In the context of the Bible, the term "jeer" refers to mocking, scoffing, or ridiculing someone, often with the intent to belittle or demean. This behavior is generally portrayed negatively in Scripture, as it reflects a heart of pride, contempt, and a lack of love or respect for others. The act of jeering is often associated with the wicked or those who oppose God's people and His ways.

Biblical Instances of Jeering:

1. Nehemiah and the Rebuilding of Jerusalem's Wall:
One of the most notable instances of jeering in the Bible occurs during the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's leadership. Sanballat and Tobiah, along with others, mocked and ridiculed the Jews for their efforts. Nehemiah 4:1-3 states, "Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and mocked the Jews. Before his colleagues and the army of Samaria, he said, 'What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the wall for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?' Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, 'Even if a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!'"

2. Jesus on the Cross:
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is another poignant example where jeering is evident. As Jesus hung on the cross, He was mocked by the chief priests, scribes, and elders, as well as by those passing by. Matthew 27:39-41 records, "And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!' In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, 'He saved others, but He cannot save Himself!'"

3. Elisha and the Youths of Bethel:
In 2 Kings 2:23-24 , the prophet Elisha is jeered by a group of youths as he travels to Bethel. The passage states, "From there, Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the city and mocked him, saying, 'Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!' Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys."

Theological Implications:

Jeering is often depicted as an expression of unbelief and rebellion against God and His anointed. It is a manifestation of the sinful nature that seeks to elevate oneself by demeaning others. The Bible consistently warns against such behavior, emphasizing the importance of humility, respect, and love for one's neighbor.

Proverbs and Wisdom Literature:

The wisdom literature of the Bible, particularly the Book of Proverbs, frequently addresses the issue of mockery and scorn. Proverbs 9:7-8 advises, "He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself. Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you." This highlights the futility of engaging with those who jeer, as they are often resistant to correction and wisdom.

Moral and Ethical Teachings:

From a moral and ethical standpoint, the Bible encourages believers to refrain from jeering and instead to speak words that build up and encourage others. Ephesians 4:29 instructs, "Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen." This teaching underscores the call for Christians to reflect Christ's love and grace in their interactions with others, avoiding the destructive nature of jeering.1. (n.) A gear; a tackle.

2. (n.) An assemblage or combination of tackles, for hoisting or lowering the lower yards of a ship.

3. (v.) To utter sarcastic or scoffing reflections; to speak with mockery or derision; to use taunting language; to scoff; as, to jeer at a speaker.

4. (v. t.) To treat with scoffs or derision; to address with jeers; to taunt; to flout; to mock at.

5. (n.) A railing remark or reflection; a scoff; a taunt; a biting jest; a flout; a jibe; mockery.

5512. chleuazo -- to jest, mock, jeer
... to jest, mock, jeer. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: chleuazo Phonetic Spelling:
(khlyoo-ad'-zo) Short Definition: I mock, scoff Definition: I mock, scoff ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5512.htm - 6k

1702. empaizo -- to mock at
... mock. From en and paizo; to jeer at, ie Deride -- mock. see GREEK en. see GREEK
paizo. (empaizein) -- 1 Occurrence. (empaizontes) -- 2 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1702.htm - 7k

4167. muq -- to mock, deride
... root Definition to mock, deride NASB Word Usage mock (1). be corrupt. A primitive
root; to jeer, ie (intens.) Blaspheme -- be corrupt. 4166, 4167. muq. 4168 ...
/hebrew/4167.htm - 5k

Joseph Attacked by the Archers
... Full often did they jeer at the youthful Joseph, when he retired to his prayers;
when he was with them at a distance from his father's house, he was their ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/joseph attacked by the archers.htm

Bunyan's Dying Sayings.
... Sin turns all God's grace into wantonness: it is the DARE of his justice; the RAPE
of his mercy; the JEER of his patience; the SLIGHT of his power; and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/miscellaneous pieces/bunyans dying sayings.htm

