Bible Dictionary: Laughter

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n.) A movement (usually involuntary) of the muscles of the face, particularly of the lips, with a peculiar expression of the eyes, indicating merriment, satisfaction, or derision, and usually attended by a sonorous and interrupted expulsion of air from the lungs.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

LAUGHTER

laf'-ter (chaq, tsachaq, "to laugh," sechoq, "laughter"; gelao, katagelao):

(1) Laughter as the expression of gladness, pleasurable surprise, is the translation of tsachaq (Genesis 17:17; Genesis 18:12, 13, 15; Genesis 21:6), which, however, should perhaps be "laugh at me," not "with me," as the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) (so Delitzsch and others; see also Hastings in HDB), not in the sense of derision, but of surprise and pleasure. In the same verse for "God hath made me to laugh," the Revised Version (British and American) gives in margin, "hath prepared laughter for me," and this gave his name to the son, the promise of whose birth evoked the laughter (Yitschaq, Isaac); gelao (Luke 6:21, 25) has the same meaning of gladness and rejoicing; sechoq, "laughter," has also this sense (Job 8:21 Psalm 126:2). It is, however, "laughed to scorn" in Job 12:4; the Revised Version (British and American) "laughing-stock"; so Jeremiah 20:7; compare 48:26, 27, 39; Lamentations 3:14, "derision."

(2) Sachaq is used (except Job 29:24 Ecclesiastes 3:4) in the sense of the laughter of defiance, or derision (Job 5:22; Job 41:29); in Piel it is often translated "play," "playing," "merry"

(3) La`agh is "to scorn" "to laugh to scorn" (2 Kings 19:21 Nehemiah 2:19); sachaq has also this sense (2 Chronicles 30:10); tsechoq (Ezekiel 23:32); sechoq (Job 12:4); katagelao (Matthew 9:24 Mark 5:40 Luke 8:53); the simple gelao occurs only in Luke 6:21, 25; see above. Katagelao is found in Judith 12:12, "laugh to scorn" (Ecclesiasticus 7:11; 20:17; 1 Maccabees 10:70, the Revised Version (British and American) "derision").

For "laugh" (Job 9:23) the Revised Version (British and American) has "mock"; for "mocked of his neighbor" and "laughed to scorn" (Job 12:4) "laughing-stock"; for "shall rejoice in time to come" (Proverbs 31:25), "laugheth at the time to come"; "laughter" for "laughing" (Job 8:21).

W. L. Walker

Greek

1071. gelos -- laughter
... gelos. 1072 . laughter. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: gelos
Phonetic Spelling: (ghel'-os) Short Definition: laughter Definition: laughter. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1071.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

7814. sechoq -- laughter, derision, sport
... 7813, 7814. sechoq or sechoq. 7815 . laughter, derision, sport. Transliteration:
sechoq or sechoq Phonetic Spelling: (sekh-oke') Short Definition: laughter ...
/hebrew/7814.htm - 6k

6712. tsechoq -- laughter
... 6711, 6712. tsechoq. 6713 . laughter. Transliteration: tsechoq Phonetic
Spelling: (tsekh-oke') Short Definition: laughed. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/6712.htm - 6k

3327. Yitschaq -- "he laughs," son of Abraham and Sarah
... Isaac. From tsachaq; laughter (ie Mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham --
Isaac. Compare Yischaq. see HEBREW tsachaq. see HEBREW Yischaq. 3326, 3327 ...
/hebrew/3327.htm - 6k

Library

On Laughter.
... Chapter V."On Laughter. ... If, then, wags are to be ejected from our society, we ourselves
must by no manner of means be allowed to stir up laughter. ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter v on laughter.htm

Hollow Laughter, Solid Joy
... THE PROVERBS HOLLOW LAUGHTER, SOLID JOY. 'Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful;
and the end of that mirth is heaviness.'"Proverbs 14:13. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/hollow laughter solid joy.htm

Of Isaac, who was Born According to the Promise, Whose Name was ...
... Book XVI. Chapter 31."Of Isaac, Who Was Born According to the Promise, Whose
Name Was Given on Account of the Laughter of Both Parents. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 31 of isaac who was.htm

An Examination of the Question Where the Ruling Principle is to be ...
... XII. An examination of the question where the ruling principle is to be considered
to reside; wherein also is a discussion of tears and laughter, and a ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/xii an examination of the.htm

Whether Pain or Sorrow is Assuaged by Tears?
... Objection 2: Further, just as tears or groans are an effect of sorrow, so laughter
is an effect of joy. But laughter does not lessen joy. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether pain or sorrow is 2.htm

