חִידָה
chîydâh · H2420 · Hebrew · 17 occurrences
Meanings
-
riddle
Action by which humans or deities utter words that are often compacted and well-formulated and that require wisdom to be understood
ExamplesNumbers 12:8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, That is, openly, and not using mysterious language, And he beholds the form of the LORD. So why were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?”
Judges 14:12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me now propose a riddle for you; if you actually tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast, and solve it, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes.
Judges 14:13 “But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes.” And they said to him, “Propose your riddle, so that we may hear it.”
-
problem, complex situation
Event that perplexes the mind and requires wisdom in order to be dealt with
Examples1 Kings 10:1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon in relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with riddles.
2 Chronicles 9:1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She had a very large entourage, with camels carrying balsam oil and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything that was on her heart.
Daniel 8:23 “And in the latter period of their dominion, When the wrongdoers have run their course, A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue.
How it’s used In 4 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
4 occurrences in 3 groups
- יmy 2
- ךָyour 1
- הֶםtheir 1
What is done to itIt is the object
12 occurrences in 6 groups
- חוּדto tell a riddle 4
- נָגַדto tell, to inform, to report 3
- בִּיןto understand, to discern 2
- מָצָאto find 1
- נָבַעto gush 1
- פָּתַחto open 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
3 occurrences in 1 groups
- בin/on/with 5
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- נָגַדto tell, to inform, to report 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 2 words
- αἴνιγμα aínigma · G135 · that which is puzzling, that which is difficult to understand, puzzle
- Both denote obscure/enigmatic speech requiring interpretation; αἴνιγμα is the Greek term that naturally renders Hebrew חִידָה's semantic range of riddles and dark sayings in LXX translation contexts.
- אֲחִידָה ʼăchîydâh · H280 · hard sentence
- אֲחִידָה (ʼăchîydâh, H280) (אֲחִידָה, Aramaic 'hard sentence') is the Aramaic cognate reflex of חִידָה (chîydâh, H2420) (חִידָה, Hebrew 'riddle/dark saying'), both deriving from the same Semitic root denoting obscure or difficult speech; this represents direct cross-linguistic equivalence between sister languages rather than semantic variation.
Semantic domains 2 entries
- Speak002004001009008
- The noun names a riddle or enigmatic saying put into speech, as Samson proposes a riddle to the Philistines at his wedding feast (Judges 14:12-13).
- Complicated002001003004
- The word marks speech that is deliberately obscure or difficult to unravel, contrasted with the LORD speaking to Moses plainly, "not using mysterious language" (Numbers 12:8).
Word family 3 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H2420. chidah חִידָה noun feminine riddle, enigmatic, perplexing saying or question; —…
חִידָה noun feminine riddle, enigmatic, perplexing saying or question; — absolute ׳ח Jdg 14:12 Jdg 14:6t.; suffix חִידָתִי Jdg 14:18; Psa 49:5; חִידָֽתְךָ Jdg 14:13; plural absolute חִידוֺת 1Ki 10:1 1Ki 10:4t.; חִידֹת Num 12:8; suffix חִידֹתָם Pro 1:6; —
1 riddle = dark, obscure utterance Num 12:8 (J E; opposed to מֶּהאֶֿלמֶּֿה and מַרְאֶה); of something put indirectly and needing interpretation; — an allegory ח ׳חוד Eze 17:2 (|| מָשָׁל מְשֹׁל); allegorical and figurative sayings Pro 1:6 (|| מָשָׁל מְלִיצָה and חֲכָמִים בְרֵי Di); enigmatic sentences and comparisons, declaring fate of Chaldeans Hab 2:6 (+ מְלִיצָה; || מָשָׁל), perplexing moral problem Psa 49:5 (with מָּתַח open, propound; || מָשָׁל), a lesson taught indirectly Psa 78:2 (׳ח קֶדֶם מִנִּי, with הִבִּיעַ; || מָשָׁל).
2 riddle, enigma, to be guessed, in Jdg 14:
a. with vb. חוּד Jdg 14:12-13, Jdg 14:16 propound a riddle.
b. with vb. הִגִּיד tell (give answer to) a riddle Jdg 14:14-15, Jdg 14:17, Jdg 14:19.
c. with vb. מצא find out a riddle Jdg 14:18.
3 perplexing questions by which queen of Sheba put Solomon to the test (נִסָּה) 1Ki 10:1 2Ch 9:1.
4 with הֵבִין skilled in double-dealing Dan 8:23 (Bev).
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 2 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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