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Job 15:8 — Word Study

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WLCהַבְס֣וֹד אֱל֣וֹהַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃

BSADo you listen inshâmaʻ [hear and obey, pay attention to] on the councilçôwd [secret meeting, intimate conversation] of Godʼĕlôwahh [Eloah, the one true God] or limitgâraʻ [diminish, restrain] wisdomchokmâh [skill, prudence, or good judgment] to yourselfʼêl [toward yourself, in your own understanding]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 15
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 8 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (chokh.mah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 15:8quick helps
In a sentenceJob questions whether the listener has the authority to hear God's counsel or to limit wisdom.
Who is speakingJob, addressing his friend.
Where we areJob is in a discourse about the nature of wisdom and God's counsel.
The hard wordהַבְס֣וֹד
Take awayWisdom is not something to be hoarded or limited.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbשָׁמַע The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Job 15:8

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Job's Discourse on Wisdomgenerated

7Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
8Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
9What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side— men much older than your father.

Job 15:8 presents a challenge to the listener about their understanding of divine wisdom and counsel. Job is emphasizing the importance of recognizing the vastness of God's wisdom and the futility of trying to confine it to one's own perspective. This verse is part of a larger dialogue where Job's friends are attempting to explain suffering and divine justice, and Job is countering their limited views.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 11:6and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.
2Deuteronomy 29:29The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.
3Psalm 25:14The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
4Proverbs 3:32for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.
5Jeremiah 23:18But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and obeyed it?

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 14 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

thou restrainJob 12:2 Job 13:5–6

The Key Word הַבְס֣וֹד, hav.Sodgenerated

The word סוֹד (sod) refers to a council or assembly, often implying intimacy and close deliberation among its members. It encompasses meanings such as secret counsel and familiar conversation, particularly in the context of discussions among friends or with God. This word is built from a root meaning 'to consult', highlighting the significance of shared deliberation.

In this verse, Job uses הַבְס֣וֹד to question whether the listener has access to or understands God's intimate counsel. It invites reflection on the nature of divine wisdom and the limitations of human understanding.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verbs תִּשְׁמָ֑ע (do you listen) and תִגְרַ֖ע (and you may restrain) govern the clauses, with a prepositional phrase and a noun phrase providing context. The structure emphasizes the questioning nature of Job's address.

The sentence is composed of two main clauses linked by a conjunction, creating a parallelism that underscores the challenge posed to the listener regarding their understanding of wisdom.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הַבְס֣וֹד as , which implies a direct engagement with the concept of counsel. This choice reflects a narrowing of the term's meaning, focusing on the act of listening to divine counsel rather than the broader implications of intimate conversation.

The translation of אֱל֣וֹהַ as κυρίου emphasizes the authority and lordship of God, aligning with the Hebrew understanding of Eloah as the one true God.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 15:8 questions whether one can truly listen to God's counsel or if they limit wisdom to their own understanding. Job emphasizes the importance of recognizing the vastness of divine wisdom, which cannot be confined to human perspective.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by 'the council of God'?

Job is referring to the intimate discussions or decisions made by God, emphasizing that they are beyond human comprehension.

Why does Job ask if one can limit wisdom to themselves?

Job challenges the listener's arrogance in thinking they can confine divine wisdom to their own understanding.

How does this verse relate to the overall theme of Job?

This verse highlights the tension between human understanding and divine wisdom, a central theme in the Book of Job.

What can we learn about wisdom from this verse?

Wisdom is portrayed as something that cannot be diminished or limited by human perspective, and it invites humility in seeking understanding.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I try to limit God's wisdom in my own understanding?
  2. How can I be more attentive to God's counsel in my life?
  3. What does it mean to truly listen to God's voice?
  4. How can I seek wisdom beyond my own perspective?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 15:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Hast thou heard the secret of God?.... Or, "in the secret of God" (a), in his cabinet council, what was said and done there? hast thou stood in the council of God?

Read John Gill on Job 15 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 15 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Hath God acquainted thee with all his secret counsels, whereby he governs the world, that thou dost pass so bold a censure upon all his designs and actions? Art thou the only wise man in the world, and we and all others but fools?

