לָעֵג
𐤋𐤏𐤂
lâʻêg
H3934 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who mocks, derides, or ridicules; in some contexts, refers specifically to one whose mode of speech is considered unintelligible or foreign by native speakers. The term primarily denotes a mocker or scoffer, but in certain passages (especially in Isaiah), it refers to speakers of languages or dialects perceived as odd or unclear by Israelites.
Semantic Range
mocker, scoffer, buffoon, one who derides; foreigner (insofar as their speech is mocked or not understood), stammerer, person of obscure or unintelligible speech
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root לָעַג (l-'-g), which means 'to mock, deride, ridicule.' The noun form לָעֵג designates a person characterized by such behavior—one who mocks or whose speech itself provokes derision. The extension to 'foreigner' or 'one speaking a strange tongue' arises from mocking attitudes historically directed toward non-native speech.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, לָעֵג occurs both in reference to overt mockers (such as scoffers or buffoons) and in contexts where the speech of foreigners is characterized as incomprehensible or ridiculed. Notably in Isaiah 33:19, the term is used to describe people whose speech is strange or stammered from the Israelite perspective, often identified as non-Israelites (foreign nations). In Proverbs 19:28 and the Psalms, the emphasis is generally on derision and mockery, not national or ethnic identity. English translations sometimes render לָעֵג as 'mocker,' 'scoffer,' or 'of a strange tongue,' but the term encompasses both attitudes of ridicule and the social otherness of outsiders whose language is derided or incomprehensible. This dual nuance—active mockery and the othering of non-native speakers—reflects both social dynamics and ethnolinguistic perception in ancient Israelite society.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from לָעַג; a buffoon; also a foreigner; mocker, stammering.
Bantu Hebrew
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לעג (l-ʿ-g) — to mock, to deride, to ridicule
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3934-01 |
בְּ/לַעֲגֵ֣י | belaagey | HR/Ncmpc |
with stammering | with mockers of | 1 | |
H3934-02 |
לַעֲגֵ֣י | laagey | HAampc |
mockers | mockers of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3934-01 |
Isaiah 28:11 | בְּ/לַעֲגֵ֣י | belaagey | HR/Ncmpc |
with stammering | with mockers of | |
H3934-02 |
Psalms 35:16 | לַעֲגֵ֣י | laagey | HAampc |
mockers | mockers of |