Word Study for H7814 (שְׂחוֹק)

sᵉchôwq /sekh-oke'/ Ask about this word

Rootor שְׂחֹק · from שָׂחַק

Meaninglaughter (in merriment or defiance)

KJV usagederision, laughter(-ed to scorn, -ing), mocked, sport.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of sᵉchôwq — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word sᵉchôwq, represented by H7814, signifies laughter, but carries a dual meaning that includes both merriment and defiant scorn. Derived from a root meaning "to laugh," its translations include derision, sport, and being mocked. It appears 15 times across 14 unique verses, illustrating a range of contexts from joy to judgment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In Scripture, H7814 is used to describe both divine blessing and human contempt. On one hand, it represents the joy of restoration, as when the Lord's deliverance fills the mouths of his people with laughter Psalms 126:2. It is also portrayed as a future reward for the righteous Job 8:21. Conversely, it is frequently used to mean derision. Jeremiah describes himself as being in daily derision Jeremiah 20:7, and the nation of Moab is destined to become a derision as part of its judgment (Jeremiah 48:26, Jeremiah 48:39). This highlights the word's capacity to convey both celebratory joy and bitter mockery.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H7814 appears:

H3932 lâʻag (to deride): This term, appearing alongside H7814 in Jeremiah 20:7, specifically means to deride or mock, reinforcing the negative and scornful aspect of laughter.
H8057 simchâh (blithesomeness or glee): Often paired with H7814, this word emphasizes joy and mirth, as seen in the philosophical questioning of laughter and mirth in Ecclesiastes 2:2 and Proverbs 14:13.
H3510 kâʼab (to feel pain; by implication, to grieve): The connection between laughter and pain is made explicit in Proverbs 14:13, which states that even in laughter the heart is sorrowful.
H8643 tᵉrûwʻâh (clamor, i.e. acclamation of joy or a battle-cry): This word for a joyful shout appears with H7814 in the promise that God will fill a person's lips with rejoicing Job 8:21, linking laughter to triumphant celebration.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H7814 lies in its portrayal of the human condition and divine justice.

Joy as a Divine Gift: In its positive sense, laughter is not a mere human emotion but a direct result of God's restorative work. The filling of the mouth with laughter is a sign of His favor and deliverance Psalms 126:2.
Derision as a Consequence of Sin: Laughter serves as a tool of scorn against God's people Lamentations 3:14 and as a mark of judgment upon nations like Moab that magnify themselves against the Lord Jeremiah 48:26.
Wisdom's Critique of Mirth: The wisdom literature questions the ultimate value of laughter. It is called "mad" Ecclesiastes 2:2, compared to the empty crackling H6963 of thorns Ecclesiastes 7:6, and shown to mask underlying heaviness H8424 Proverbs 14:13.

Summary

In summary, H7814 is a multifaceted term that extends beyond simple happiness. It functions as a powerful indicator of spiritual and emotional states, capable of representing both the profound joy that comes from God and the painful scorn of human mockery. Its use in Scripture reveals a sophisticated understanding of emotion, where laughter can be a sign of divine blessing, a tool of derision, or a fleeting vanity.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 15 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

שְׂחוֹק
שְׂחֹק

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 14 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ecclesiastes and Jeremiah (4 verses each); never once in the other 33.

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.