Lexical Summary ta'a': To err, to wander, to go astray Original Word: תָּעַע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance deceive, misuse A primitive root; to cheat; by analogy, to maltreat -- deceive, misuse. Brown-Driver-Briggs [תָּעַע] verb Pilpel, Hithpa`el mock (compare Arabic image unavailable stammer, also shake violently; onomatopoetic); — Pilpel Participle מְתַעְתֵּ֑עַ Genesis 27:12 #NAME?a mocker. Hithpa`el Participle plural מִתַּעְתְּעִים2Chronicles 36:16, with ב person, mocking at his prophets (+מַלְעִבִים, בּוֺזִים). Topical Lexicon Occurrences and ContextGenesis 27:12 and 2 Chronicles 36:16 contain the only two appearances of the verb תָּעַע. In each setting it depicts a deliberate, irreverent disdain—whether toward a human father or toward the covenant-keeping God—underscoring how “mockery” imperils both personal blessing and national destiny. Portrait of Mockery in Genesis 27 Jacob objects to Rebekah’s scheme: “Perhaps my father will touch me, and I will appear to be mocking him, and bring a curse upon myself rather than a blessing.” (Genesis 27:12). The term frames Jacob’s fear that his deception will be exposed as insolent ridicule. Although Isaac is successfully deceived, the narrative soon reveals that mocking parental authority invites painful consequences: family division, exile from home, and years of disciplined refinement for the deceiver. The episode foreshadows the biblical principle that one cannot trifle with God-ordained relationships without reaping what is sown. Corporate Mockery and National Judgment in 2 Chronicles 36 “But they mocked God’s messengers, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.” (2 Chronicles 36:16). Here the same verb describes chronic disdain for the prophetic word throughout the final decades of Judah. Rejection progressed from contemptuous laughter to settled resistance, sealing the Babylonian exile. The Chronicler places mockery at the tipping point of divine patience—a sober reminder that scoffing at revelation can close the door on repentance. Biblical Theology of Contempt and Deception 1. Mockery misrepresents reality. Jacob’s potential exposure as a “mocking” son highlights the gulf between appearance and truth (compare Proverbs 14:9). Christological and New Testament Resonance The Gospels record soldiers and bystanders “mocking” Jesus (Matthew 27:29-31), echoing the taunts aimed at God’s messengers in 2 Chronicles 36:16. Yet where Judah’s mockery incurred wrath, Christ endures contempt to secure atonement. The cross thus transforms the theme: mockery becomes a backdrop against which divine mercy shines. Believers, therefore, expect ridicule (2 Peter 3:3) but trust that ultimate vindication rests with the risen Lord. Pastoral and Missional Applications • Guard the heart against subtle forms of ridicule—sarcasm toward spiritual authority, flippant treatment of Scripture, or cynical unbelief. Summary Though rare, the verb תָּעַע spotlights a grave spiritual danger: treating sacred persons and words with contempt. Genesis warns that such mockery jeopardizes personal blessing; Chronicles demonstrates that national destiny can hinge on the same attitude. From patriarchal tents to royal courts—and ultimately to the cross—Scripture testifies that God notices every sneer and overturns it in sovereign justice or redemptive grace. Forms and Transliterations וּמִֽתַּעְתְּעִ֖ים ומתעתעים כִּמְתַעְתֵּ֑עַ כמתעתע kim·ṯa‘·tê·a‘ kimṯa‘têa‘ kimtaTea ū·mit·ta‘·tə·‘îm ūmitta‘tə‘îm umittateImLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 27:12 HEB: וְהָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כִּמְתַעְתֵּ֑עַ וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י עָלַ֛י NAS: will feel me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, KJV: me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring INT: become his sight A deceiver will bring upon 2 Chronicles 36:16 2 Occurrences |
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