H2454 H2454
wisdom; skill, insight, and sagacity encompassing technical craft, governance, ethical discernment, and cosmic order
One of the most theologically rich terms in the Hebrew Bible, this noun covers an extraordinary range from artisanal skill to cosmic principle. In Proverbs, personified Wisdom cries aloud in the streets (1:20), builds her house with seven pillars (9:1), and is exalted beyond the fool's reach (24:7). The plural form in Prov 14:1 ('the wisdoms of women') emphasizes the manifold, practical character of true wisdom. German 'Weisheit,' French 'sagesse,' and Spanish 'sabiduria' all converge on a single rich concept that unites moral discernment with practical skill.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Wisdom in its fullest Hebrew sense: personified as a woman calling out publicly (Prov 1:20; 9:1), inaccessible to fools (Prov 24:7), and exercised practically by wise women (Prov 14:1). The plural 'chokmot' in Ps 49:3 and Proverbs emphasizes wisdom's multifaceted character. All major translations -- Spanish 'sabiduria,' French 'sagesse,' German 'Weisheit' -- converge on a single term, reflecting the unified concept that Hebrew wisdom holds together skill, insight, and moral discernment. 5×
AR["الْحِكْمَةُ", "حِكْمَة", "حِكْمَةُ"]·ben["জ্ঞান", "প্রজ্ঞা"]·DE["Weisheit"]·EN["the-wisdom-of", "wisdom"]·FR["sagesse", "sagesses"]·heb["חוכמות", "חכמות"]·HI["ज्ञान", "बुद्धि", "बुद्धि-ने"]·ID["Hikmat", "hikmat"]·IT["[חכמות]", "il-sapienza-di", "sapienza"]·jav["kawicaksanan", "kawicaksanan-saking", "manungsa"]·KO["지혜-가", "지혜-는", "지혜들-을", "지혜들이"]·PT["Sabedoria", "Sabedorias", "Sabedorias-de", "sabedoria", "sabedorias"]·RU["Мудрости", "Мудрость", "мудрости", "мудрость"]·ES["Sabiduría", "Sabiduría-de", "sabiduría", "sabidurías"]·SW["Hekima", "hekima", "mwanamke-mwenye-hekima"]·TR["Hikmet", "bilgelik", "bilgelikler", "bilgeliği"]·urd["حکمت"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חָכְמָה n.f. wisdom, ח׳ Ex 28:3 + 106 times; cstr. חָכְמַת Ex 35:35 + 15 times; sf. חָכְמָתִי Ec 2:9, etc. + 25 times sf.; pl. abst. חָכְמוֹת ψ 49:4 Pr 1:20; 9:1; 24:7 (GK§ 861); חַכְמוֹת Pr 14:1 (incorrectly pointed as adj. cstr. f.; read חָכְמוֹת De);— 1. skill in war Is 10:13; in technical work Ex 28:3; 31:3, 6; 35:26, 31, 35; 36:1, 2 (P), cf. 1 K 7:14, 1 Ch 28:21; of sailors ψ 107:27. 2.…