שָׂכַל
sâkal · H7919 · Hebrew · 61 occurrences
Meanings
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to be successful, to have success
State in which humans are able to accomplish whatever they attempt to do
ExamplesJoshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go.
Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.
1 Samuel 18:5 And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him, and always achieved success; so Saul put him in charge of the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
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to succeed, to do well
Action by which humans perform an event with success
ExamplesDeuteronomy 29:9 “So you will keep the words of this covenant and do them, in order that you may be successful in everything that you do.
1 Kings 2:3 “Do your duty to the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,
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to be wise, to have understanding, to be skilled
State in which humans have the ability to understand things
Examples2 Chronicles 30:22 Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of the LORD. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD God of their fathers.
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
Proverbs 1:3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice, and integrity;
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to consider, to ponder, to observe, to take note of, to have regard for, to give heed to, to study
Action by which humans think about someone or something accompanied by a willingness to translate their conclusions into action if needed
ExamplesDeuteronomy 32:29 “If only they were wise and they understood this; If only they would discern their future!
Nehemiah 8:13 Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe so that they might gain insight into the words of the Law.
Psalm 41:1 Blessed is one who considers the helpless; The LORD will save him on a day of trouble.
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to cross
Action by which humans position their hands or legs in such a way that they form a cross
ExamplesGenesis 48:14 But Israel reached out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
How it’s used In 12 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
45 occurrences in 14 groups
- Not stated (infinitive) 11
- Not stated: they 6
- Not stated: he, she or it 6
- Not stated: you (one person) 4
- Not stated (participle) 4
- Not stated: I 3
- Other words · 7 groups that occur once or twice (8) 8
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
14 occurrences in 12 groups
- כֹּלall, every, whole 4
- Other words · 11 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12
Second objectAs in “call him Lord”
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- בִּינָהunderstanding 1
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
19 occurrences in 19 groups
- בin/on/with+ כֹּלall, every, whole 3
- Other words · 18 groups that occur once or twice (18) 18
With adverbsAdverbs
7 occurrences in 4 groups
- לֹאnot 4
- אָזat that time 1
- יַחַדtogether 1
- מְאֹדvery 1
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- עַםpeople 1
What it doesIt is the subject
7 occurrences in 6 groups
- בִּיןto understand, to discern 2
- דָּמַםto be silent, to be still 1
- זָהַרto warn, to teach 1
- כָּשַׁלto stumble 1
- מָצָאto find 1
- סָכַןto be of benefit 1
What is done to itIt is the object
4 occurrences in 2 groups
- רָאָהto see 3
- נָתַןto give, to put, to set 1
What it is said to bePredicate
3 occurrences in 2 groups
- יֵשׁthere is, there are 2
- אֶשֶׁרhappy 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- דָּבָרword, thing, matter 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
6 occurrences in 3 groups
- לto/for 4
- מִןfrom 1
- בin/on/with 1
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- דֶּרֶךְway, road 1
- מוּסָרdiscipline, instruction 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.
Near synonyms 3 words
- עָרַם ʻâram · H6191 · to be heaped up, to be piled up, to be, become astute
- Both lexemes denote prudence/wisdom-related concepts and are legitimate near-synonyms in the semantic space of wise/prudent action. עָרַם (ʻâram, H6191) emphasizes craftiness/subtlety in prudent dealing, שָׂכַל (sâkal, H7919) emphasizes understanding/skillful success.
- חָכַם châkam · H2449 · to be able, to be skillful, to be wise
- Both denote being or acting wise, or having wisdom and understanding, in two distinct Hebrew roots.
- יָדַע yâdaʻ · H3045 · to learn, to find out, to know
- Both words denote cognitive discernment and overlap in contexts requiring intellectual grasp: יָדַע (yâdaʻ, H3045) means to know, comprehend or consider, and שָׂכַל (sâkal, H7919) means to understand, be wise or be prudent.
In the other Testament 1 word
- συνίημι syníēmi · G4920 · to understand, to comprehend, to perceive
- συνίημι emphasizes the mental act of comprehension and putting together understanding, while שָׂכַל (sâkal, H7919) שָׂכַל spans a broader semantic range including practical wisdom, skillful action, teaching, and successful outcomes alongside intellectual understanding.
Semantic domains 4 entries
- Succeed002003003020
- The verb's "prosper/have good success" sense, directly shown in the promise that careful obedience to the Law would let Joshua "achieve success wherever you go" (Joshua 1:7).
- Wise002001002029
- The verb's core sense of wisdom or insight, directly shown in the tree that was "desirable to make one wise" (Genesis 3:6) and the lament that Israel was not "wise" enough to "understand" and "discern their future" (Deuteronomy 32:29).
- Think002004002013
- The verb's "consider/understand" sense, reflected in Israel's failure to "understand this" and reason it through (Deuteronomy 32:29) and, more subtly, in Jacob's deliberate, understanding act of crossing his hands to bless the younger son first (Genesis 48:14).
- Stance002001001061
- This domain reflects Jacob's deliberate physical positioning in "crossing his hands" over Ephraim and Manasseh's heads, an act described as intentional and understanding rather than accidental (Genesis 48:14).
