שֵׂ֫כֶל, H7922
Prudence, insight, and practical understanding; rarely cunning or shrewdness used for self-serving ends.
A noun from the root s-k-l ('to be wise, prudent'), this word denotes the kind of intelligence that discerns rightly and acts wisely. It is overwhelmingly positive in Scripture: Abigail is praised as a woman of 'good sense' (1 Sam 25:3), the Chronicler values leaders who counsel 'with insight' (1 Chr 26:14), and Proverbs celebrates it as a fountain of life for its possessor (Prov 16:22). Nehemiah 8:8 uses it for the act of making the Torah's meaning clear. In one striking exception, Daniel 8:25 applies the word to the calculating shrewdness of an adversarial ruler, showing that the same faculty of discernment can serve either godly or sinister purposes.
Senses
1. understanding, insight, prudence — Prudence, insight, understanding, and practical wisdom viewed as a positive intellectual and moral faculty. Often paired with binah ('discernment,' 1 Chr 22:12; 2 Chr 2:11) or modified by tov ('good,' Prov 3:4; 13:15; Ps 111:10), it describes the capacity to perceive truth and act rightly. Nehemiah 8:8 uses it for expository clarity: the Levites 'set forth the understanding' of the Law. Spanish 'entendimiento' and 'prudencia,' along with German 'Verstand,' all capture this core meaning of sound discernment. 15×
AR["الفَهمِ", "بِ-الْفِطْنَةِ", "حِكْمَةً", "عَقْلَ", "عَنِ-الْفَهْمِ", "فَهم", "فَهْم", "فَهْمًا", "فِطْنَةٌ", "فِطْنَةٌ-", "فِطْنَةُ", "فِطْنَتِهِ", "وَ-فَهْمًا-"]·ben["-প্রতি-বুদ্ধির", "-বুদ্ধি-থেকে", "ও-বুদ্ধি-", "তার-বুদ্ধি", "বুদ্ধি", "বুদ্ধি-", "বুদ্ধিতে", "বুদ্ধিমান", "বুদ্ধির", "বোধ", "বোধশক্তিতে-"]·DE["Verstand", "Verständnis", "[בשכל]", "[ושכל]", "[לשכל]", "[משכל]", "[שכל]", "[שכלו]"]·EN["and-good", "discretion", "from-understanding", "his-insight", "insight", "insight-of", "the-wisdom-of", "understanding", "understanding-", "wisdom", "with-wisdom"]·FR["[בשכל]", "[שכל]", "de-prudence", "et-prudence", "intelligence", "prudence", "son-prudence-lui", "à-prudence"]·heb["ב-שכל", "ו-שכל", "ל-שכל", "מ-שכל", "שכל", "שכל־", "שכלו"]·HI["अर्थ", "और-बुद्धि-", "बुद्धि", "बुद्धि-", "बुद्धि-की", "बुद्धि-के", "बुद्धिमान", "विवेक", "समझ", "समझ-को", "समझ-से", "समझदार"]·ID["Akal-budi", "Akal-budi-", "akal", "akal-budi", "akal-budinya", "berakal", "bijaksana", "dan-akal-budi-", "dari-pengertian", "hikmat", "kepintaran", "pengertian", "pengertian-"]·IT["[שכל]", "da-senno", "e-senno", "intelligenza", "per-senno", "senno", "senno-suo"]·jav["akal", "akal-budi", "dhateng-kawicaksanan-saking", "kalantipan", "kang-wicaksana", "kapinteran-", "kawicaksanan", "lan-akal-budi", "mawi-kawicaksanan", "pangertos", "pangertosan", "saking-pangertosan"]·KO["그-의-통찰-의", "그리고-통찰-을", "명철-이", "분별력-의", "분별함-", "에-분별력", "이해를", "지각에서", "지혜", "지혜는", "지혜를", "지혜의", "총명", "통찰-은"]·PT["Entendimento", "Prudência-de", "a-prudência-de", "bom-entendimento", "de-entendimento", "e-bom", "em-sabedoria", "entendimento", "entendimento-", "entendimento-dele", "prudência", "sabedoria"]·RU["в-мудрости", "и-разум-", "мудрость", "от-разума", "разум", "разум-", "разумение-", "разумного", "разумом", "разуму-его", "смысл"]·ES["Entendimiento", "Prudencia", "buen-entendimiento", "con-prudencia", "de-entendimiento", "entendimiento", "inteligencia-de-él", "la-prudencia-de", "prudencia", "y-buen"]·SW["akili", "busara", "busara-ya", "busara-yake", "kutoka-ufahamu", "kwa-busara-ya", "mwenye-akili", "mwenye-hekima", "na-akili", "ni-busara", "shekel", "ufahamu"]·TR["aklına-onun", "akıl", "akıllılığını", "anlayış", "anlayış-", "anlayışlı", "anlayıştan", "anlayışı-", "bilgeli", "ve-anlayış-"]·urd["اور-عقل", "سمجھ", "سمجھ-", "سمجھ-سے", "سمجھدار", "عقل", "عقل-اپنی-کے", "عقل-سے", "عقل-کی", "فہم"]
1 Sam 25:3, 1 Chr 22:12, 1 Chr 26:14, 2 Chr 2:12, 2 Chr 30:22, Ezra 8:18, Neh 8:8, Job 17:4, Ps 111:10, Prov 3:4, Prov 12:8, Prov 13:15 (+3 more)
2. cunning, shrewdness — Cunning, shrewdness, or calculating cleverness employed for self-serving or morally suspect purposes. Attested only in Daniel 8:25, where the visionary adversary succeeds through 'his cunning' (siklo), using the same faculty of discernment for destructive scheming. French renders it 'intelligence' (neutral), while English and Spanish gloss it 'cunning' and 'astucia,' marking the pejorative shift from wisdom to craftiness. 1×
AR["ذَكَائِهِ"]·ben["এর-বুদ্ধির"]·DE["[שכלו]"]·EN["his-cunning"]·FR["intelligence"]·heb["שכלו"]·HI["उसकी-चतुराई"]·ID["kecerdikannya"]·IT["[שכלו]"]·jav["kapinteran-ipun"]·KO["그-의-솟기-에"]·PT["sua-astúcia"]·RU["уму-своему"]·ES["astucia-de-él"]·SW["ujanja-wake"]·TR["zekasının"]·urd["اپنی-چالاکی-کے"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
שֵׂ֫כֶל, שֶׂ֫כֶל n.m. prudence, insight;—שֵׂ֫׳ abs. ψ 111:10 +, cstr. Pr 19:11 +; שֶׂ׳ abs. 1 S 25:3 +; שָׂ֑כֶל Jb 17:4; sf. שִׂכְלוֹ Pr 12:8; Dn 8:25;— 1. prudence, good sense: טוֹבַת שׂ׳ woman of good sense 1 S 25:3. 2. insight, understanding: ‖ בִינָה 1 Ch 22:12; 2 Ch 2:11, cf. Jb 17:4; שׂ׳ טוֹב Pr 3:4; 13:15 ψ 111:10; 2 Ch 30:22; אִישׁ שׂ׳ Ezr 8:18; יוֹעֵץ בְּשׂ׳ 1 Ch 26:14; מְקוֹר חַיִּים…