What does שָׂחַק (yiśḥāq) mean in the Bible?
שָׂחַק (yiśḥāq): Laughter spans from joy and play to mockery and derision; often implies power dynamics or superiority.
Hebrew · H7832
שָׂחַק
To laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication, to play
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שָׂחַק H7832
Pronunciation yiśḥāq
What does שָׂחַק (yiśḥāq) mean in the Bible?
שָׂחַק (yiśḥāq): Laughter spans from joy and play to mockery and derision; often implies power dynamics or superiority.
Full entry for שָׂחַק (H7832) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7832?
The BSB source-word alignment has 36 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include laugh (2), laughs (2), were celebrating (2), And as the women danced (1), and celebrating (1).
Where does שָׂחַק (yiśḥāq) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Judges 16:25. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (9), Proverbs (6), Psalms (5), 2 Samuel (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It laugh 2× Psalms 59:8, Habakkuk 1:10
laughs 2× Psalms 2:4, Psalms 37:13
were celebrating 2× 2 Samuel 6:5, 1 Chronicles 13:8
And as the women danced 1× 1 Samuel 18:7
and celebrating 1× 1 Chronicles 15:29
and compete 1× 2 Samuel 2:14
and he laughs 1× Job 41:29
and laughing 1× Proverbs 29:9
and she can laugh 1× Proverbs 31:25
but the people scorned 1× 2 Chronicles 30:10
Can you pet 1× Job 41:5
entertain them 1× Judges 16:27
He laughs 1× Job 39:22
He scorns 1× Job 39:7
I was rejoicing 1× Proverbs 8:31
I will celebrate 1× 2 Samuel 6:21
If I smiled 1× Job 29:24
in joyful 1× Jeremiah 31:4
joking 1× Proverbs 26:19
laughing 1× Lamentations 1:7
of celebration 1× Jeremiah 30:19
of revelers 1× Jeremiah 15:17
play 1× Job 40:20
playing 1× Zechariah 8:5
rejoicing 1× Proverbs 8:30
she laughs 1× Job 39:18
they mock me 1× Job 30:1
they will mock [the evildoer], saying 1× Psalms 52:6
to entertain 1× Judges 16:25
to frolic 1× Psalms 104:26
to laugh 1× Ecclesiastes 3:4
will mock 1× Proverbs 1:26
You will laugh 1× Job 5:22
Show sample aligned rows
Judges 16:25 וִישַֽׂחֶק־ to to entertain Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular Judges 16:27 בִּשְׂח֥וֹק to entertain them Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 1 Samuel 18:7 הַֽמְשַׂחֲק֖וֹת to And as the women danced Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural 2 Samuel 2:14 וִֽישַׂחֲק֖וּ to and compete Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2 Samuel 6:5 מְשַֽׂחֲקִים֙ to were celebrating Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural 2 Samuel 6:21 וְשִׂחַקְתִּ֖י to I will celebrate Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 1 Chronicles 13:8 מְשַׂחֲקִ֛ים to were celebrating Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural 1 Chronicles 15:29 וּמְשַׂחֵ֔ק to and celebrating Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 30:10 מַשְׂחִיקִ֣ים to but the people scorned Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural Job 5:22 תִּשְׂחָ֑ק to You will laugh Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Judges 16:25
Aligned rows 36
Books represented 13
Judges 2 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 3 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 1 Job 9 Psalms 5 Proverbs 6 Ecclesiastes 1 Jeremiah 3 Lamentations 1 Habakkuk 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
מְשַׂחֲקִ֖ים 2x mə·śa·ḥă·qîm Jeremiah 15:17, Zechariah 8:5
אֶשְׂחַ֣ק 1x ’eś·ḥaq Job 29:24
אֶשְׂחָ֑ק 1x ’eś·ḥāq Proverbs 1:26
בִּשְׂח֥וֹק 1x biś·ḥō·wq Judges 16:27
הַֽמְשַׂחֲק֖וֹת 1x ham·śa·ḥă·qō·wṯ 1 Samuel 18:7
הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־ 1x haṯ·śa·ḥeq- Job 41:5
וְ֝יִשְׂחַ֗ק 1x wə·yiś·ḥaq Job 41:29
וִישַֽׂחֶק־ 1x wî·śa·ḥeq- Judges 16:25
Parsing patterns
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural 6x 2 Samuel 6:5, 1 Chronicles 13:8, Jeremiah 15:17, Jeremiah 30:19
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 5x Job 39:7, Job 39:22, Psalms 2:4, Psalms 37:13
Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular 2x Proverbs 8:30, Proverbs 8:31
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 2x Job 29:24, Proverbs 1:26
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Job 5:22, Psalms 59:8
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 2x Job 30:1, Lamentations 1:7
Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural 1x 1 Samuel 18:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x 2 Samuel 2:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Laughter spans from joy and play to mockery and derision; often implies power dynamics or superiority.
Strong's H7832
Lexical occurrences 36 verses Word forms 3 forms 24 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Psalm 2:4–6 Source Gloss
to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication, to play
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Laughter spans from joy and play to mockery and derision; often implies power dynamics or superiority.
to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication, to play BDB: laugh Usage: deride, have in derision, laugh, make merry, mock(-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in (make) sport.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 24
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 10×
Participle active 1Chr 13:8 · 2Sam 6:5 · Jer 15:17 · Jer 30:19 · Jer 31:4 · Prov 8:30 · Prov 8:31 · Prov 26:19 · Zech 8:5 9×
Imperfect Job 40:20 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 13×
Imperfect Hab 1:10 · Job 39:7 · Job 39:22 · Ps 2:4 · Ps 37:13 · Job 5:22 · Ps 59:9 · Job 29:24 · Prov 1:26 · Job 39:18 · Ps 52:8 11×
Perfect Job 30:1 · Lam 1:7 2×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Participle active 2Chr 30:10 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
To laugh, mock, or scoff; expresses the disproportion of power
He laughs; he scorns; he derides; signifies a sovereign confidence in the face of human rebellion
Additional Occurrences
Psalms 2:1-6 יִשְׂחָק yiśḥāq
laughs; mocks; derides
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 36 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׂחַק is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain