H4209 H4209
Purpose or plan (neutral); discretion or prudence (positive, in Proverbs); wicked scheme or device (negative, in Psalms/Prophets).
The noun mezimmah is one of Hebrew's most morally flexible words — capable of describing godly wisdom and satanic cunning with equal ease. In Proverbs, it stands alongside knowledge and understanding as a positive intellectual virtue: the 'discretion' that guards the young from folly (Prov 1:4; 2:11; 3:21). But in the Psalms and Prophets, the same word darkens into 'wicked schemes' and 'evil devices' hatched against the righteous (Ps 10:2; 21:11; 37:7). Spanish navigates this polarity with discrecion versus maquinaciones, while German shifts between Besonnenheit (prudence) and Raenke (scheming). The neutral middle ground appears when mezimmah describes God's own sovereign purposes — plans that are neither good nor evil in themselves but simply the outworking of divine intention (Job 42:2; Jer 23:20; 51:11).
Senses
1. evil scheme, wicked device — An evil scheme, wicked device, or malicious plot hatched against the innocent — the negative pole of mezimmah's moral range. Nine occurrences cluster in Psalms and wisdom complaint: 'the wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised' (Ps 10:2). See also Ps 21:11 and Ps 139:20, where enemies lift up God's name for evil purpose. Spanish maquinaciones and tramas, French dessein (in pejorative context), and German Raenke all mark this as cunning turned malevolent. 9×
AR["المَكَائِدَ", "بِ-مَكَائِدَ", "لِـ-مَكْرٍ", "مَكائِدَ", "مَكايِدَ", "مَكِيدَةً", "وَ-مُكَايَدَاتِكُمْ"]·ben["এবং-পরিকল্পনা", "চক্রান্ত", "দুষ্ট-পরিকল্পনার", "পরিকল্পনাগুলিতে-", "যন্ত্র", "ষড়যন্ত্র", "ষড়যন্ত্রে;", "ষড়যন্ত্রের"]·DE["Raenke", "[המזמתה]", "ein-scheme", "für-Bosheit", "in-der-plant", "plant", "und-Raenke"]·EN["a-scheme", "and-schemes", "evil-devices", "for-wickedness", "in-the-schemes", "schemes", "the-evil-schemes"]·FR["[המזמתה]", "dans-dessein", "de-dessein", "dessein", "et-dessein", "à-dessein"]·heb["ב-מזימות", "ה-מזימתה", "ו-מזימות", "ל-מזימה", "מזימה", "מזימות"]·HI["और-योजनाएँ", "चालों-का", "ज़ुर्म-से", "दुष्ट-योजनाओं-वाला", "में-योजनाओं", "युक्ति", "योजना", "षड्यन्त्र"]·ID["dalam-rencana-rencana", "dan-tipu-daya", "dengan-niat-jahat", "dengan-rencana-jahat", "rencana-jahat", "tipu-muslihat"]·IT["da-scelleratezza", "disegno", "e-disegno", "insidia", "macchinazione"]·jav["ing-reka-daya", "kang-ngrancang-ala", "kanthi-rencana-duraka", "lan-rancangan", "rancangan-awon", "reka-daya", "rencana-jahat"]·KO["계략들-에", "계획-들-의", "계획-을", "그리고-계식들을", "악한-계획-으로", "음모들-을", "음모들-의", "음모를"]·PT["a-maquinação", "e-tramas", "intenções-más", "maquinão", "maquinções", "nas-intrigas", "para-a-maldade", "planos", "planos-maus"]·RU["в-замыслах", "замысел", "замыслов", "злые-замыслы", "злых-замыслов", "и-замыслы", "коварство", "козней", "со-злом"]·ES["en-tramas", "la-maldad", "maquinaciones", "para-maldad", "plan", "y-las-intrigas"]·SW["hila", "katika-hila", "kwa-hila", "mipango-ya", "na-mipango", "wa-hila"]·TR["düzen", "düzenler", "düzenlerle-", "entrikaların", "entrikayı", "kötü-niyetlerin", "kötülükle", "planların", "ve-planları"]·urd["-چالوں-میں", "اور-سازشیں", "برائی-کے-لیے", "بری-تدبیروں-کا", "بُری-تدبیریں", "تدبیروں-کا", "سازش", "سازشوں-کا"]
