Topical Encyclopedia
Mocking, in the biblical context, refers to the act of ridiculing, deriding, or making fun of someone, often with the intent to belittle or scorn. This behavior is frequently condemned in Scripture as it reflects a heart of pride, arrogance, and disrespect, particularly towards God and His commandments.
Old Testament InstancesMocking is addressed in various passages throughout the Old Testament. In the book of Proverbs, mockers are often associated with foolishness and wickedness.
Proverbs 21:24 states, "Proud, Arrogant, and Mocking is his name, who acts with excessive pride." This verse highlights the connection between mocking and pride, suggesting that those who mock are often self-centered and dismissive of wisdom.
The account of Elisha and the youths in
2 Kings 2:23-24 provides a vivid example of the consequences of mocking a prophet of God. As Elisha was traveling to Bethel, a group of youths came out and mocked him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" In response, Elisha cursed them in the name of the LORD, and two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. This incident underscores the seriousness with which God views mocking, especially when directed at His servants.
New Testament TeachingsIn the New Testament, mocking is seen in the context of the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Gospels record that Jesus was mocked by soldiers, religious leaders, and even by those crucified alongside Him.
Matthew 27:29-31 describes how the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, placed it on His head, and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" This mockery was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, such as those found in
Psalm 22:7-8 , which foretold the Messiah being scorned and ridiculed.
The apostle Paul also addresses the issue of mocking in his epistles. In
Galatians 6:7 , he warns, "Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return." This verse serves as a reminder that mocking God or His principles is a serious offense with inevitable consequences.
Spiritual ImplicationsMocking is not merely a social or cultural issue but has deep spiritual implications. It reflects a heart that is resistant to God's authority and truth. In
Psalm 1:1 , the psalmist contrasts the blessed man with the mocker, stating, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers." This verse suggests that associating with mockers can lead one away from the path of righteousness.
Furthermore, the Bible encourages believers to respond to mockery with grace and patience. In
1 Peter 3:9 , Christians are exhorted, "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." This teaching aligns with the example of Christ, who, when mocked and reviled, did not retaliate but entrusted Himself to God.
ConclusionMocking, as depicted in the Bible, is a behavior that is contrary to the character and teachings of God. It is often associated with pride, foolishness, and a rejection of divine authority. Believers are called to avoid the company of mockers and to respond to mockery with the love and grace exemplified by Jesus Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
p. pr. & vb. n.) of Mock.
2. (a.) Imitating, esp. in derision, or so as to cause derision; mimicking; derisive.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MOCK; MOCKER; MOCKINGmok, mok'er, mok'-ing (hathal, la`agh, empaizo): To mock is the translation of hathal, "to play upon," "mock," "deride" (Judges 16:10, 13, 151 Kings 18:27, "Elijah mocked them";Job 13:9 twice, the Revised Version (British and American) "deceiveth," "deceive," margin "mocketh," "mock"); of la`agh, "to stammer" or "babble in mimicry," "to mock" or "scorn" (2 Chronicles 30:10Nehemiah 4:1Job 11:3;Job 21:3Proverbs 1:26;Proverbs 17:5;Proverbs 30:17Jeremiah 20:7). Other words are tsachaq, "to laugh," etc. (Genesis 19:14;Genesis 21:9;Genesis 39:14, 17); qalac, "to call out," or "cry after," "to scoff" or "mock at" (2 Kings 2:23Ezekiel 22:5); sachaq, "to laugh," "mock" (Job 39:22Lamentations 1:7); luts, "to scorn" (Proverbs 14:9); sechoq, "laughter," "derision" (Job 12:4); empaizo, "to treat as a child," "mock" (Matthew 2:16;Matthew 20:19;Matthew 27:29, 31, 41Luke 14:29, etc.); diachleuazo, "to mock," "laugh," etc. (Acts 2:13;Acts 17:32); mukterizo, "to sneer at," "mock," literally, "to turn up the nose" (Galatians 6:7, "God is not mocked," "will not let himself be mocked"); epigelao, "laugh" (Job 2:8;1Ma 7:34; compare2Ma 7:39;2Ma 8:17).