Chapter xxi
... There the joyous laughter of faith on Abraham's part was the direct cause
for the choice of the name. At the same time, as far as ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxi.htm

But Whilst the King Has not that Most Blessed Light...
... better than precious ointment.2. The day of death " " " the day of birth.3. The
house of mourning " " " the house of feasting.4. Borrow " " " laughter.5. The ...
/.../jennings/old groans and new songs/chapter vii but whilst the.htm

Chapter ii.
... 2. "I said of laughter, It is mad; [938] and of mirth, What doest thou?".
Laughter has a twofold madness; because madness begets ...
//christianbookshelf.org/dionysius/the works of dionysius/chapter ii.htm

O what Amazement Befel the Evil One, of a Sudden, My Brethren ...
... to the One Who alone, conquered the Evil One; and to Him yea Him be also confession,
Who vanquished Death!"3. The Evil One marvelled "Where is her laughter? ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn lx o what amazement.htm

Of the Question Why, if Christ is Believed to have Been the Wisest ...
... But if these deities are to be considered proper objects for reverence, why then
do they make them the subject of laughter in the theatres? ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter viii of the question why.htm

Thesaurus

Laughter (14 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. LAUGHTER. laf'-ter (chaq, tsachaq, "to
laugh," sechoq, "laughter"; gelao, katagelao): (1) Laughter...
/l/laughter.htm - 13k

Laugh (23 Occurrences)
... a lighting up of the face and eyes, and usually accompanied by the emission of
explosive or chuckling sounds from the chest and throat; to indulge in laughter. ...
/l/laugh.htm - 13k

Ridicule (14 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Remarks designed to excite laughter with a degree of contempt; wit of that
species which provokes contemptuous laughter; disparagement by making a ...
/r/ridicule.htm - 10k

Mirth (18 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Merriment; gayety accompanied with laughter; jollity. ... Proverbs 14:13 Even
in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness. ...
/m/mirth.htm - 12k

Merry (38 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (superl.) Laughingly gay; overflowing with good humor
and good spirits; jovial; inclined to laughter or play ; sportive. ...
/m/merry.htm - 18k

Laughingstock (10 Occurrences)
... laf'-ing-stok: Something set up to be laughed at; thrice in the Revised Version
(British and American) the translation of sechoq, "laughter," etc. ...
/l/laughingstock.htm - 9k

Ha (8 Occurrences)
... When repeated, ha, ha, it is an expression of laughter, satisfaction, or triumph,
sometimes of derisive laughter; or sometimes it is equivalent to Well, it is ...
/h/ha.htm - 9k

Scorn (65 Occurrences)
... In Habakkuk 1:10 (the King James Version) the word translated "scorn" is micchaq,
"an object of laughter," "laughing-stock." In Psalm 44:13; Psalm 79:4 the ...
/s/scorn.htm - 31k

Sadness (16 Occurrences)
... to thy word. (DBY). Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful,
and the end of mirth is sadness. (DBY). Ecclesiastes 1 ...
/s/sadness.htm - 11k

Isaac (127 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Laughter. (1) Israel, or the kingdom of the ten tribes
(Amos 7:9, 16). (2.) The only son of Abraham by Sarah. ...
/i/isaac.htm - 60k

Bible Concordance

Laughter (14 Occurrences)

James 4:9 Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 21:6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh. Every one that heareth will laugh with me.
(See JPS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Job 8:21 He will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.
(WEB JPS ASV YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Job 12:4 A laughter to his friend I am: 'He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter 'is' the perfect righteous one.
(YLT)

Psalms 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "Yahweh has done great things for them."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ecclesiastes 2:2 I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ecclesiastes 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ecclesiastes 7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 20:7 Thou hast persuaded me, O Jehovah, and I am persuaded; Thou hast hardened me, and dost prevail, I have been for a laughter all the day, Every one is mocking at me,
(YLT)

Jeremiah 51:39 When they are heated, I will make their feast, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, says Yahweh.
(See NIV)

Ezekiel 23:32 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: The cup of thy sister thou dost drink, The deep and the wide one, (Thou art for laughter and for scorn,) Abundant to contain.
(YLT)

Habakkuk 1:10 And at kings it doth scoff, And princes 'are' a laughter to it, At every fenced place it doth laugh, And it heapeth up dust, and captureth it.
(YLT)

Subtopics

Laughter

Laughter: A Time For

Laughter: Attributed to God

Related Terms

Laugh (23 Occurrences)

Ridicule (14 Occurrences)

Mirth (18 Occurrences)

Merry (38 Occurrences)

Laughingstock (10 Occurrences)

Ha (8 Occurrences)

Scorn (65 Occurrences)