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יִצְחָק

𐤉𐤑𐤇𐤒

Yitsechaq

H3327 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צחק to laugh, to play, to mock

Definition

Proper personal name: Yitsḥaq (commonly rendered 'Isaac'), the son of Abraham and Sarah, whose birth was associated with the motif of laughter. The principal lexical meaning arises from its root, denoting 'he laughs' or 'he will laugh.' While the base meaning refers directly to laughter, in the naming context it denotes the individual's identity, not an abstract concept. Semantic range is limited as a proper name but draws on the underlying verb meaning of joyful laughter or astonishment.

Semantic Range

proper personal name (the patriarch Isaac son of Abraham and Sarah); by derivation, he laughs, laughter, rejoices

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root צ-ח-ק (צחק), meaning 'to laugh.' In the causative or imperfect form, the name is understood as 'he laughs' or 'he will laugh.' The personal name prefixes the third person masculine singular imperfect form. Lexical derivation is typical of Semitic theophoric or event-associated naming.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יִּצְחָק (Yitsḥaq) occurs exclusively as a proper name for the son of Abraham and Sarah. The name reflects the narrative in Genesis where both Abraham and Sarah laugh on being told by God that they will have a child in old age, hence Yitsḥaq as 'he will laugh' or 'one laughs.' The association with laughter is unique to his birth context. The name continues to be used as an Israelite personal name in later periods but is primarily attached to the patriarch. The Greek transliteration Ἰσαάκ (Isaak) and Latin Isaac enter later translation traditions and English. KJV and most English Bibles use 'Isaac,' following this tradition. In rabbinic and later Jewish contexts, Yitsḥaq/Isaac becomes a central ancestral figure. The form יִשְׂחָק (Yisḥaq) is an orthographic variant but denotes the same individual. The core meaning remains constant across periods and appears only as a proper name in biblical usage; no broader noun or verb application is attested in Biblical Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from צָחַק; laughter (i.e. mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham; Isaac. Compare יִשְׂחָק.

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Bemba Aseka He/she laughs
Luganda Aseka he laughs
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Root Family

צחק (ṣ-ḥ-q) — to laugh, to play, to mock

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3446 יִשְׂחָק to Yitzḥaq
H6711 צָחַק mocking one
H6712 צְחֹק for laughter

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3327-04 יִצְחָ֑ק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq 81
H3327-01 לְ/יִצְחָֽק leyitsechaq HR/Np to Isaac to He-Laughs to Yitsechaq 20
H3327-03 בְ/יִצְחָ֔ק veyitsechaq HR/Np and Isaac and He-Laughs and Yitsechaq 6
H3327-02 וּ/לְ/יִצְחָ֖ק uleyitsechaq HC/R/Np and to Isaac and to He-Laughs and to Yitsechaq 1

Occurrences in Scripture

108 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3327-04 Genesis 17:19 יִצְחָ֑ק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
H3327-04 Genesis 17:21 יִצְחָ֑ק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
H3327-04 Genesis 21:3 יִצְחָֽק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
H3327-04 Genesis 21:4 יִצְחָ֣ק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
H3327-04 Genesis 21:5 יִצְחָ֥ק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
H3327-04 Genesis 21:8 יִצְחָֽק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
H3327-04 Genesis 21:10 יִצְחָֽק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
H3327-03 Genesis 21:12 בְ/יִצְחָ֔ק veyitsechaq HR/Np through Isaac and He-Laughs in Yitsechaq
H3327-04 Genesis 22:2 יִצְחָ֔ק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
H3327-04 Genesis 22:3 יִצְחָ֣ק yitsechaq HNp Isaac He Laughs Yitsechaq
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