Understanding
שֵׂ֫כֶלStrong’s H7922sekhel (se-khel)
Appears in 16 verses of the Old Testament
In short
Sekhel is the Hebrew word usually translated “insight”, “prudence of” and “understanding”. It appears in 16 verses of the Old Testament.
“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.”
Meaning
- Prudence, insight, understandingprudence, good sense · insight, understanding · cunning, craft (bad sense)
How it's translated
- insight 5
- prudence of 2
- with insight 1
- understanding 1
- sense 1
- from understanding 1
- an understanding 1
- and insight 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Proverbs 6
- 1 Chronicles 2
- 2 Chronicles 2
- 1 Samuel 1
- Ezra 1
- Nehemiah 1
9 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- 1 Samuel 25:3Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
- 1 Chronicles 22:12Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.
- 1 Chronicles 26:14And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.
- 2 Chronicles 2:12Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.
- 2 Chronicles 30:22And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
- Ezra 8:18And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;
Hebrew dictionary
שֵׂ֫כֶל sekhel · understanding
1) prudence, insight, understanding 1a) prudence, good sense 1b) insight, understanding 1c) cunning, craft (bad sense) Aramaic equivalent: sokh.le.ta.nu (שׇׂכְלְתָנוּ "insight" H7924)
From STEPBible’s Hebrew lexicon (based on Brown-Driver-Briggs).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “understanding” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
UNDERSTAND'ING, participle present
tense
- Comprehending; apprehending the ideas or sense of another, or of a writing; learning or being informed.
- adjective Knowing; skillful.
All definitions and other forms of “understanding”
UNDERSTAND'ING, noun
- The faculty of the human mind by which it apprehends the real state of things presented to it, or by which it receives or comprehends the ideas which others express and intend to communicate. Luke 24:45Ephesians 1:18“There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding” Job 32:8
- Knowledge; exact comprehension.
- Intelligence between two or more persons; agreement of minds; union of sentiments.
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Hebrew, not from any one translation.