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laf´tẽr (צחק, caÌ„hÌ£akÌ£, שׂחק, saÌ„hÌ£akÌ£, “to laugh,†שׂחוק, sehÌ£oÌ„kÌ£, “laughterâ€; γελαÌω, gelaÌoÌ„, καταγελαÌω, katagelaÌoÌ„): (1) Laughter as the expression of gladness, pleasurable surprise, is the translation of caÌ„hÌ£akÌ£ (; , , ; ), which, however, should perhaps be “laugh at me,†not “with me,†as the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) (so Delitzsch and others; see also Hastings in HDB), not in the sense of derision, but of surprise and pleasure. In the same verse for “God hath made me to laugh,†the Revised Version (British and American) gives in margin, “hath prepared laughter for me,†and this gave his name to the son, the promise of whose birth evoked the laughter (YichÌ£aÌ„kÌ£, Isaac); gelaÌoÌ„ (, ) has the same meaning of gladness and rejoicing; sehÌ£oÌ„kÌ£, “laughter,†has also this sense (; ). It is, however, “laughed to scorn†in ; the Revised Version (British and American) “laughing-stockâ€; so ; compare , , ; , “derision.†(2) SaÌ„hÌ£akÌ£ is used (except ; ) in the sense of the laughter of defiance, or derision (; ); in Piel it is often translated “play,†“playing,†“merry†(3) Lā‛agh is “to scorn†“to laugh to scorn†(; ); saÌ„hÌ£akÌ£ has also this sense (); cehÌ£okÌ£ (); sehÌ£okÌ£ (); katagelaoÌ„ (; ; ); the simple gelaoÌ„ occurs only in , ; see above. KatagelaoÌ„ is found in Judith 12:12, “laugh to scorn†(Ecclesiasticus 7:11; 20:17; 1 Macc 10:70, the Revised Version (British and American) “derisionâ€).
For “laugh†() the Revised Version (British and American) has “mockâ€; for “mocked of his neighbor†and “laughed to scorn†() “laughing-stockâ€; for “shall rejoice in time to come†(), “laugheth at the time to comeâ€; “laughter†for “laughing†().