter), it denotes laughter expressing amazement, joy, or incredulity. In other contexts, especially in prophetic literature (e.g., Ps 2:4, Prov 1:26), it takes on the sense of derisive laughter or scorn, often used anthropopathically for deity. When used in narratives (e.g., Gen 26:8, Isa 57:4), the word can refer to not only laughter, but also to playful, sometimes flirtatious, activity (as with Isaac and Rebekah). The context determines whether the laughter or play is positive (joyful, celebratory) or negative (scornful, mocking). Later interpretations have sometimes narrowed its meaning to 'mockery,' but the broader context in many passages retains the spectrum from joyful laughter to ridicule. The semantic overlap with related verbs such as צחק (tsaḥaq, 'to laugh,' sometimes with a stronger connotation of derision) is notable; שׂחק often appears in situations emphasizing audible emotion or visible demonstration of joy/play. English translations sometimes flatten the distinction between laughter, merrymaking, and mockery, whereas the Hebrew may hold all senses in tension depending on the narrative or poetic context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication, to play; deride, have in derision, laugh, make merry, mock(-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in (make) sport.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׂחק (ś-ḥ-q) — laughing, playing, mocking, making sport

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4890	מִשְׂחַק	object of mockery
H7814	שְׂחוֹק	in laughter

Word Forms

22 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H7832-08`	מְשַֽׂחֲקִים֙	mesachaqim	`HVprmpa`	were celebrating	the ones making sport	6
`H7832-21`	יִשְׂחָ֔ק	yisechaq	`HVqi3ms`	laughs	he laughs	5
`H7832-12`	תִּשְׂחַק	tisechaq	`HVqi2ms`	she laughs at	you laugh	3
`H7832-11`	שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ	sachaqu	`HVqp3cp`	mocked	they laughed	2
`H7832-02`	אֶשְׂחָ֑ק	esechaq	`HVqi1cs`	I laughed	I will laugh	2
`H7832-10`	מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת	mesacheqet	`HVprfsa`	rejoicing	the one who makes sport	2
`H7832-15`	וְ֝/שָׂחַ֗ק	vesachaq	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and laughs	and he laughed	1
`H7832-13`	וּ/מְשַׂחֵ֔ק	umesacheq	`HC/Vprmsa`	and celebrating	and the one making sport	1
`H7832-16`	וְ/שִׂחַקְתִּ֖י	vesichaqeti	`HC/Vpq1cs`	and I will celebrate	and I made sport	1
`H7832-09`	מְשַׂחֵ֥ק	mesacheq	`HVprmsa`	joking	one making sport	1
`H7832-17`	וְ֝/יִשְׂחַ֗ק	veyisechaq	`HC/Vqi3ms`	and it laughs	and he laughs	1
`H7832-20`	יְשַֽׂחֲקוּ	yesachaqu	`HVpi3mp`	play	they will make sport	1
`H7832-05`	לְ/שַֽׂחֶק	lesacheq	`HR/Vpc`	to sport	to make sport	1
`H7832-07`	מַשְׂחִיקִ֣ים	masechiqim	`HVhrmpa`	laughing	those causing laughter	1
`H7832-03`	הַֽ/מְשַׂחֲק֖וֹת	hamesachaqot	`HTd/Vprfpa`	playing	the laughing women	1
`H7832-22`	יִשְׂחָֽקוּ	yisechaqu	`HVqi3mp`	they-will-laugh	they will laugh	1
`H7832-18`	וִֽ/ישַׂחֲק֖וּ	visachaqu	`HC/Vpi3mp`	and let them play	and they will make sport	1
`H7832-01`	בִּ/שְׂח֥וֹק	bisechoq	`HR/Vqc`	while-sporting	in laughing	1
`H7832-14`	וַ֝/תִּשְׂחַ֗ק	vatisechaq	`HC/Vqw3fs`	and she laughs	and she laughed	1
`H7832-19`	וִ/ישַֽׂחֶק	visacheq	`HC/Vpi3ms`	that he may entertain	he will make sport	1
`H7832-04`	הַֽ/תְשַׂחֶק	hatesacheq	`HTi/Vpi2ms`	Will you play	you will make sport	1
`H7832-06`	לִ/שְׂח֔וֹק	lisechoq	`HR/Vqc`		laughter	1

