---
title: מַחֲשָׁבָה — thought · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מַחֲשָׁבָה (4284), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 56 times: thought. BDB 1906: n.f. thought, device. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מַחֲשָׁבָה

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«מַחֲשָׁבָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **thought** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 56 times · **Key:** 4284 · **BDB:** מַחֲשָׁבָה

### Glosses

plans (17); thoughts (9); \[the\].plans (5)

### Meaning (OSHB)

thought [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4284/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. thought, device [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4284/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. thought, device (chiefly poet. and late)—abs. מ׳ Je 18:11; 49:30; מַחֲשֶׁ֫בֶת Ez 38:10; מַחֲשָׁ֑בֶת Ex 35:33 2 Ch 2:13; cstr. מַחֲשֶׁ֫בֶת Est 8:5 2 Ch 26:15; sf. מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ Est 8:3; 9:25; pl. מַחֲשָׁבוֹת Je 11:19 + 7 times; מַחֲשָׁבֹת Ex 31:4 + 3 times; cstr. מַחְשְׁבוֹת Is 59:7 + 13 times; מַחְשְׁבֹת Gn 6:5; sf. מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי Is 55:8 etc. + 19 times sfs.;— thought: of man מ׳ אדם ψ 94:11; מ׳ לֵב ψ 33:11 thoughts of the mind; (כל) יצר מ׳ (לב) Gn 6:5 (J), 1 Ch 28:9; 29:18. of God מ׳ יהוה Mi 4:12; c. אֶל־ ψ 40:6; עַל־ Je 51:29; the thoughts of God are exceeding deep ψ 92:6; higher than man’s thoughts Is 55:8(×2), 9(×2). device, plan, purpose Is 55:7; 59:7; 65:2; 66:18 Je 6:19; 18:12 ψ 56:6 Pr 19:21 Jb 21:27 La 3:60, 61 Est 8:5; מ׳ חָרוּץ Pr 21:5; מ׳ עֲרוּמִים Jb 5:12; מ׳ צדיקים Pr 12:5; מ׳ עמים ψ 33:10; מ׳ און Is 59:7 Je 4:14 Pr 6:18; מ׳ רע Pr 15:26; מ׳ שָׁלוֹם Je 21:11; חשׁב מ׳ devise devices 2 S 14:14 Je 11:19; 18:11, 18; 29:11; 49:20, 30; 50:45 Ez 38:10 Dn 11:24, 25 Est 8:3; 9:25; מ׳ as subj. of נָכוֹן be established Pr 16:3; 20:18; הפר מ׳ break plans Pr 15:22. invention Ex 31:4; 35:32, 33, 35 (all P), 2 Ch 2:13; 26:15 (v. חָשַׁב I 5).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 52 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מַחֲשָׁבָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4284/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 12:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.12.5/)

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מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת צַדִּיקִ֣ים מִשְׁפָּ֑ט תַּחְבֻּל֖וֹת רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִרְמָֽה׃

*Word for word:* \[the\].plans of.righteous.\[people\] \[are\].justice \[the\].guidance(s) of.wicked.\[people\] \[are\].deceit

*JPS 1917:* The thoughts of the righteous are right; but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

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[Psalms 33:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.33.10/)

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יְֽהוָ֗ה הֵפִ֥יר עֲצַת־גּוֹיִ֑ם הֵ֝נִ֗יא מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת עַמִּֽים׃

*Word for word:* Yahweh he.frustrates \[the\].counsel of.nations he.frustrates \[the\].plans of.peoples

*JPS 1917:* The LORD bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought; He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.

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