H2810 H2810
devices, inventions, schemes devised by human ingenuity
This term denotes human contrivances, both neutral inventions and morally problematic schemes. In 2 Chronicles 26:15, King Uzziah employed such devices—siege engines designed by clever inventors for hurling stones and arrows from towers. Ecclesiastes 7:29 uses the word with moral critique: God made humanity upright, but people sought out many devices or schemes, suggesting inventive corruption. The semantic range encompasses both technological innovation (war machines) and moral deviation (scheming), united by the concept of human ingenuity applied for various ends.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The two contexts demonstrate this word's semantic breadth. 2 Chronicles 26:15 celebrates military innovation, describing Uzziah's commissioned engines as "the invention of inventive men"—a pleonastic phrase emphasizing human cleverness in siege warfare technology. Ecclesiastes 7:29 condemns human inventiveness, contrasting God's original upright design with humanity's search for "many schemes" or devices, implying moral and intellectual corruption. Spanish distinguishes maquinaciones (scheming) from máquinas (machines), capturing the dual application to both mental plotting and physical invention. 2×
AR["آلَاتٍ", "حِيَلًا"]·ben["যন্ত্র", "হিসাবসমূহ"]·DE["[חשבנות]"]·EN["inventions", "schemes"]·FR["[חשבנות]", "חשבנות"]·heb["חשבונות", "חשבנות"]·HI["यंत्र", "योजनाएँ"]·ID["mesin-mesin", "tipu-daya"]·IT["[חשבנות]", "schemes"]·jav["piranti-piranti", "pitungan"]·KO["계산들", "장치들을"]·PT["engenhos", "invenções"]·RU["машины", "ухищрения"]·ES["maquinaciones", "máquinas"]·SW["mashine", "mipango"]·TR["hesaplar", "makineler"]·urd["مشینیں", "منصوبے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [חִשָּׁבוֹן] n.m. device, invention (cf. LagBN 200)—only pl. abs. חִשְּׁבֹנוֹת; עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם יָשָׁר וְהֵמָּה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבֹנוֹת רַבִּים Ec 7:29 God made mankind upright but they sought out many devices; וַיַּעַשׂ חִשְּׁבֹנוֹת מַחֲשֶׁבֶת חֹוֹשֵׁב 2 Ch 26:15 and he made contrivances (i.e. engines of war for hurling stones and arrows, see v b) the invention of inventive men.