Read Matthew Poole on Job 15 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 15:8 Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?Ver. 8. Hast thou heard the secret of God?] Thus he goes on to jeer Job, and to accuse him of insolent arrogance, as if he had taken himself to be of God’ s cabinet council, and so to have known more of his mind than any other. Now this never came into Job’ s heart; but these hot spirited people, Biliosi et bellicosi, when their choler is once up, will not stick to say anything against another whom they desire to gall, and to make the worst of his words, when as themselves cannot take a reproof, though never so just. And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?] Hast thou engrossed all the wisdom in the world?…

Read John Trapp on Job 15 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 8. Hast thou heard the secret of God?] "Hast thou hearkened in God's council?" Wert thou one of the celestial cabinet, when God said, Let US make man in OUR image, and in OUR likeness? Dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?] Dost thou wish us to understand that God's counsels were revealed to none but thyself? And dost thou desire that we should give implicit credence to whatsoever thou art pleased to speak? These are all strong sarcastic questions, and apparently uttered with great contempt.

Read AdamClarke on Job 15 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. Hast thou heard the secret] Rather, didst thou listen in the council of God? Cf. Jeremiah 23:22, Psalms 89:7 (assembly = council). dost thou restrain the wisdom] Rather, didst thou draw wisdom to thyself? i. e. appropriate or absorb wisdom. The “wisdom” here is the highest, divine wisdom. The question put is, whether Job was a a member of the Divine council, so as to have full knowledge of the mysteries of God? The Mohammedan conception of evil spirits (satans) listening and overhearing the Divine secrets is quite different from the idea here. Such spirits have no access to heaven, and seek only to filch fragments of God’s counsels. The shooting stars are bolts which God hurls at these…

Read Cambridge on Job 15 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hast thou heard the secret of God? - literally, “in the secret of God hast thou heard” - הסוד hasôd.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 15 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

8. Hast thou heard — Literally, Hast thou heartened in the council of God.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 15 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?

NETBNew English Translation2006

Do you listen in on God’s secret council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou limit wisdom to thyself?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Hast thou heard the secret counsell of God, and doest thou restraine wisedome to thee?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Hast thou listened in the secret council of God? And hast thou absorbed wisdom for thyself?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Hast thou listened to the secret counsel of God? and is wisdom therefore of little esteem with thee?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Have you heard the secret knowledge of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Hast thou heard God’s counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Were you there listening in God's council? Does wisdom only belong to you?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseהַinclauseclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְthenoun phraseס֣וֹדcouncil?אֱל֣וֹהַof.Godverbתִּשְׁמָ֑עdo.you.listenוְandclauseverbתִגְרַ֖עdo.you.restrain?prepositional phrase · prepositionalאֵלֶ֣יtoךָyourselfobjectחָכְמָֽהwisdom

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text reads הַבְס֣וֹד אֱל֣וֹהַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃, while the Septuagint matches five of the six words but presents them in a different order. This indicates a strong agreement between the two texts, with minor variations in phrasing.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

הַבְס֣וֹד אֱל֣וֹהַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הַבְס֣וֹדאֱל֣וֹהַκυρίουתִּשְׁמָ֑עἀκήκοαςוְתִגְרַ֖עἀφίκετοחָכְמָֽה׃σοφία

5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Job 15:8סוֹד¿ in [the] ¿ in [the] counסוֹדאֱלֹהַּGodGodאֱלֹהַּשָׁמַעdo you listdo you listenשָׁמַעגָּרַעand you mayand you may resגָּרַעאֶלto yourselfto yourselfאֶלחָכְמָהwisdomwisdomחָכְמָהיָסַדto foundto foundיָסַדאֵלgodgodאֵלחָכַםbe wisebe wiseחָכַםרָכִילslanderslanderרָכִיליָעַץto adviseto adviseיָעַץשַׁדַּיAlmightyAlmightyשַׁדַּירֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַקוֹלvoice: souvoice: soundקוֹלקָשַׁבto listento listenקָשַׁבקָרְחָהbald spotbald spotקָרְחָהזָקָןbeardbeardזָקָןפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫התְּבוּנָהunderstandunderstandingתְּבוּנָהדַּ֫עַתknowledgeknowledgeדַּ֫עַת
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Job 15:8

