The Hebrew verb hathal means to mock, delude, or deceive — specifically to make a fool of someone through false appearances. It carries the connotation of a cruel joke, leading someone along with hollow promises. The word is used of idols that deceive their worshipers and of schemes that prove empty.
Elijah uses hathal mockingly against Baal's prophets on Carmel (1 Kings 18:27). The deeper point: idolatry is the ultimate hathal — it mocks its devotees by offering what it can never deliver. Isaiah 44:20 diagnoses the idol-worshiper: 'a deluded (hathal) heart has led him astray.'