לָצוֹן
𐤋𐤑𐤅𐤍
lâtsôwn
H3944 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who engages in mockery, derision, or scorn; specifically, one who habitually ridicules or treats others with contempt. Used in wisdom literature to describe a type of individual characterized by arrogant disparagement, resistance to correction, and rejection of instruction or discipline. The term may be used of a social type who undermines communal cohesion through scoffing or derisive speech.
Semantic Range
mocker, scoffer, one who ridicules, derider, person habitually expressing contempt for correction or wisdom, source of discord through ridicule
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root לוץ (l-w-ts), which means 'to mock, scorn, deride.' The word לָצוֹן is a nominal form (masculine), signifying 'mocker' or 'scoffer.' The root conveys the act of mocking or contemptuous speech, but the noun refers concretely to a person engaged in such activity.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, לָצוֹן appears predominantly in wisdom literature (Proverbs: e.g., 21:24; Psalms: e.g., 1:1), designating a social archetype—the mocker or scoffer—who contrasts with the wise and the righteous. The לָצוֹן is resistant to correction (Prov 9:7-8) and is grouped with the wicked as a source of community disruption. This term is distinct from other words for 'fool' (אֱוִיל, כְּסִיל), as the לָצוֹן is specifically characterized by contemptuous ridicule rather than general folly or ignorance. Later translation traditions (e.g., LXX: λοιμός, ἐμπαίκτης) rendered the term as 'mocker' or 'scoffer,' and only much later did English renderings use 'scornful' or 'scorner.' In post-biblical Hebrew, the term continued to mean 'mockery' or 'mocker,' preserving the basic sense of derision but sometimes broadening to theatrical or jesting performances. The English word 'scornful' narrows the full social and ethical nuances of לָצוֹן, and does not fully convey its archetypal role in wisdom tradition.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from לוּץ; derision; scornful(-ning).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
לוץ (l-w-ts) — to mock, to scorn, to deride, to speak contemptuously
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3887 | לוּץ | among interpreting spokesmen of |
| H3945 | לָצַץ | mocking ones |
| H4426 | מְלִיצָה | and a sly saying |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3944-01 |
לָצ֑וֹן | latson | HNcmsa |
of scorn | mocker | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3944-01 |
Isaiah 28:14 | לָצ֑וֹן | latson | HNcmsa |
of scorn | mocker |
H3944-01 |
Proverbs 1:22 | לָ֭צוֹן | latson | HNcmsa |
scoffing | mocker |
H3944-01 |
Proverbs 29:8 | לָ֭צוֹן | latson | HNcmsa |
scorn | mocker |