"Jesus or Barabbas. "
... Ye see him decked with purple shreds, They laugh and jeer and shake their heads,
Is this the royal robe of state? Ah! what a man! Where is the trace of deity? ...
/.../stead/king of the jews/chapter viii jesus or barabbas.htm

Theory of Book I.
... The "incompetent" is everywhere and if, sometimes, he finds his way into the pulpit,
those who jeer at the Church on his account have little room for scorn. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jackson/the message and the man/theory of book i.htm

Barabbas
... What happens? Often nothing at all. Men are not in the mood for it; it drops
unnoticed, or provokes a jeer or two and is then forgotten. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/barabbas.htm

Commerce
... In fact, the general adoption of business, which has so often been made the subject
of jeer against Israel, marks yet another social state, and a terrible ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 12 commerce.htm

Exhortations to Christians as they are Children of God
... It were blasphemy to call these the children of God. Will a true child jeer at his
Father's picture? Drunkards, who drown reason and stupefy conscience. ...
/.../20 exhortations to christians as.htm

It was a Clear Morning and the Tenth Day Before the Kalends of ...
... "Put him in irons!" he shouted. "I, who shall soon be king of the Jews, command
you!". The cohort began to jeer at him; Vergilius commanded silence. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 22 it was a.htm

Song 18. Against Scoffing and Calling Names.
... fool. 3 But lips that dare be so prophane To mock and jeer and scoff At
holy things, or holy men, The Lord shall cut them off. 4 ...
/.../watts/divine songs for children/song 18 against scoffing and.htm

The Title on the Cross
... It strikes them all as significant that, meaning only to fling a jeer at his unruly
subjects, Pilate should have written it, and proclaimed this Nazarene ...
/.../the title on the cross.htm

Jeer (2 Occurrences)
... 3. (v.) To utter sarcastic or scoffing reflections; to speak with mockery or derision;
to use taunting language; to scoff; as, to jeer at a speaker. ...
/j/jeer.htm - 7k

Neigh (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vi) To utter the cry of the horse; to whinny. 2.
(vi) To scoff or sneer; to jeer. 3. (n.) The cry of a horse; a whinny. Int. ...
/n/neigh.htm - 7k

Unable (102 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Luke 14:29 lest perhaps, when he has laid the foundation and is unable
to finish, all who see it shall begin to jeer at him, (WEY). ...
/u/unable.htm - 35k

Jeelus

/j/jeelus.htm - 6k

Jeered (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Jeer. Multi-Version Concordance Jeered
(2 Occurrences). Luke 8:53 And they jeered at Him, knowing that she was dead. ...
/j/jeered.htm - 7k

Lama (2 Occurrences)
... words, whether in Hebrew or Aramaic, have sufficient similarity to each other and
each sufficient similarity to the name itself to warrant the jeer that Jesus ...
/l/lama.htm - 9k

Gear (3 Occurrences)
... 10. (n.) Engagement of parts with each other; as, in gear; out of gear. 11. (n.)
See 1st Jeer (b). 12. (n.) Anything worthless; stuff; nonsense; rubbish. 13. ...
/g/gear.htm - 8k

Gall (17 Occurrences)
... sarcasm. 9. (vt) To injure; to harass; to annoy; as, the troops were galled
by the shot of the enemy. 10. (vi) To scoff; to jeer. 11. (n ...
/g/gall.htm - 17k

Wipe (24 Occurrences)
... in order to clean. 6. (n.) A blow; a stroke; a hit; a swipe. 7. (n.) A gibe; a jeer;
a severe sarcasm. 8. (n.) A handkerchief. 9. (n.) Stain; brand. ...
/w/wipe.htm - 14k

Taunt (38 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Very high or tall; as, a ship with taunt masts. 2. (vt) To reproach with
severe or insulting words; to revile; to upbraid; to jeer at; to flout. ...
/t/taunt.htm - 18k

Jeer: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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