לִיץ (luts)
luts
to mock
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 27 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb lits means to scorn or make mouths at, describing a posture of arrogant dismissal. In its basic form, it captures the act of scoffing at someone or something sacred with contempt. This attitude is not merely casual teasing but a deep-seated rejection of authority and moral instruction, often linked with boasting in one’s own superior understanding.
A striking feature of this word is its semantic shift into the realm of communication. In the Hiphil stem, it comes to mean interpreting or acting as an ambassador. This connection likely arises from the perception that speaking a foreign language sounds like babbling or mocking to those who do not understand it. Consequently, the one who bridges this gap becomes an interpreter or messenger, as seen when Joseph’s brothers spoke to him through an interpreter in Genesis 42:23.
The noun derived from this root, litz, identifies a "scoffer" or "mocking person," a figure frequently condemned in wisdom literature. Proverbs repeatedly warns that the scoffer despises correction and brings shame (Proverbs 13:1; 9:7). In Isaiah 28:22, God commands the leaders not to be mockers, using the verb to urge them to stop their derisive resistance to divine warning. The word thus encapsulates both the act of ridicule and the character of those who habitually reject truth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we encounter the Hebrew word for mocking, it often feels like a distant concept reserved for ancient texts. Yet this verb describes a posture of arrogant dismissal that can quietly creep into our own hearts. It is not merely playful teasing but a deep-seated rejection of authority and moral instruction. We might find ourselves scoffing at divine warnings or dismissing the wisdom of others because we feel superior. This attitude isolates us from grace and hardens our understanding.
The Bible offers a clear path away from this spirit. Scripture reminds us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When we choose humility over contempt, we open ourselves to correction and growth. Instead of mocking those who differ or challenging God’s ways, we can seek wisdom with a teachable heart. This shift transforms our relationships and deepens our faith.
Ultimately, this word invites us to examine our responses to authority and truth. It calls us to reject the scoffing spirit that leads to strife and instead embrace the humility that receives grace. By guarding our tongues and hearts against contempt, we align ourselves with God’s wisdom and experience the peace that comes from a humble spirit.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 27 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a mocker8×
- he mocks3×
- you show yourself a mocker1×
- they have mocked/ me1×
- the/ interpreter1×
- scorners1×
- mockers1×
- in/ [the] envoys of1×
- for <the>/ mockers1×
- and/ you mock1×
- and/ spokesmen/ your1×
- and/ mockers1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לֵ֭ץ4×
- לֵ֣ץ4×
- יָלִ֣יץ2×
- תִּתְלוֹצָ֔צוּ1×
- מֵלִ֗יץ1×
- מְלִיצַ֥/י1×
- לֹצְצִֽים\׃1×
- לַ/לֵּצִ֥ים1×
- לַ/לֵּצִ֣ים1×
- לֵֽץ\׃1×
- לֵ֝צִ֗ים1×
- לֵ֗ץ1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 1:1
Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
This verse places the scoffers in the final stage of spiritual decline, showing how mockery leads to sitting in company with sinners.
-
Proverbs 3:34
Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
Here the word highlights God’s active opposition to arrogance and His generous gift of grace to those who remain humble.
-
Proverbs 9:7
One who corrects a mocker invites insult. One who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.
This occurrence warns that correcting a mocker brings insult, illustrating the futility of trying to reason with an arrogant heart.
-
Isaiah 28:22
Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, on the whole earth.
God uses this term to command leaders to stop their derisive resistance to His warning before judgment falls.