H3887 H3887
To scoff or mock contemptuously; also (Hifil) to act as interpreter, mediator, or envoy between parties
A verb whose two senses seem worlds apart yet share an etymological thread of indirect speech. In the Qal and much of the Hifil, it describes the scoffer or mocker -- the 'letz' who sits in the seat of scornful ones (Ps 1:1) and delights in derision (Prov 1:22). Wisdom literature uses this figure as a foil for the wise. In a distinct Hifil usage, the same root yields 'interpreter' or 'mediator,' one who speaks obliquely on behalf of another. Joseph's interpreter stood between him and his brothers (Gen 42:23), and Job longed for a heavenly advocate (Job 33:23). The semantic bridge may be the idea of speaking sideways -- whether to ridicule or to translate.
Senses
1. to scoff, mock, deride — To mock, scoff at, or deride with contemptuous speech, expressing proud disdain for wisdom, correction, or authority. The 'letz' (scoffer) is a stock character in Proverbs: incapable of receiving discipline (Prov 9:7-8), an abomination to others (Prov 24:9), and contrasted with the wise. Spanish 'escarnecedor' and French 'moqueur' consistently mark this sense. Key passages: Ps 1:1, Prov 3:34. 22×
AR["الْمُسْتَهْزِئَ", "الْمُسْتَهْزِئُ", "الْمُسْتَهْزِئِ", "تَسْتَهْزِئُوا", "سَخِرُوا-مِنِّي", "لِلمُسْتَهْزِئينَ", "لِلْمُسْتَهْزِئِينَ", "لِمُسْتَهْزِئٍ", "مُسْتَهْزِئًا", "مُسْتَهْزِئٌ", "وَ-إِنْ-اسْتَهْزَأْتَ", "وَ-الْمُسْتَهْزِئُونَ", "وَ-مُسْتَهْزِئٌ", "يَسْتَهْزِئُ", "يَسْخَرونَ", "يَسْخَرُ"]·ben["-এর-প্রতি-বিদ্রুপকারীদের", "উপহাস-করে", "উপহাসক", "এবং-বিদ্রূপক", "এবং-যদি-তুমি-বিদ্রূপ-কর", "ও-বিদ্রুপকারীরা", "ঠাট্টা-কর", "তারা-বিদ্রূপ-করেছে", "বিদ্রুপ-করেন", "বিদ্রূপক", "বিদ্রূপকারী", "বিদ্রূপকারীকে", "বিদ্রূপকারীদের-জন্য", "বিদ্রূপকে"]·DE["Spoetter", "Spötter", "[ולצת]", "[יליץ]", "[לץ]", "[תתלוצצו]", "und-Spoetter", "zu-Spoetter"]·EN["a-scoffer", "and-if-you-scoff", "and-scoffers", "be-scoffers", "but-a-scoffer", "for-scoffers", "have-derided-me", "mock", "mocker", "mocks", "scoffer", "scoffs", "the-scoffer", "toward-scoffers"]·FR["[תתלוצצו]", "et-se-moquer", "le-moquer", "se-moquer"]·heb["הליצוני", "ו-לץ", "ו-לצים", "ו-לצת", "יליץ", "ל-לצים", "לץ", "תתלוצצו"]·HI["उपहास-करता-है", "और-ठट्ठा", "और-ठट्ठा-करनेवाले", "और-ठट्ठा-करे", "ठट्ठा", "ठट्ठा-करता-है", "ठट्ठा-करते-हैं", "ठट्ठा-करनेवाले-को", "ठट्ठा-करनेवालों-को", "ठट्ठा-करो", "ठट्ठा-को", "ठट्ठे-को", "ठट्ठों-के-लिए"]·ID["Pencemooh", "bagi-pencemooh", "dan-jika-engkau-mencemooh", "dan-para-pencemooh", "kamu-mencemooh", "kepada-para-pencemooh", "mencemooh", "mencemooh-ku", "mengejek", "pencemooh", "tetapi-pencemooh"]·IT["al-beffardo", "beffardo", "beffarsi", "beffatore", "e-beffardo"]·jav["dhateng-tiyang-moyoki", "kanggé-tiyang-moyok", "lan-tiyang-moyoki", "lan-yèn-moyoki", "moyoki", "panjenengan-moyoki", "sami-moyoki-kula", "tiyang-moyok", "tiyang-moyoki"]·KO["거만한-자-를", "거만한-자는", "거만한-자들-을-위하여", "거만한-자라-이름이", "거만한-자를", "그러나-조롱하는-자-는", "그리고-조롱하는-자-들-은", "그리고-조롱하면", "비웃는다", "조롱하느니라", "조롱하는-자-는", "조롱하는-자-들-에게", "조롱하는-자-를", "조롱하는-자이니라", "조롱하였나이다-나-를", "조롱하지", "조롱한다"]·PT["Zombador", "aos-zombadores", "e-escarnecedor", "e-se-escarneceres", "e-zombadores", "escarnecedor", "para-zombadores", "zomba", "zomba-de", "zombador", "zombam", "zombaram-muito-de-mim", "zombeis"]·RU["И-насмешники", "а-насмешник", "для-насмешников", "и-если-насмехался-ты", "издевались-над-мной", "над-насмешниками", "насмехается,", "насмехается-над", "насмехайтесь", "насмехаются-над", "насмешник", "насмешника"]·ES["Al-escarnecedor", "Escarnecedor", "a-los-burladores", "al-escarnecedor", "burlador", "es-el-escarnecedor", "escarnece", "escarnecedor", "os-burléis", "para-los-escarnecedores", "se-burla-de", "se-burlan-de", "se-burlaron-de-mí", "y-burlador", "y-burladores", "y-si-burlaste"]·SW["anadhihaki", "dhihaki", "huwadhihaki", "kwa-wadhihaki", "lakini-mdhihaki", "mdhihaki", "mpige", "mwenye-dharau", "na-ukidhihaki", "na-wenye-dhihaka", "wamenicheka", "wanadhihaki", "wenye-dhihaka"]·TR["alay-eder", "alay-ettiler-bana", "alaycı", "alaycılara", "alaycıyı", "alayi-yapan", "alaylı", "alaylıdır", "alaylılar-için", "alaylıyı", "ve-alay-ettiysen", "ve-alaycı", "ve-alaycılar"]·urd["اور-ٹھٹھا-کرنے-والا", "اور-ٹھٹھا-کرنے-والے", "اور-ٹھٹھا-کیا", "مذاق-اُڑاتے-ہیں", "ٹھٹکا-باز", "ٹھٹھا-باز", "ٹھٹھا-باز-کو", "ٹھٹھا-بازوں-کے-لیے", "ٹھٹھا-کرتا-ہے", "ٹھٹھا-کرنے-والا", "ٹھٹھا-کرنے-والوں-کو", "ٹھٹھا-کرنے-والے-کو", "ٹھٹھا-کرو", "ٹھٹھا-کیا-مجھ-پر"]
2. interpreter, mediator, envoy — To serve as interpreter, mediator, or envoy who conveys messages between parties (Hifil participle in diplomatic or advocacy contexts). Joseph used an interpreter ('melitz') when speaking with his brothers (Gen 42:23), and Job envisions a heavenly mediator who might advocate before God (Job 33:23). Spanish 'interprete' and 'embajadores' capture the diplomatic nuance, while German leaves the Hebrew untranslated, reflecting this rarer sense. 5×
AR["الْ-مُتَرْجِمَ", "بِسُفَرَاءِ", "شَفيعٌ", "مُسْتَهْزِئِيَّ", "وَوُسَطَاؤُكَ"]·ben["আমার-বন্ধুরা", "এবং-তোমার-মধ্যস্থতাকারীরা", "দূতদের-সম্বন্ধে", "দোভাষী", "মধ্যস্থতাকারী"]·DE["[במליצי]", "[ומליציך]", "[מליץ]", "[מליצי]", "der-Dolmetscher"]·EN["an-interpreter", "and-your-mediators", "my-interpreters", "the-interpreter", "with-envoys-of"]·FR["[במליצי]", "[ומליציך]", "le-interprète", "se-moquer", "se-moquer-moi"]·heb["ב-מליצי ׀", "ה-מליץ", "ו-מליציך", "מליץ", "מליצי"]·HI["और-मध्यस्थों-तेरे", "दुभाषिया", "दूतों-में-", "मध्यस्थ", "मेरे-मध्यस्थ"]·ID["dan-perantara-perantaramu", "dengan-utusan-utusan", "juru bicara", "pencemoohku", "penerjemah"]·IT["[במליצי]", "beffardo", "beffardo-mio", "e-beffarsi", "il-interpreter"]·jav["juru-basa", "juru-bicara-kawula", "juru-terang", "lan-juru-bicara-panjenengan", "wonten-ing-para-utusan"]·KO["그리고-너의-중보자들이", "나의-중보자들이여", "에-사신들-", "중보자", "통역이"]·PT["Meus-escarnecedores", "e-intercessores-teus", "mediador", "nos-embaixadores-de", "o-intérprete"]·RU["заступник", "и-посредники-твои", "переводчик", "с-послами", "ходатай-мой"]·ES["Mis-intérpretes", "con-embajadores-de", "el-intérprete", "mediador", "y-tus-intérpretes"]·SW["biּmliytsey", "mfalme-wa-wa", "mpatanishi", "na-waombezi-wako", "waombezi-wangu"]·TR["-tercüman", "arabulucu", "aracılarım", "elçilerinde", "ve-sozculeriniz"]·urd["اور-تیرے-رہنماؤں-نے", "ایلچیوں-سے", "ترجمان-تھا", "میرے-سفارشی", "وکیل"]
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
† [לִיץ] vb. scorn (NH id.; vb. not in cognates; cf. Ph. מלץ interpreter CIS22.44.88; Arabic لَاصَ is turn aside (intrans.); hence perhaps prop. speak indirectly or obliquely, FlDe Pr 1, 6);— Qal Pf. 3 m. לַצְתָּ Pr 9:12; Impf. יָלִיץ 3:34 + 2 times; Pt. לֵץ 9:7 + 11 times; pl. לֵצִים ψ 1:1 + 3 times;—scorn, וְלַצְתָּ לְבַדְּךָ תִשָּׂא Pr 9:12 if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it (opp.…