"to deride, laugh at, jeer, Mt. 9:24; Mk. 5:40; Lk. 8:53*"
Definition and meaning
to deride, laugh at, jeer, Mt. 9:24; Mk. 5:40; Lk. 8:53*
In the original Greek the word is written: καταγελάω
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of katagelao (G2606) across the King James Bible.
He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
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Common questions
Strong's G2606 (katagelao) is a Greek word that means: to deride, laugh at, jeer, Mt. 9:24; Mk. 5:40; Lk. 8:53* It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word katagelao (G2606) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2606 is katagelao, a Greek word defined as: to deride, laugh at, jeer, Mt. 9:24; Mk. 5:40; Lk. 8:53*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
katagelao is a Greek word found in the New Testament.