Word family 5 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H7919. sakal I. שָׂכַל verb be prudent (Gerber47denominative from שֶׂכֶל, but verb early;…
I. שָׂכַל verb be prudent (Gerber47denominative from שֶׂכֶל, but verb early; Late Hebrew סָכַל, Hithpa`el shew oneself attentive (to), look; Aramaic סְכַל (rare) understand, Ithpa`al look (at), consider, Aph`el instruct; שְׂכַל only Aph`el (for Hebrew הִשְׂכִּיל), understand, make wise; Pa`el teach, Ethpa`al understand, etc.; Samaritan Ithpa`al look (for Hebrew הִבִּיט); Assyrian šiklu, clever, šklûtu, cleverness, MeissnSuppl.93); —
Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳שׂ 1Sa 18:30 be prudent, circumspect (SS HPS); Kit Buhl Gerber and others prosper.
Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular הִשְׂכִּיל Jer 23:5; 1Ch 28:19; 1Ch 28:1singular הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי Psa 119:99; Psa 119:3masculine plural הִשְׂכִּילוּ Job 34:27 +; Imperfect יַשְׂכִּיל 1Sa 18:5 +; 2 masculine singular jussive תַּשְׂכַּל Dan 9:25, etc.; Imperative masculine plural הַשְׂכִּילוּ Psa 2:10; Infinitive absolute הַשְׂכֵּל Jer 9:23 +; הַשְׂכֵּיל (Ges § 53 k) Jer 3:15; Job 34:35; construct הַשְׂכִּיל Gen 3:6 +, etc.; Participle מַשְׂכִּיל 1Sa 18:14 +, feminine מַשְׂכָּ֑לֶת Pro 19:14; plural מַשְׂכִּילִים Dan 11:35 +, etc.; meanings hard to classify: scholars differ greatly; —
1 look at: לְהַשְׂכִּיל הָעֵץ נְחְמָד Gen 3:6 (J) was desirable to look upon (so ᵐ5 Ges De; AV, RV to make one wise; Ew Di Buhl SS Dr and others below 3).
2 give attention to, consider, ponder: Isa 41:20; Isa 44:18; Deu 32:29; Psa 64:10; Psa 106:7; Job 34:27; with לְ Pro 21:12; with אֶל Psa 41:2; Neh 8:13; with עַל Pro 16:20; with ב Psa 101:2; Dan 9:13.
3 have insight, comprehension: Jer 9:23 (|| י ׳יָדַע), Psa 94:8 (|| בִּין), Psa 119:99, Dan 1:4; Dan 9:25 (|| יָדַע); הַשְׂכֵּ(י)ל assubstantive = insight, understanding: as ׳יs gift to ruler and teacher, || דֵּעָה Jer 3:15; || דַּ֫עַת Job 34:35; || מַדָּע Dan 1:17; ׳הַשׂ מוּסַר Pro 1:3; הַשׂ ׳דֶּרֶךְ Pro 21:16.
4 cause to consider, give insight, teach: ׳י subject, accusative of thing, 1Ch 28:19, accusative of person Psa 32:8; Neh 9:20; Gabriel subject, 2accusative Dan 9:22; חָכָם לֵב subject, accusative of thing Pro 16:23; with לְ, Pro 21:11; לי טוֺב שֵׂכֶל ׳הַמַּשְׂכִּילִים2Ch 30:22 (but Be Ke Benz etc. who shewed good skill, that is, in music, 2Ch 30:21b); (הַ)מַוְכִּילִים Dan 11:33, Dan 11:35; Dan 12:3, Dan 12:10 the teachers (so Ew Hi Bev; Thes Ke Behrm and others the wise).
5 act circumspectly, prudently: absolute Amo 5:13; Psa 2:10; Psa 36:4; מַשְׂכִּיל as substantive Psa 14:2 = Psa 53:3, Pro 10:5, Pro 10:19; Pro 14:35; Pro 15:24; Pro 17:2; Job 22:2; מַשְׂכָּ֑לֶת אִשָּׁה Pro 19:14. — Jer 50:9 has מַשְׁכִּיל גִּבּוֺר according to Masora (van d. H. Baer Gi), compare ᵑ9, i.e. a child-slaying warrior; but ׳שׁ
Hiph`il elsewhere only Hos 9:14, of miscarriage; ᵑ6 ᵐ5 Ew and most modern (Gf Gie Rothst) read מַשְׂכִּיל, either skilful or fortunate.
6 prosper, have success (compare Dr 1Sa 18:5): absolute 1Sa 18:15; Isa 52:13; Jer 10:21; Jer 20:11; Jer 23:5; Jos 1:8 (D); with ב, Jos 1:7 (D) 1Sa 18:5, 1Sa 18:14 (read בְּכָלֿ for לְכָלֿ Vrss Th HPS and others), compare 2Ki 18:7; with אֶל, Pro 17:8.
7 cause to prosper: Deu 29:8; 1Ki 2:3(D).
II. [שָׂכַל] verb Pi`el lay crosswise (so, and not √ I. ᵑ7 ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵐ5 ׳שׂ,Jon and modern, compare Arabic bind legs of beast, plait locks of hair); — Perfect3masculine singular אֶתיָֿדָיו שִׂכֵּל Gen 48:14 (J); Thes Dr, however, prudentes fecit, from √ I. ׳שׂ.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 4 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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