---
title: תְּבוּנָה — understanding · The Tanakh dictionary
description: תְּבוּנָה (8394), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 42 times: understanding. BDB 1906: n.f. understanding. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# תְּבוּנָה

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«תְּבוּנָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **understanding** — 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:** 42 times · **Key:** 8394 · **BDB:** תְּבוּנָה

### Glosses

understanding (29); of.understanding (5); of.understanding(s) (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

understanding [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/8394/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. understanding [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/8394/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. understanding Dt 32:28 + 27 times; sf. תְּבוּנָתִי Pr 5:1 + 7 times; תובנתו Jb 26:12 Kt (Qr תְּבוּנָתוֹ); תְּבוּנָם Ho 13:2 for תְּבוּנָתָם v. De ψ 27:5; תְּבוּנוֹת ψ 49:4 + 4 times; תְּבוּנוֹתֵיכֶם Jb 32:11;— the act Jb 26:12 ψ 78:72; 136:5 Pr 3:19; 21:30; 24:3 Je 10:12 (= 51:15) Ez 28:4 Ho 13:2 Ob 7. the faculty Ex 31:3; 35:31; 36:1 (P) Dt 32:28 (poet.) Jb 12:12, 13 Pr 2:6, 11; 28:16 Is 44:19; אִישׁ תְּבוּנָה Pr 10:23; 15:21; 17:27; 20:5; אִישׁ תְּבוּנוֹת Pr 11:12 (= Ob 8 where אישׁ omitted by scribal error); דֶּרֶךְ תְּבוּנָה Is 40:14. the object of knowledge Pr 2:3; 3:13; 5:1; 14:29; 18:2; 19:8 ψ 49:4; 147:5 Is 40:28 1 K 5:9; 7:14; תטה לבך לתבונה incline thy mind to understanding Pr 2:2; reasons Jb 32:11. personified Pr 8:1 as teacher.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 42 of its verses cited, 1 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, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «תְּבוּנָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/8394/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 12:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.12.12/)

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בִּֽישִׁישִׁ֥ים חָכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].with aged.\[people\] wisdom and \[is.with\].length of.days understanding

*JPS 1917:* Is wisdom with aged men, and understanding in length of days? —

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[Proverbs 2:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.2.11/)

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מְ֭זִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹ֥ר עָלֶ֗יךָ תְּבוּנָ֥ה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃

*Word for word:* discretion it.will.watch over you understanding it will.preserve.you

*JPS 1917:* Discretion shall watch over thee, discernment shall guard thee;

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