The Bible says there is "A time to weep, and a time to laugh" (Ecclesiastes 3:4). When God gave Sarah a son in her old age she said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me" (Genesis 21:6), and when God restored Israel "was our mouth filled with laughter" (Psalm 126:2). Proverbs adds, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" (Proverbs 17:22).
Laughter is one of God's good gifts, and the Bible has more to say about it than many people expect. The first laughs in Scripture belong to Abraham and Sarah, and their son's name, Isaac, is usually explained as meaning he laughs. People search these verses for joy, for humor in hard times, or for a card or a caption. These twelve King James verses cover the first laughs in the Bible, the joy God gives, and the difference between wise and foolish laughter. For joy, see joy; for happy celebrations, see rejoicing.
The first laughs in the Bible
1. Genesis 17:17
"Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?"
When God promised Abraham a son at almost one hundred, Abraham fell on his face and laughed. His laugh mixed wonder and doubt, yet God did not withdraw the promise; He told Abraham to name the boy Isaac (Genesis 17:19).
2. Genesis 18:12
"Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
Sarah overheard the promise from inside the tent and laughed within herself. At about ninety, the idea seemed absurd. Her laugh was private, but God heard it, as He hears our quiet doubts.
3. Genesis 18:13-14
"And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."
God's answer to Sarah's laugh is one of the great questions of the Bible: Is any thing too hard for the LORD? What seems laughable to us is not impossible for Him. See God's promises.
4. Genesis 21:6
"And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me."
A year later the laugh of doubt became a laugh of joy. Sarah said God had made her laugh, and everyone who heard would laugh with her. God can turn our skeptical laughter into delighted laughter.
A time to laugh: the joy God gives
5. Ecclesiastes 3:4
"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;"
The Preacher lists the seasons of life, and laughter has its time just as weeping does. Christians do not have to be serious all the time; there is a God-given time to laugh. The same verse mentions a time to dance; see dancing.
6. Psalms 126:2
"Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them."
When God brought the captives back to Zion, their mouths were filled with laughter, and even the nations said that the LORD had done great things for them. Joyful laughter can be a witness to God's goodness.
7. Job 8:21
"Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing."
Job's friend Bildad got much wrong, but this line fits the rest of Scripture: God can fill a mouth with laughing. At the end of the book God restored Job and blessed his latter end more than his beginning (Job 42:12).
8. Luke 6:21
"Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh."
Jesus promised that those who weep now shall laugh. It is a promise for the grieving: sorrow is not the final word for God's people. See joy comes in the morning.
Wise and foolish laughter
9. Proverbs 15:13
"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. What is inside shows on the face, and a heart at peace with God tends to laugh more easily. Its companion, Proverbs 17:22, compares a merry heart to medicine. See health.
10. Proverbs 14:13
"Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness."
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful. Laughter can hide pain. A friend who is always joking may be hurting inside, so look past the smile and ask how they really are.
11. Ecclesiastes 7:6
"For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity."
The laughter of the fool is like crackling thorns under a pot: loud, quick and gone. The Bible warns against mocking, cruel or empty laughter that makes light of sin or of people.
12. Psalms 2:4
"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision."
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. When nations plot against God and His anointed, God is not anxious. His laughter here is not cruelty but complete confidence that His purposes will stand.
A short prayer
Lord, thank You for the gift of laughter. Like Sarah, help me to trust that nothing is too hard for You, and turn my doubts into joy. Fill my mouth with laughter and my lips with rejoicing, keep my humor kind and clean, and help me notice the friend whose laughter hides a heavy heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Laugh and learn together with our free Christmas Bible Trivia · Print our free Bible verse bookmarks · Learn a joyful verse each week with the Scripture Memory Cards
Frequently asked questions
Does God have a sense of humor?
The Bible shows God laughing at His enemies' plans (Psalm 2:4) and giving people laughter as a gift (Genesis 21:6). Jesus used vivid, even funny pictures, like a camel going through the eye of a needle (Matthew 19:24) or a man with a beam in his own eye (Matthew 7:3). Humor is part of being made in God's image.
Is it a sin to laugh?
No. Ecclesiastes says there is "a time to laugh" (Ecclesiastes 3:4), and God fills mouths with laughter (Job 8:21). What the Bible warns against is laughter that mocks, hurts or cheapens holy things: "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks" (Ephesians 5:4). Jesting there means crude joking.
What does Proverbs 17:22 mean about a merry heart?
Proverbs 17:22 says "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). Joy and hope really do affect the body, and laughter can lighten a heavy day. The verse is wisdom, not a promise that laughter cures illness, so keep following your doctor's advice too.
What Bible verse is good about laughter and joy?
Psalm 126:2, "Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing" (Psalm 126:2), is a favorite for joyful occasions. Job 8:21 makes a good encouragement card: "Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing" (Job 8:21). For fun with family, try our free Christmas Bible Trivia.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about joy · Bible verses about rejoicing · Bible verses about joy comes in the morning · Bible verses about health · Bible verses about God's promises · Bible verses about dancing · Bible verses for a marriage anniversary · Bible verses about abundant life
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