Laughter(joy, laughter, mirth)
Summary
An expression of emotion in Scripture that can signify joy and gladness, mockery and derision, or confident security, with God Himself depicted as laughing at the wicked.
☩Laughter of Joy and Gladness
Laughter in Scripture most commonly expresses joy and gladness. When Sarah bore Isaac, she declared 'God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me,' giving Isaac his name meaning 'laughter.' The Hebrew tsachaq conveys pleasurable surprise, as when Abraham and Sarah laughed at God's promise of a son in their old age. The psalmist records that when the Lord restored Zion's fortunes, 'then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.' Jesus promised His disciples, 'Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh,' pointing to the ultimate reversal when mourning gives way to joy.
☩The Laughter of Fools
Scripture also speaks of empty, vain laughter that brings no lasting benefit. The Preacher declared, 'I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?' The laughter of fools is compared to 'the crackling of thorns under a pot'—brief, noisy, and ultimately useless. While feasts are made for laughter and merriment, Ecclesiastes warns that even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and the end of mirth may be heaviness. James exhorts sinners to 'let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness' as part of genuine repentance.
☩Laughter of Derision and Scorn
Both Hebrew and Greek employ specific terms for scornful laughter. The Hebrew la'agh means 'to scorn' or 'laugh to scorn,' used when enemies mocked Israel or the righteous. When Jesus came to raise Jairus' daughter, the mourners 'laughed him to scorn' (katagelao), mocking His assertion that the girl was merely sleeping. Job lamented that he had become 'a laughingstock' to his neighbors despite his righteousness. Nehemiah faced those who 'laughed us to scorn' when he proposed rebuilding Jerusalem's walls.
☩God's Laughter at the Wicked
When used of God, laughter signifies that He despises and pays no regard to those who oppose Him. The psalmist declares, 'He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision' regarding kings and rulers who conspire against the Lord and His anointed. God laughs at the wicked because He sees that their day of judgment is coming. Proverbs warns that wisdom will 'laugh at your calamity' when those who rejected her counsel face destruction. This divine laughter expresses not amusement but sovereign contempt for futile rebellion.
☩Laughter of Confident Security
Laughter occasionally expresses confident security in the face of adversity. Job describes the righteous who shall 'laugh at destruction and famine' because of their trust in God's protection. The virtuous woman of Proverbs 'laugheth at the time to come,' facing the future without fear because of her diligent preparation and faith. This type of laughter reflects not frivolity but deep-seated confidence in God's providence and care.
Related Verses23 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Laughter," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Laughter," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).