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

¿ in [the] council of God do you listen and you may restrain? to yourself wisdom
הַבְס֣וֹדhav.Sod ¿ in [the] council of H5475 Particle · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a council or gathering of people for discussion, and can also mean a secret or intimate conversation with God.
Amplified meaning
secret meeting, intimate conversation
Tyndale gloss
counsel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סוֹד (sod) refers to a council or assembly, often implying intimacy and close deliberation among its members. It encompasses meanings such as secret counsel and familiar conversation, particularly in the context of discussions among friends or with God. The term is derived from a root meaning 'to consult' and highlights the importance of shared deliberation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סוֹד n.[m.] council, counsel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5475 סוֹד council, counsel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5475 cowd sode

from 3245; a session, i.e. company of persons (in close

deliberation); by implication, intimacy, consultation, a

secret:--assembly, consel, inward, secret (counsel).

see HEBREW for 03245

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סוֹד (sod) — counsel.

1) council, counsel, assembly

1a) council (of familiar conversation)

1a1) divan, circle (of familiar friends)

1a2) assembly, company

1b) counsel

1b1) counsel (itself)

1b2) secret counsel

1b3) familiar converse, intimacy (with God)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | Prep | N-ms — Particle · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HTi/R/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

¿ in [the] council of God do you listen and you may restrain? to yourself wisdom
אֱל֣וֹהַ'e.Lo.ha God H433 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
57× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Eloah refers to God or a deity, and is used to describe the one true God or false gods. It is often translated as God in the KJV, and is related to the word Elohim, which also refers to God.
Amplified meaning
Eloah, the one true God
Tyndale gloss
god
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֱלֹהַּ (*'elowahh*) refers to a deity or the Deity, translating to 'God' or 'god.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to be strong' and can also denote a false god. The term appears in various contexts, including ancient poetry and references to heathen gods.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱלֹהַּ 67; elsewhere אֱלוֹהַּ n.m. god, God

a heathen god, late usage

God, used in ancient poems

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H433 אֱלֹהַּ; elsewhere אֱלוֹהַּ god, God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

433 'elowahh el-o'-ah; rarely (shortened) >eloahh {el-o'-ah

probably prolonged (emphat.) from 410; a deity or the

Deity:--God, god. See 430.

see HEBREW for 0410

see HEBREW for 0430

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱלֹהַּ (e.lo.ah) — god.

1) God

2) false god

Aramaic equivalent: e.lah (אֱלָהּ "god" H0426)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

god ('Elohim, 'El, [`Elyon], Shadday, Yahweh; Theos):

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL IDEA

1. The Idea in Experience and in Thought

2. Definition of the Idea

3. The Knowledge of God

4. Ethnic Ideas of God

(1) Animism

(2) Fetishism

(3) Idolatry

(4) Polytheism

(5) Henotheism

(6) Pantheism

(7) Deism

(8) Semitic Monolatry

(9) Monotheism

II. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. The Course of Its Development

2. Forms of Its Manifestation

(1) The Face or Countenance of God

(2) The Voice and Word of God

(3) The Glory of God

(4) The Angel of God

(5) The Spirit of God

(6) The Name of God

(7) Occasional Forms

3. The Names of God

(1) Generic

(2) Attributive

(3) Yahweh

4. Pre-prophetic Conceptions of God

(1) Yahweh Alone Is the God of Israel

(a) His Early Worship

(b) Popular Religion

(c) Polytheistic Tendencies

(i) Coordination

(ii) Assimilation

(iii) Disintegration

(d) No Hebrew Goddesses

(e) Human Sacrifices

Easton's Bible Dictionary

God

(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ’El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ’Eloah_, plural _’Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “LORD,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).

