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שָׂחַק

𐤔𐤇𐤒

sâchaq

H7832 verb

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "laugh" 24 occurrences

The primary and most frequent sense in SILEX is audible joy or amusement; 'laugh' is the natural, common English verb that also easily covers sarcastic or derisive uses (laugh at, laugh on). It best preserves the typical usage across contexts (joy, playfulness, mockery) and keeps the translation consistent and natural-sounding.

Alternatives (12 occurrences):
"play" (2x) "rejoicing" (2x) "that he may entertain" (1x) "playing women" (1x) "them play" (1x) "celebrated" (1x) "those who rejoice" (1x) "making sport" (1x) "make sport" (1x) "celebrating" (1x)

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

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Bemba Seka To laugh
Chichewa seka to laugh
Ga seka to laugh
Ibibio Saak to laugh
Kikuyu ñeka to laugh

See all 16 languages →

Root Family

שׂחק (mischaq) — to laugh, to play, to amuse, to mock

Root שׂחק to laugh, to play, to mock, to make 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 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7832-08 מְשַׂחֲקִ֛ים mesachaqim HVprmpa were celebrating the ones making sport the ones laughing 6
H7832-21 יִשְׂחָ֔ק yisechaq HVqi3ms laughs he laughs he laughs 5
H7832-12 תִּשְׂחָ֑ק tisechaq HVqi2ms she laughs at you laugh you will laugh 3
H7832-02 אֶשְׂחַ֣ק esechaq HVqi1cs I laughed I will laugh I will laugh 2
H7832-10 מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת mesacheqet HVprfsa rejoicing the one who makes sport rejoicing 2
H7832-11 שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ sachaqu HVqp3cp mocked they laughed they laugh 2
H7832-01 בִּ/שְׂח֥וֹק bisechoq HR/Vqc while-sporting in laughing laughing 1
H7832-03 הַֽ/מְשַׂחֲק֖וֹת hamesachaqot HTd/Vprfpa playing the laughing women the playing women 1
H7832-04 הַֽ/תְשַׂחֶק hatesacheq HTi/Vpi2ms Will you play you will make sport you will make sport 1
H7832-05 לְ/שַֽׂחֶק lesacheq HR/Vpc to sport to make sport to play 1

Occurrences in Scripture

36 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7832-19 Judges 16:25 וִ/ישַֽׂחֶק visacheq HC/Vpi3ms that he may entertain he will make sport that he may entertain
H7832-01 Judges 16:27 בִּ/שְׂח֥וֹק bisechoq HR/Vqc while-sporting in laughing laughing
H7832-03 1 Samuel 18:7 הַֽ/מְשַׂחֲק֖וֹת hamesachaqot HTd/Vprfpa playing the laughing women the playing women
H7832-18 2 Samuel 2:14 וִֽ/ישַׂחֲק֖וּ visachaqu HC/Vpi3mp and let them play and they will make sport and let them play
H7832-08 2 Samuel 6:5 מְשַֽׂחֲקִים֙ mesachaqim HVprmpa were celebrating the ones making sport the ones laughing
H7832-16 2 Samuel 6:21 וְ/שִׂחַקְתִּ֖י vesichaqeti HC/Vpq1cs and I will celebrate and I made sport and I celebrated
H7832-08 Jeremiah 15:17 מְשַׂחֲקִ֖ים mesachaqim HVprmpa of mockers/revelers the ones making sport the ones laughing
H7832-08 Jeremiah 30:19 מְשַׂחֲקִ֑ים mesachaqim HVprmpa of-those-who-celebrate the ones making sport the ones laughing
H7832-08 Jeremiah 31:4 מְשַׂחֲקִֽים mesachaqim HVprmpa of those making merry the ones making sport those who rejoice
H7832-21 Habakkuk 1:10 יִשְׂחָ֔ק yisechaq HVqi3ms laughs he laughs he laughs
H7832-08 Zechariah 8:5 מְשַׂחֲקִ֖ים mesachaqim HVprmpa playing the ones making sport the ones laughing
H7832-21 Psalms 2:4 יִשְׂחָ֑ק yisechaq HVqi3ms laughs he laughs he laughs
H7832-21 Psalms 37:13 יִשְׂחַק yisechaq HVqi3ms laughs he laughs he laughs
H7832-22 Psalms 52:8 יִשְׂחָֽקוּ yisechaqu HVqi3mp they-will-laugh they will laugh they will laugh
H7832-12 Psalms 59:9 תִּשְׂחַק tisechaq HVqi2ms will laugh you laugh you laugh
H7832-05 Psalms 104:26 לְ/שַֽׂחֶק lesacheq HR/Vpc to sport to make sport to play
H7832-02 Proverbs 1:26 אֶשְׂחָ֑ק esechaq HVqi1cs will laugh I will laugh I will laugh
H7832-10 Proverbs 8:30 מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת mesacheqet HVprfsa rejoicing the one who makes sport rejoicing
H7832-10 Proverbs 8:31 מְ֭שַׂחֶקֶת mesacheqet HVprfsa rejoicing the one who makes sport rejoicing
H7832-09 Proverbs 26:19 מְשַׂחֵ֥ק mesacheq HVprmsa joking one making sport one making sport
H7832-15 Proverbs 29:9 וְ֝/שָׂחַ֗ק vesachaq HC/Vqq3ms and laughs and he laughed and he laughs
H7832-14 Proverbs 31:25 וַ֝/תִּשְׂחַ֗ק vatisechaq HC/Vqw3fs and she laughs and she laughed and she laughs
H7832-12 Job 5:22 תִּשְׂחָ֑ק tisechaq HVqi2ms you will laugh you laugh you will laugh
H7832-02 Job 29:24 אֶשְׂחַ֣ק esechaq HVqi1cs I laughed I will laugh I will laugh
H7832-11 Job 30:1 שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ sachaqu HVqp3cp they laugh they laughed they laugh
H7832-21 Job 39:7 יִ֭שְׂחַק yisechaq HVqi3ms He scorns he laughs he laughs
H7832-12 Job 39:18 תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק tisechaq HVqi3fs she laughs at you laugh you will laugh
H7832-21 Job 39:22 יִשְׂחַ֣ק yisechaq HVqi3ms He laughs at he laughs he laughs
H7832-20 Job 40:20 יְשַֽׂחֲקוּ yesachaqu HVpi3mp play they will make sport they play
H7832-04 Job 40:29 הַֽ/תְשַׂחֶק hatesacheq HTi/Vpi2ms Will you play you will make sport you will make sport
H7832-17 Job 41:21 וְ֝/יִשְׂחַ֗ק veyisechaq HC/Vqi3ms and it laughs and he laughs and it laughs
H7832-11 Lamentations 1:7 שָׂחֲק֖וּ sachaqu HVqp3cp mocked they laughed they laughed
H7832-06 Ecclesiastes 3:4 לִ/שְׂח֔וֹק lisechoq HR/Vqc laughter to laugh
H7832-08 1 Chronicles 13:8 מְשַׂחֲקִ֛ים mesachaqim HVprmpa were celebrating the ones making sport the ones laughing
H7832-13 1 Chronicles 15:29 וּ/מְשַׂחֵ֔ק umesacheq HC/Vprmsa and celebrating and the one making sport and celebrating
H7832-07 2 Chronicles 30:10 מַשְׂחִיקִ֣ים masechiqim HVhrmpa laughing those causing laughter those laughing
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