Occurrences in Scripture

36 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H7832-19`	Judges 16:25	וִ/ישַֽׂחֶק	visacheq	`HC/Vpi3ms`	that he may entertain	he will make sport
`H7832-01`	Judges 16:27	בִּ/שְׂח֥וֹק	bisechoq	`HR/Vqc`	while-sporting	in laughing
`H7832-03`	1 Samuel 18:7	הַֽ/מְשַׂחֲק֖וֹת	hamesachaqot	`HTd/Vprfpa`	playing	the laughing women
`H7832-18`	2 Samuel 2:14	וִֽ/ישַׂחֲק֖וּ	visachaqu	`HC/Vpi3mp`	and let them play	and they will make sport
`H7832-08`	2 Samuel 6:5	מְשַֽׂחֲקִים֙	mesachaqim	`HVprmpa`	were celebrating	the ones making sport
`H7832-16`	2 Samuel 6:21	וְ/שִׂחַקְתִּ֖י	vesichaqeti	`HC/Vpq1cs`	and I will celebrate	and I made sport
`H7832-08`	Jeremiah 15:17	מְשַׂחֲקִ֖ים	mesachaqim	`HVprmpa`	of mockers/revelers	the ones making sport
`H7832-08`	Jeremiah 30:19	מְשַׂחֲקִ֑ים	mesachaqim	`HVprmpa`	of-those-who-celebrate	the ones making sport
`H7832-08`	Jeremiah 31:4	מְשַׂחֲקִֽים	mesachaqim	`HVprmpa`	of those making merry	the ones making sport
`H7832-21`	Habakkuk 1:10	יִשְׂחָ֔ק	yisechaq	`HVqi3ms`	laughs	he laughs
`H7832-08`	Zechariah 8:5	מְשַׂחֲקִ֖ים	mesachaqim	`HVprmpa`	playing	the ones making sport
`H7832-21`	Psalms 2:4	יִשְׂחָ֑ק	yisechaq	`HVqi3ms`	laughs	he laughs
`H7832-21`	Psalms 37:13	יִשְׂחַק	yisechaq	`HVqi3ms`	laughs	he laughs
`H7832-22`	Psalms 52:8	יִשְׂחָֽקוּ	yisechaqu	`HVqi3mp`	they-will-laugh	they will laugh
`H7832-12`	Psalms 59:9	תִּשְׂחַק	tisechaq	`HVqi2ms`	will laugh	you laugh
`H7832-05`	Psalms 104:26	לְ/שַֽׂחֶק	lesacheq	`HR/Vpc`	to sport	to make sport
`H7832-02`	Proverbs 1:26	אֶשְׂחָ֑ק	esechaq	`HVqi1cs`	will laugh	I will laugh
`H7832-10`	Proverbs 8:30	מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת	mesacheqet	`HVprfsa`	rejoicing	the one who makes sport
`H7832-10`	Proverbs 8:31	מְ֭שַׂחֶקֶת	mesacheqet	`HVprfsa`	rejoicing	the one who makes sport
`H7832-09`	Proverbs 26:19	מְשַׂחֵ֥ק	mesacheq	`HVprmsa`	joking	one making sport
`H7832-15`	Proverbs 29:9	וְ֝/שָׂחַ֗ק	vesachaq	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and laughs	and he laughed
`H7832-14`	Proverbs 31:25	וַ֝/תִּשְׂחַ֗ק	vatisechaq	`HC/Vqw3fs`	and she laughs	and she laughed
`H7832-12`	Job 5:22	תִּשְׂחָ֑ק	tisechaq	`HVqi2ms`	you will laugh	you laugh
`H7832-02`	Job 29:24	אֶשְׂחַ֣ק	esechaq	`HVqi1cs`	I laughed	I will laugh
`H7832-11`	Job 30:1	שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ	sachaqu	`HVqp3cp`	they laugh	they laughed
`H7832-21`	Job 39:7	יִ֭שְׂחַק	yisechaq	`HVqi3ms`	He scorns	he laughs
`H7832-12`	Job 39:18	תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק	tisechaq	`HVqi3fs`	she laughs at	you laugh
`H7832-21`	Job 39:22	יִשְׂחַ֣ק	yisechaq	`HVqi3ms`	He laughs at	he laughs
`H7832-20`	Job 40:20	יְשַֽׂחֲקוּ	yesachaqu	`HVpi3mp`	play	they will make sport
`H7832-04`	Job 40:29	הַֽ/תְשַׂחֶק	hatesacheq	`HTi/Vpi2ms`	Will you play	you will make sport
`H7832-17`	Job 41:21	וְ֝/יִשְׂחַ֗ק	veyisechaq	`HC/Vqi3ms`	and it laughs	and he laughs
`H7832-11`	Lamentations 1:7	שָׂחֲק֖וּ	sachaqu	`HVqp3cp`	mocked	they laughed
`H7832-06`	Ecclesiastes 3:4	לִ/שְׂח֔וֹק	lisechoq	`HR/Vqc`		laughter
`H7832-08`	1 Chronicles 13:8	מְשַׂחֲקִ֛ים	mesachaqim	`HVprmpa`	were celebrating	the ones making sport
`H7832-13`	1 Chronicles 15:29	וּ/מְשַׂחֵ֔ק	umesacheq	`HC/Vprmsa`	and celebrating	and the one making sport
`H7832-07`	2 Chronicles 30:10	מַשְׂחִיקִ֣ים	masechiqim	`HVhrmpa`	laughing	those causing laughter

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