1. riddle, enigmatic saying — A riddle, enigmatic or perplexing saying or question posed as a test of wit. Covers all inflectional forms (absolute, construct, with pronominal suffixes, singular and plural, with prepositions). Samson's riddle at the feast (Judg 14:12-19), dark sayings of the wise (Ps 49:4, 78:2, Prov 1:6), riddles used to test Solomon (1 Kgs 10:1, 2 Chr 9:1), Ezekiel's parabolic riddle (Ezek 17:2), understanding riddles as a mark of discernment (Dan 8:23, Hab 2:6). Multilingual glosses consistently render as 'riddle/enigma' (arb: ughujjiyyah/alghaz, deu: Raetsel, spa: enigma, kor: susukkekki). 17×
AR["أَلغازاً","أَلْغَازًا","أُحْجِيَّةً","أُحْجِيَّتَكَ","أُحْجِيَّتِي","الْأَلْغَازِ","الْأُحْجِيَّةَ-الـ","الْأُحْجِيَّةِ-الـ","بِ-أَلْغَازٍ","بِأَلغازٍ","بِـ-أَلْغَازٍ","لُغْزي","لُغْزًا","وَ-أَلْغَازِهِمْ"]·ben["-ধাঁধায়","আমার-ধাঁধা","ও-তাদের-গূঢ়-কথা","তোমার-ধাঁধা","ধাঁধা","ধাঁধা-আমার","ধাঁধাগুলি","ধাঁধাগুলি-","ধাঁধায়-দিয়ে","ধাঁধার","সেই-ধাঁধা","সেই-ধাঁধার"]·DE["Raetsel","[בחידות]","[וחידתם]","[חידה]","[חידות]","dein-Raetsel","der-Raetsel","in-riddles","mein-Raetsel","mein-riddle","mit-riddles","riddles"]·EN["a-riddle","and-their-riddles","in-riddles","my-riddle","riddle","riddles","the-riddle","with-riddles","your-riddle"]·FR["[בחידות]","[חידה]","avec-riddles","dans-riddles","et-leur-וחידתם-eux","le-énigme","mon-énigme","ton-énigme","énigme","énigmes"]·heb["ב-חידות","ב-חידת","בְּ-חִידוֹת","ה-חידה","ו-חידותם","חידה","חידות","חידת-י","חידתי","חידתך"]·HI["और-पहेलियाँ-उनकी","तेरी-पहेली","पहेलियाँ","पहेलियों-को","पहेलियों-में","पहेलियों-से","पहेली","पहेली-के","भेद-अपना","मेरी-पहेली"]·ID["dan-teka-teki-mereka","dengan-teka-teki","sang-teka-teki","teka-teki","teka-tekiku","teka-tekimu"]·IT["[בחידות]","[חידה]","[חידות]","con-riddles","e-e-loro-riddles-loro","enigma","il-indovinello","in-riddles","indovinello","mio-indovinello","tuo-indovinello"]·jav["cangkriman","cangkriman-kula","cangkriman-panjenengan","lan-cangkriman","mawi-cangkriman","pangertosan","srana-cangkriman","wadi","wonten-ing-cangkriman"]·KO["-에-수수께끼들로","그-수수께끼","그리고-수수께끼-들-을","나의-수수께끼","내-수수께끼-를","당신의-수수께끼","수수꺼렔를","수수꺽기들-로","수수께끼-로","수수께끼-를","수수께끼들-을","수수께끼를"]·PT["O-enigma","com-enigmas","de-charadas","e-suas-charadas","em-enigmas","enigma","enigma-meu","enigma-teu","enigmas","meu-enigma","o-enigma"]·RU["загадками","загадки","загадку","загадку-мою","загадку-твою","и-загадок-их."]·ES["con-enigmas","de-enigmas","el-enigma","en-enigmas","enigma","enigmas","mi-enigma","tu-enigma","un-enigma","y-sus-acertijos"]·SW["fumbo-langu","kitendawili","kitendawili-chako","kitendawili-changu","kwa-mafumbo","mafumbo","na-mafumbo-yao","vitendawili"]·TR["-de-bilmecelerle","bilmece","bilmeceler","bilmeceleri","bilmecelerle","bilmecemi","bilmeceni","bilmeceyi","ve-bulmacalarını"]·urd["اور-پہیلیاں-ان-کی","اپنی-معما","تیری-پہیلی","معموں-میں","معمّوں-سے","معمّے","معمے","میری-پہیلی","پہیلی","پہیلیوں-سے"]
Num 12:8, Judg 14:12, Judg 14:13, Judg 14:14, Judg 14:15, Judg 14:16, Judg 14:17, Judg 14:18, Judg 14:19, 1 Kgs 10:1, 2 Chr 9:1, Ps 49:4 (+5 more)
Senses
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חִידָה n.f. riddle, enigmatic, perplexing saying or question;—abs. ח׳ Ju 14:12 + 6 times; sf. חִידָתִי Ju 14:18 ψ 49:5; חִידָֽתְךָ Ju 14:13; pl. abs. חִידוֹת 1 K 10:1 + 4 times; חִידֹת Nu 12:8; sf. חִידֹתָם Pr 1:6;— 1. riddle = dark, obscure utterance Nu 12:8 (JE; opp. פֶּה־אֶל־פֶּה and מַרְאֶה); of something put indirectly and needing interpretation;—an allegory חוד ח׳ Ez 17:2 (‖ מְשֹׁל…