καταγελάω G2606
to laugh at, mock, ridicule, deride; to scorn with laughter
This verb means to laugh at or mock someone scornfully. All three occurrences describe crowds ridiculing Jesus when he announced a dead child was sleeping, not dead. Matthew 9:24, Mark 5:40, and Luke 8:53 all record the mourners' derisive laughter when Jesus said the girl would rise. Classical usage includes laughing at someone with contempt, jeering, and being derided. The New Testament use captures the scornful response of those who thought Jesus' claim absurd—their mocking laughter preceded their amazement when he raised the girl. The word emphasizes not just laughter but contemptuous, dismissive laughter that treats someone's claim as ridiculous.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The sense is scornful, contemptuous laughter directed at someone. The identical context across all three Synoptics shows the word in action: professional mourners and crowds gathered for death are told the child merely sleeps, and they laugh at Jesus derisively—the claim seems absurd. Their laughter expresses complete dismissal of his statement. The imperfect tense (κατεγέλων) suggests continued or repeated laughing—they kept on mocking him. The Spanish 'burlarse' and German 'auslachen' capture the scornful, derisive quality. This isn't joyful laughter but the laughter of contempt and dismissal, which makes the subsequent raising of the girl all the more vindicating—those who mocked became those who marveled. 3×
AR["سَخِروا", "سَخِروا-مِنهُ", "ضَحِكوا"]·ben["হাসছিল"]·DE["auslachen", "κατεγέλων"]·EN["they-were-laughing-at"]·FR["se-moquer"]·heb["לָעֲגוּ", "לָעֲגוּ-עָלָיו"]·HI["उपहास-करते-थे", "हँसते-थे", "हंसते-थे"]·ID["mereka-menertawakan"]·IT["kategelon"]·jav["ngguyu", "ngèce", "sami-gumujeng"]·KO["비웃고-있었다", "비웃었다"]·PT["riam-se-de", "zombavam"]·RU["смеялись-над"]·ES["se-burlaban", "se-burlaban-de", "se-burlában"]·SW["walimcheka"]·TR["alay-ediyorlardı", "gülüyorlardı"]·urd["ہنستے-تھے", "ہنسی-اُڑاتے-تھے", "ہنسے"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καταγελάω, future -άσομαιRefs 5th c.BC+, late -γελάσω Refs 5th c.AD+ see at {κατακριδεύσει}:— passive, future -γελασθήσομαιRefs 1st c.AD+: perfect -γεγέλασμαιRefs 2nd c.AD+: pluperfect κατεγεγέλαστο Refs:—laugh, jeer at, with genitive, Refs 5th c.BC+: absolutely, laugh scornfully, mock, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 with accusative, laugh down, deride, LXX+5th c.BC+:—passive, to be derided, ὑπό τινος Refs 5th c.BC+; καταγελάμενος (Doric dialectpresent participle passive) ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων Refs 5th c.BC+