Job 36:28

The word שחקים (shāḥaqīm) is derived from the verb שחק (sāḥaq), which primarily means "to laugh" or "to play" in Hebrew, rather than from שחק (shaḥaq), which means "to pulverize," "to grind," or "to wear away."

While שחק (sāḥaq) can be used to describe human laughter or mockery (cf. Genesis 21:6; Job 39:7), the verb שחק (shaḥaq) is typically used in a physical sense to denote the erosion or destruction of a substance through grinding or pulverization (cf. Job 30:19; Isaiah 41:15).

The interpretation of שחקים as "laughing ones" aligns with the emotional or social connotations of שחק ( (sāḥaq), fitting contexts in which laughter or joy is implied (e.g. flowing, dripping rain). In contrast, the alternative interpretation of שחקים as "clouds" would require an unlikely extension of the verb שחק (shaḥaq) to describe something like a cloud, a meaning not supported by the lexical or contextual usage of the root. Therefore, שחקים as "laughing ones" is a more consistent and coherent reading in this instance.