sa.chaq denotes laughing, whether in scorn or confidence, and also joyful celebration, play, or entertainment.

The occurrences most often depict laughter directed at an opponent, danger, or coming calamity; they also show joyful celebration and, in several scenes, play, entertainment, competition, or joking.

1. Laughter of scorn, confidence, or response to danger · dominant

   In Job 30:1, those younger than Job laugh at him, while in Psalm 37:13 the LORD laughs because he sees the wicked person's day coming. Job 39:22 places the action alongside not being dismayed by dread or the sword, and Proverbs 1:26 places it at the hearers' calamity and dread.

   Job 30:1Psalm 37:13Job 39:22Proverbs 1:26Habakkuk 1:10Lamentations 1:7
2. Joyful celebration and rejoicing · common

   Piel participles occur when David and Israel celebrate before God or the LORD with instruments in 1 Chronicles 13:8 and 2 Samuel 6:5. In Jeremiah 30:19 the same participial form is part of a future scene of thanksgiving and voices of laughter; Proverbs 8:30 presents a feminine singular participle in continual rejoicing before him.

   1 Chronicles 13:82 Samuel 6:52 Samuel 6:21Jeremiah 30:19Jeremiah 31:4Proverbs 8:30
3. Play, public entertainment, competition, or joking · occasional

   In 2 Samuel 2:14, the Piel imperfect occurs in Abner's proposal that young men arise and compete before the leaders. Judges 16:25 places a Piel imperfect in the Philistines' call for Samson before them, and Proverbs 26:19 uses a Piel participle of a deceiver who calls his conduct joking. Job 40:20 uses a Piel imperfect for animals in the field.

   2 Samuel 2:14Judges 16:25Judges 16:27Proverbs 26:19Job 40:20Psalm 104:26

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB variously presents the forms as “laugh,” “celebrating,” “rejoicing,” “compete,” “joking,” and “plays.” These renderings confirm the scenes' broad contrasts but do not by themselves assign a separate English equivalent to every form.