2. discretion, prudence — Discretion, prudence, or the faculty of wise deliberation — the positive pole, concentrated entirely in Proverbs' wisdom vocabulary. Five occurrences pair mezimmah with knowledge (da'at, Prov 1:4; 5:2), understanding (tevunah, Prov 2:11), and resourcefulness (tushiyyah, Prov 3:21). The sage commends discretion as a protective virtue: 'Discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you' (Prov 2:11). Spanish discrecion, French discernement, and German Besonnenheit all deploy dedicated wisdom vocabulary here, distinguishing this sense clearly from the scheming of sense 1. 5×
AR["التَّدْبِيرَاتِ", "الْحَصَافَةُ", "حَصَافَةٍ", "وَ-تَدْبِيرًا", "وَ-حَصَافَةً"]·ben["ও-বিচক্ষণতা", "বিচক্ষণতা", "বিবেচনার"]·DE["Besonnenheit", "Raenke", "und-Besonnenheit"]·EN["and-discretion", "discretion"]·FR["dessein", "et-dessein"]·heb["ו-מזימה", "מזימה", "מזימות"]·HI["और-योजना", "योजना", "योजनाएँ", "योजनाओं-का"]·ID["Kebijaksanaan", "dan-kebijaksanaan", "dan-perencanaan", "kebijaksanaan", "rencana-rencana"]·IT["disegno", "e-disegno"]·jav["kawicaksanan", "lan-kawicaksanan"]·KO["그리고-근신-을", "근신-들-을", "근신-들-의", "근신-이"]·PT["Discrição", "discrições", "e-discricao", "e-discrição", "planos"]·RU["Рассудительность", "и-рассудительности.", "и-рассудительность.", "рассудительности", "рассудительность,"]·ES["Discreción", "discreciones", "pensamientos", "y-discreción"]·SW["Busara", "busara", "na-busara", "ya-busara"]·TR["ihtiyatın", "sağduyu", "sağduyuyu", "ve-ihtiyatı", "ve-sağduyu"]·urd["اور-تدبیر", "تدبیر", "تدبیروں-کا", "تدبیریں"]
3. purpose, plan, thought — A purpose, plan, or considered intention — morally neutral, describing the deliberate designs of God or humans without inherent ethical judgment. Five occurrences include Job's confession, 'no purpose of yours can be thwarted' (Job 42:2), and Jeremiah's prophetic formula where God's wrath accomplishes 'the purposes of his heart' (Jer 23:20; 30:24; 51:11). Spanish pensamientos and planes, French dessein (neutral), and German Vorhaben reflect the cognitive-planning sense without moral coloring. 5×
AR["أَفْكَارِهِ", "قَصْدُهُ", "مَقَاصِدَ", "مَقْصَدٌ."]·ben["তাঁর-উদ্দেশ্য", "তার-পরিকল্পনাগুলিতে", "পরিকল্পনা", "পরিকল্পনাগুলি"]·DE["Besonnenheit", "[מזמות]", "[מזמתו]", "sein-Gedanken"]·EN["any-purpose", "his-plan", "his-thoughts", "purposes-of"]·FR["[מזמות]", "[מזמתו]", "de-dessein", "dessein"]·heb["מזימה", "מזימות", "מזימותיו", "מזימתו"]·HI["उसकी-युक्ति-है", "उसकी-योजनाओं-में", "कोई-योजना", "योजनाओं", "योजनाओं-को"]·ID["rancangan-rancangan", "rencana", "rencana-Nya", "rencana-rencana", "rencana-rencananya"]·IT["disegno", "insidia", "macchinazione"]·jav["rancangan", "rancangan-Nipun", "rancangan.", "reka-daya-ipun"]·KO["계획들을", "계획이", "계획이-그의", "생각들-에", "의-계획들을"]·PT["intentos-de-", "o-seu-pensamento", "propósito.", "seu-propósito"]·RU["замысел", "замысел-Его", "замыслы", "помышления-его"]·ES["pensamiento", "pensamientos-de", "planes-de", "su-propósito", "sus-pensamientos"]·SW["kusudi", "makusudio-ya", "mawazo-yake", "mipango-ya", "mpango-wake"]·TR["düşünceleri", "plan", "planlarını", "tasarısı-O'nun"]·urd["اُس-کا-منصوبہ-ہے", "اُس-کی-سوچوں-میں", "منصوبے", "کوئی-منصوبہ"]
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
† מְזִמָּה n.f. purpose, discretion, device (Je and WisdLt), מְזִמָּה Jb 42:2 + 5 times; הַמְּזִמָּ֫תָה Je 11:15 (but read for המ׳ רַבִּים with 𝔊 הַמְּזִמֹּת הַֽנְדָרִים); altogether עָֽשְׂתָה מְזִמֹּת הַֽנְדָרִים וּבְשַׂר קֹדֶשׁ יַעֲבִרוּ מֵעָלַיִךְ רָעָתֵךְ. מְזִמָּתוֹ Je 51:11; pl. abs. מְזִמּוֹת ψ 37:7 + 7 times; cstr. id. Je 23:20; 30:24; sf. מְזִמּוֹתָיו ψ 10:4;— 1. of י׳’s purposes Jb…