Mocker, hathulim, "deceivers," "mockers" (Job 17:2); luts (Proverbs 20:1Isaiah 28:22 the King James Version); la`egh, "stammering," "mocking" (Psalm 35:16; compareIsaiah 28:11); sachaq (Jeremiah 15:17); empaiktes, "a mocker," "scoffer," literally, "sporting as children" (Jude 1:18; compare2 Peter 3:3).
Mocking is the translation of qallacah "mocking," "derision" (Ezekiel 22:4); of empaigmos the Septuagint for qallacah) (Hebrews 11:36; Wis 12:25; Ecclesiasticus 27:28, "mockery";2Ma 7:7, "mocking-stock," the Revised Version (British and American) "the mocking"; 2 Maccabees 7:10, "made a mocking-stock" (empaizo)); of mokos (Ecclesiasticus 33:6).
For "mocked of" (Job 12:4) the Revised Version (British and American) has "a laughing-stock to"; for "mockers" (Isaiah 28:22), the English Revised Version "scorner," the American Standard Revised Version "scoffer"; for "the mockers" (Jeremiah 15:17), "them that made merry"; for "scorneth" (Proverbs 19:28), "mocketh at"; for "As one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?" (Job 13:9), "As one deceiveth a man will ye deceive him?" (margin, "mocketh," "mock"); "mock" for "laugh" (Job 9:23); for "There shall come in the last days scoffers" (2 Peter 3:3), "In the last days (margin, "Greek in the last of the days") mockers shall come with mockery" (empaigmone empaiktai).
W. L. Walker
Greek
1701b. empaigmos -- amocking... empaigmos. 1702 . a
mocking. Transliteration: empaigmos Short Definition: mockings.
Word Origin from empaizo Definition a
mocking NASB Word Usage mockings (1)
...1701. empaigmos -- mockery
... Cognate: 1701 -- scoffing (mocking). See 1702 ().mocking. From empaizo; derision --
mocking. see GREEK empaizo. (empaigmone) -- 1 Occurrence....
1315b. diachleuazo -- to scoff, mock
... to scoff, mock. Transliteration: diachleuazo Short Definition:mocking. Word Origin
from dia and chleuazo Definition to scoff, mock NASB Word Usagemocking (1)....
1701a. empaigmone -- mockery
... mockery. Transliteration: empaigmone Short Definition:mocking. Word Origin from
empaizo Definition mockery NASB Word Usagemocking (1). 1701, 1701a....
1702. empaizo -- to mock at
... Word Origin from en and paizo Definition to mock at NASB Word Usage mock (2),
mocked (5),mocking (4), ridicule (1), tricked (1). mock....
5512. chleuazo -- to jest, mock, jeer
... 5512 (from , "a joke") -- properly, to joke (jest), ie to scoff (ridicule)
using barbed humor andmocking jeers (used only in Ac 17:32)....
Strong's Hebrew
4485. manginah -- (mocking, derisive) song... 4484, 4485. manginah. 4486 . (
mocking, derisive) song. Transliteration: manginah
Phonetic Spelling: (man-ghee-naw') Short Definition: song.
...3934. laeg --mocking
... 3933, 3934. laeg. 3935 .mocking. Transliteration: laeg Phonetic Spelling:
(law-ayg') Short Definition: jesters. Word Origin from...
3933. laag -- amocking, derision
... 3932, 3933. laag. 3934 . amocking, derision. Transliteration: laag Phonetic
Spelling: (lah'-ag) Short Definition: derision. Word...
4426. melitsah -- satire, amocking poem
... 4425, 4426. melitsah. 4427 . satire, amocking poem. Transliteration: melitsah
Phonetic Spelling: (mel-ee-tsaw') Short Definition: figure....
7048. qallasah -- derision
... 7047, 7048. qallasah. 7049 . derision. Transliteration: qallasah Phonetic
Spelling: (kal-law-saw') Short Definition:mocking....mocking....
