H5532 H5532
To be of use or benefit; to serve as caretaker or steward; (Hifil) to be familiar with, accustomed to.
A versatile root spanning service, profit, and intimacy. In Job's dialogues it probes whether any human can truly 'profit' God, a theological challenge rendered consistently across languages (English 'it profits,' Spanish 'le es provechoso,' German 'nützt'). As a participle it becomes a personal title: Abishag the 'caretaker' who warmed aging King David, and Shebna the 'steward' whom Isaiah confronted. In the Hifil, the sense shifts to relational familiarity, as in Job 22:21: 'Be at peace with God' -- literally, become intimately acquainted with Him.
Senses
1. be profitable, be of use (Qal) — To be profitable, useful, or beneficial to someone, used exclusively in Job's wisdom debates (Job 15:3; 22:2; 34:9; 35:3). The question 'Can a man profit God?' challenges human self-importance before the Almighty. Spanish 'le es provechoso' and German 'nützt' confirm the economic-benefit metaphor at the core of this sense, treating moral conduct as a commodity weighed for its value. 5×
AR["يَنفَعُ","يَنفَعُكَ","يَنْفَعُ","يَنْفَعُ-"]·ben["উপকার-করে","লাভ","লাভ-করতে-পারে-","লাভ-করে","লাভ-হবে-"]·DE["nuetzt"]·EN["does-it-profit","is-profitable","it-profits","profitable"]·FR["profiter"]·heb["יסכון","יסכן"]·HI["लाभ-होगा","लाभ-होता-है","लाभदायक"]·ID["berguna","menguntungkan-"]·IT["giovare"]·jav["mbiyantu","mbiyantu-","migunani","mupangat"]·KO["유익하게-하겠느냐","유익하게-하겠느냐-","유익하겠느냐","유익하다","유익하지-않으며"]·PT["aproveita","beneficia","é-útil"]·RU["полезен","полезен-","полезно-","полезным"]·ES["beneficia-","le-es-provechoso","le-es-provechoso-","sirve","te-beneficia-"]·SW["atafaidika","halifai","inafaidika","itakufaidia"]·TR["faydalanır-","yarar","yarar-sağlar","yarar-sağlar-"]·urd["فائدہ ہو","فائدہ ہو-","فائدہ ہوتا","فائدہ ہوگا","فائدہ-ہوتا"]
2. be familiar with, be acquainted (Hifil) — Hifil stem denoting familiarity, acquaintance, or being accustomed to something. In Job 22:21, 'be at peace' (hasken-nā) literally means 'make yourself familiar with Him,' urging intimate reconciliation with God. Balaam's donkey appeals to this same sense: 'Have I ever been accustomed to do this?' (Num 22:30). Psalm 139:3 uses it of God's intimate acquaintance with all human ways. The semantic shift from 'be useful' to 'be familiar' likely runs through the notion of habitual service breeding closeness. 4×
AR["اعْتَدْتُ","اِأْتَلِفْ-","عَرَفْتَهَا","هَلْ-تَعَوَّدْتُ"]·ben["আমি-অভ্যস্ত","কি-অভ্যাস-আছে","তুমি-জান।","পরিচিত-হও-"]·DE["du-sind-acquainted-with","haben-ich-je-gewesen-accustomed","nuetzt","war-ich-accustomed"]·EN["be-at-peace","have-I-ever-been-accustomed","was-I-accustomed","you-are-acquainted-with"]·FR["avoir-je-ever-été-accustomed","le-être-utile","profiter","était-je-accustomed"]·heb["ההסכן","הסכן","הסכנתה","הסכנתי"]·HI["अब-परिचित-हो","क्या-आदतन","तू-जानता-है","मैंने-आदत-डाली-है"]·ID["Engkau-mengenal","aku-biasanya","apakah-biasanya","berdamailah"]·IT["[הסכנתה]","avere-io-mai-stato-accustomed","fu-io-accustomed","giovare"]·jav["Panjenengan-apal","kawula-sampun-kulat","punapa-kulat","tepanga-"]·KO["(의문사)-익숙해졌는가","내가-익숙해졌다","익히-아셨나이다","친밀하라-"]·PT["Acaso-costumar","Reconcilia-te","conheces","costumei"]·RU["знаешь","имела-привычку","познай-","разве-имею-привычку"]·ES["Reconcíliate-","acaso-acostumbrar","acostumbré","conoces"]·SW["Patana","je-nimekuzoea","kuzoea","unazifahamu"]·TR["-mi-alışkın-","alışkın-mıydım","biliyorsun","tanış-ol-"]·urd["تو-جانتا-ہے","راضی ہو-","عادت-تھی-میری","کیا-عادت"]
3. caretaker, attendant (Qal participle) — Qal feminine participle used as a noun: a female caretaker or personal attendant who ministers to someone's daily needs. In 1 Kings 1:2, 4, Abishag the Shunammite is sought as a sōkenet for the aging King David. Spanish 'cuidadora' and English 'caregiver' highlight the nurturing, domestic character of this role, distinct from the administrative sense of the masculine form. 2×
AR["حَاضِنَةً"]·ben["পরিচারিকা"]·DE["ein-caregiver"]·EN["a-caregiver"]·FR["un-caregiver"]·heb["סוכנת"]·HI["देखभाल-करनेवाली"]·ID["perawat"]·IT["un-caregiver"]·jav["kang-ngrawat"]·KO["돌보는-자가"]·PT["cuidadora"]·RU["согревающей"]·ES["cuidadora"]·SW["mlezi","na-akamtumikia"]·TR["bakıcı"]·urd["پرستار"]
4. steward, administrator (Qal participle) — Qal masculine participle with the article, functioning as a title: the steward or chief administrator of a royal household. Isaiah 22:15 identifies Shebna as 'the steward' (hassōkēn), a high official whom the prophet denounces for self-aggrandizement. Spanish 'el tesorero' ('the treasurer') reflects the fiscal dimension of this administrative role, while the Hebrew encompasses broader household management authority. 1×
AR["الْوَكِيلِ"]·ben["-কোষাধ্যক্ষের"]·DE["[הסכן]"]·EN["the-steward"]·FR["[הסכן]"]·heb["ה-סוכן"]·HI["भण्डारी"]·ID["bendahara"]·IT["[הסכן]"]·jav["bendahara"]·KO["관리인인"]·PT["o-administrador"]·RU["управляющему"]·ES["el-tesorero"]·SW["msimamizi"]·TR["kahyaya"]·urd["خزانچی-اِس"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [סָכַן] vb. be of use or service, benefit (Tel Am. sakânu, care for (c. prep. ana) ZimZA vi. 248 WklTA Gloss.; Ph. סכן prefect Lzb329; cf. perhaps TelAm. zukini as loan-word Wkll.c.);— Qal Impf. 3 ms. only Jb.: יִסְכֹּן 22:2, -וֹן 15:3, יִסְכָּן־ 22:2 + 2 times; Pt. סֹכֵן Is 22:15; f. סֹכֶ֫נֶת 1 K 1:2, 4;— 1. be of use or service, only pt. וּתְהִי לוֹ ס׳ 1 K 1:2 and let her become servitress…