---
title: שֵׂכֶל — prudence · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שֵׂכֶל (7922), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 16 times: prudence. BDB 1906: n.m. prudence, insight. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שֵׂכֶל

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«שֵׂכֶל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **prudence** — 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:** 16 times · **Key:** 7922 · **BDB:** שֵׂ֫כֶל

### Glosses

insight (7); of.insight (2); understanding (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

prudence [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7922/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. prudence, insight [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7922/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** 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;— prudence, good sense: טוֹבַת שׂ׳ woman of good sense 1 S 25:3. 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 שׂ׳ בְּעָלָיו Pr 16:22; restrains from anger 19:11, wins praise 12:8, fool despises שׂ׳ מִלִּים 23:9; שׂוֹם שׂ׳ Ne 8:8 (‖ הֵבִין) set forth (the) understanding (i.e. the meaning). bad sense, cunning, craft, Dn 8:25.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 16 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (7 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (7 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שֵׂכֶל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7922/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 13:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.13.15/)

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שֵֽׂכֶל־ט֭וֹב יִתֶּן־חֵ֑ן וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֹּגְדִ֣ים אֵיתָֽן׃

*Word for word:* insight good it.gives favor and.\[the\] way of.\[those.who\].act.treacherously \[is\].enduring

*JPS 1917:* Good understanding giveth grace; but the way of the faithless is harsh.

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[Proverbs 16:22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.16.22/)

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מְק֣וֹר חַ֭יִּים שֵׂ֣כֶל בְּעָלָ֑יו וּמוּסַ֖ר אֱוִלִ֣ים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].a.fountain of.life the.prudence its.owners his and.\[the\] discipline of.fools \[is\].foolishness

*JPS 1917:* Understanding is a fountain of life unto him that hath it; but folly is the chastisement of fools.

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