6711. tsachaq -- to laugh
... root Definition to laugh NASB Word Usage caressing (1), entertained* (1), jesting
(1), laugh (4), laughed (2), make sport (2),mocking (1), play (1)....
Library
Listen, My Brethren, to Death,Mocking the Evil One: that Caused...
... Hymn LVII. Listen, my brethren, to Death,mocking the Evil One: that caused
the head of our race to sin, and its mother. 1. Listen...
If, Then, You Really Intend to do an Act of Repentance for those...
... If, then, you really intend to do an act of repentance for those evil speeches of
yours, if you are not merelymocking us by saying this, and if you are not in...
Sufficient Grace of the Holy Spirit is Bestowed on those to whom...
... bestowed on those to whom the gospel is preached, whosoever they may be; so that,
if they will, they may believe: otherwise, God would only bemocking mankind....
Chapter xxi
... 9. Now Sarah observed that the son of the Egyptian woman Hagar, whom she
had born to Abraham, was (always)mocking. Everything in...
The Penitent Thief
... Hear those spiteful Phariseesmocking among themselves: "He saved others; Himself
He cannot save." The account also says that the two thieves "cast the same in...
Sin the Mocker
... It is a solemn and painful subject, but perhaps this text rightly pondered may help
to save some of us from hearing themocking laugh which echoes through the...
A Savage Duel.
... acquitted. It is the secondmocking and the second acquittal.... substitute. Again
Jesus is brought forward, as arrayed by themocking soldiers....
The Crucifixion.
... thou art the Son of God, ^b and come down from the cross.31 In like manner also
the chief priests ^c And the rulers also scoffed at him, ^bmocking him among...
Introduction
... men; namely, to such as are wholly ignorant and stupid, or to such as through habitual
debauchery have brought themselves to a custom ofmocking and scoffing...
A Penitent Heart, the Best New Year's Gift
... as fast almost as he has made them. This is highly offensive to God, it
ismocking of him. My brethren, when grace is given us to...
Thesaurus
Mocking (25 Occurrences)... & vb. n.) of Mock. 2. (a.) Imitating, esp. in derision, or so as to cause derision;
mimicking; derisive. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MOCK; MOCKER;
MOCKING...Mocker (11 Occurrences)
... a derider. 2. (n.) A deceiver; an impostor. 3. (n.) Amocking bird. Int.
Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MOCK; MOCKER;MOCKING. mok, mok...
Mock (43 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) Imitation; mimicry. 7. (a.) Imitating reality, but not real; false; counterfeit;
assumed; sham. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MOCK; MOCKER;MOCKING....
Ishmael (44 Occurrences)
...mocking" (Genesis 21:9). Her jealous motherly love had quickened her sense of
observation and her faculty of reading the character of children....
Jeering (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Jeer. 2. (a.)Mocking; scoffing. 3. (n.) Amocking
utterance. Multi-Version Concordance Jeering (2 Occurrences)....
Likewise (149 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS). Matthew 27:41 Likewise the chief priests alsomocking, with
the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, (WEB KJV WBS)....
Mocked (40 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 27:41 And in like manner also the
chief priestsmocking, with the scribes and elders, said, (See RSV NIV)....
Teachers (87 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Matthew 27:41 Likewise the chief priests alsomocking, with the
scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, (See NIV)....
Along (500 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Matthew 27:41 Likewise the chief priests alsomocking, with the
scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, (See NAS)....
Laughingstock (10 Occurrences)
... (Job 12:4 twice; Jeremiah 20:7; compare Jeremiah 48:26, 27, 39 Lamentations 3:14).
See MOCK,MOCKING. Multi-Version Concordance Laughingstock (10 Occurrences)....
Resources
What does it mean that God is not mocked? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to uncover nakedness in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhy did the Prophet Elisha curse the “youths” for making fun of his baldness (2 Kings 2:23-24)? | GotQuestions.orgMocking: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
