1701. empaigmos

Lexical Summary

empaigmos: Mockery, ridicule, derision

Original Word: ἐμπαιγμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: empaigmos
Pronunciation: em-pah-eeg-MOS
Phonetic Spelling: (emp-aheeg-mos')
KJV: mocking
Word Origin: [from G1702 (ἐμπαίζω - mocked)]

1. derision

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

mocking.

From empaizo; derision -- mocking.

see GREEK empaizo

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 1701 empaigmós – scoffing (mocking). See 1702 (empaizō).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1701: ἐμπαιγμονῇ

ἐμπαιγμονῇ (see ἐν, III. 3), ἐμπαιγμονης, ἡ, (ἐμπαίζω), derision, mockery: 2 Peter 3:3 G L T Tr WH. Not found elsewhere.

STRONGS NT 1701: ἐμπαιγμόςἐμπαιγμός (see ἐν, III. 3), ἐμπαιγμου, ὁ, (ἐμπαίζω), unknown to secular authors, a mocking, scoffing: Hebrews 11:36; Ezekiel 22:4; Sir. 27:23; Wis. 12:25; (Psalm 37:8 ()); torture inflicted in mockery, 2 Macc. 7:7 (etc.).

Topical Lexicon

Overview

The noun ἐμπαιγμός designates scoffing, derision, or contemptuous ridicule. Scripture portrays it as the verbal weapon of unbelief—a rejection of God’s revelation that expresses itself in biting words, taunts, or cynical jesting. Although the word occurs only twice in the Greek New Testament, it stands within a broad biblical pattern in which the righteous are often subjected to mockery while the ungodly dismiss the warnings and promises of the Lord.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Hebrews 11:36 highlights persecuted saints who “faced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.” Their willingness to endure public contempt testifies to the surpassing worth of God’s promises.
• 2 Peter 3:3 predicts that “in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, following their own evil desires.” The repeated form underscores a future atmosphere in which sarcastic denial of Christ’s return becomes a hallmark of moral rebellion.

Theological Significance

1. Evidence of Unbelief. Scoffing is not a neutral social behavior; it exposes a heart that refuses submission to divine truth. In 2 Peter it accompanies willful forgetfulness of creation and the flood (3:5–6), illustrating how ridicule masks deliberate ignorance.
2. Testing of Faith. Hebrews lists mockery among trials that refine authentic faith (11:36–38). The faithful accept humiliation now, confident of vindication at the resurrection.
3. Eschatological Marker. Peter places scoffing inside a prophetic timetable. As the Day of the Lord approaches, ridicule of biblical eschatology intensifies, confirming rather than nullifying the word of prophecy.

Historical Context of Mockery

In both Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds, public scorn functioned as social control. Prophets such as Elisha (2 Kings 2:23), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:7), and Isaiah (Isaiah 28:22) were targets of contempt when their words threatened established norms. Roman culture prized witty derision in the forum and theater, often turning execution scenes into spectacles of ridicule—as seen supremely in the soldiers’ treatment of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:29–31). First-century believers therefore recognized scoffing as a familiar response to any counter-cultural message.

Patterns of Scoffing in Redemptive History

• Antediluvian world: Noah, “a preacher of righteousness,” warned of judgment while contemporaries ignored him until the flood came (Genesis 6–7; 2 Peter 2:5).
• Israel’s monarchy: Mockers persecuted prophets who called the nation to covenant fidelity (2 Chronicles 36:16).
• Passion narrative: Christ endured abusive jeers on the cross (Matthew 27:41–44), fulfilling Psalm 22:7.
• Church age: Apostolic preaching provoked ridicule in Athens (Acts 17:32) and elsewhere.
• Last days: 2 Peter 3:3–4 and Jude 18 foresee a crescendo of scoffing prior to the Parousia.

Pastoral Implications and Ministry Applications

1. Prepare the Flock. Teaching on 2 Peter 3:3 equips believers not to be shaken when biblical morality and eschatology are mocked in public discourse.
2. Model Endurance. Hebrews 11:36 invites pastors to celebrate testimonies of saints—historical and contemporary—who respond to ridicule with steadfast hope.
3. Guard the Tongue. While the church may be mocked, it must never become a community of mockers (Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6). Gracious speech bears witness to a different kingdom.
4. Apologetic Opportunity. Ridicule often signals spiritual conviction (Acts 26:24–29). Patient, respectful answers can transform a scoffer into a seeker.

Related Terms and Concepts

• ἐμπαίζω (mock, ridicule)—verb form appearing in Synoptic passion accounts.
• βλασφημία (blasphemy)—verbal slander against God, sometimes overlapping with mocking derision.
• Old Testament counterparts: לָעַג (laugh to scorn) and צָחַק (mock, jest).
• Wisdom literature contrasts the “scoffer” (לֵץ, Proverbs 21:24) with the teachable wise, warning that persistent scoffing invites judgment (Proverbs 19:29).

Summary

Though ἐμπαιγμός surfaces only twice in the New Testament, it distills a pervasive biblical theme: unbelief’s scorn toward divine truth and the faithful endurance of God’s people. Its presence in Hebrews underscores the price of discipleship; its appearance in 2 Peter signals a prophetic indicator of the last days. For the church, understanding and responding to scoffing is both a call to courage and a reminder that ultimate vindication belongs to the Lord who was Himself mocked yet now reigns in glory.

Forms and Transliterations

εμπαιγμόν εμπαιγμονη ἐμπαιγμονῇ εμπαιγμων εμπαιγμών ἐμπαιγμῶν empaigmon empaigmôn empaigmōn empaigmō̂n empaigmone empaigmonē empaigmonêi empaigmonē̂i

Englishman's Concordance

Hebrews 11:36 N-GMP
GRK: ἕτεροι δὲ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων
NAS: experienced mockings and scourgings,
KJV: trial of [cruel] mockings and
INT: others moreover of mockings and of scourgings

2 Peter 3:3 N-DFS
GRK: ἡμερῶν ἐν ἐμπαιγμονῇ ἐμπαῖκται κατὰ
NAS: will come with [their] mocking, following
INT: days with mocking mockers according to

Strong's Greek 1701
2 Occurrences

ἐμπαιγμῶν — 1 Occ.
ἐμπαιγμονῇ — 1 Occ.