The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:

(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and JEHOVAH, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength , as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect , and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name, the derivation of which is uncertain, we give to that eternal, infinite, perfect, and incomprehensible Being, the Creator of all things, who preserves and governs all by his almighty power and wisdom, and is the only proper object of worship. The proper Hebrew name for God is JEHOVAH, which signifies He is. But the Jews, from a feeling of reverence, avoid pronouncing this name, substituting for it, wherever it occurs in the sacred test, the word ADONAI, Lord; except in the expression, ADONAI JEHOVAH, Lord Jehovah, for which they put, ADONAI ELOHIM, Lord God. This usage, which is not without an element of superstition, is very ancient, dating its origin some centuries before Christ; but there is no good ground for assuming its existence in the days of the inspired Old Testament writers. The proper word for God is ELOHIM, which is plural in its form, being thus used to signify…

¿ in [the] council of God do you listen and you may restrain? to yourself wisdom
תִּשְׁמָ֑עtish.Ma' do you listen H8085 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
1,160× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To hear and listen is what this Hebrew word means, often implying attention and obedience. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, it is used when God speaks to the people, and they must listen and obey.
Amplified meaning
hear and obey, pay attention to
Tyndale gloss
to hear: hear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear

Qal 1052

subj. pers. hum.

י׳ (God) subj.

Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound

be heard of

be regarded, obeyed

= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.

Pi. he caused the people to hear

Hiph. 63

of man

י׳ subj.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8085 שָׁמַע hear

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8085 shama` shaw-mah'

a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with

implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to

tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X

carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,

declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make

to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)

obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,

regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,

understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.

: hear

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to

1a5) to understand (language)

1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)

1a7) to listen, give heed

1a7a) to consent, agree

1a7b) to grant request

1a8) to listen to, yield to

1a9) to obey, be obedient

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)

1b2) to be heard of

1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed

1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound

1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)

1d3) to make proclamation, summon

1d4) to cause to be heard

n m

2) sound

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.

: obey

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
¿ in [the] council of God do you listen and you may restrain? to yourself wisdom
וְתִגְרַ֖עve.tig.Ra' and you may restrain? H1639 Conjunction · verb qal second person masculine singular
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To diminish or reduce something means to make it smaller, like in the book of Genesis. This word can also mean to shave, remove, or withhold something. The KJV Bible translates it as diminish or restrain.
Amplified meaning
diminish, restrain
Tyndale gloss
to dimish
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גָּרַע (gara) is a primitive root meaning to diminish or withdraw. It covers a range of actions including to scrape off, restrain, and keep back. The verb appears in various forms, indicating different nuances such as being withdrawn or restrained. The entries consistently emphasize its implications of reduction or removal.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[גָּרַע] vb. diminish, restrain, withdraw

Qal

diminish

restrain

withdraw

Niph.

be withdrawn

be restrained

Pi. withdraw = draw up

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1639 גָּרַע diminish, restrain, withdraw

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1639 gara` gaw-rah'

a primitive root; to scrape off; by implication, to shave,

remove, lessen, withhold:--abate, clip, (di-)minish, do (take)

away, keep back, restrain, make small, withdraw.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּרַע (ga.ra) — to dimish.

1) to diminish, restrain, withdraw, abate, keep back, do away, take from, clip

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to diminish

1a2) to restrain

1a3) to withdraw

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be withdrawn

1b2) to be restrained

1c) (Piel) to withdraw, draw up

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Conjunction · verb qal second person masculine singular
HC/Vqu2ms
¿ in [the] council of God do you listen and you may restrain? to yourself wisdom
אֵלֶ֣יךָ'e.Lei.kha to yourself H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Amplified meaning
toward yourself, in your own understanding
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2ms
¿ in [the] council of God do you listen and you may restrain? to yourself wisdom
חָכְמָֽה׃chokh.mah wisdom H2451 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
153× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Wisdom refers to skill, prudence, or good judgment in areas like war, administration, or religion, as seen in the book of Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
skill, prudence, or good judgment
Tyndale gloss
wisdom
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָכְמָה (chokmah) means wisdom and encompasses various forms of skill, including in war and administration, as well as shrewdness and ethical prudence. It is built from the root word for wisdom, חָכַם (chakam). The term appears in contexts related to both practical and religious matters.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָכְמָה n.f. wisdom

skill in war

wisdom, in administration

shrewdness, wisdom

wisdom, prudence in religious affairs

wisdom, ethical and religious

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2451 חָכְמָה wisdom . skill in war

. wisdom, in administration

. shrewdness, wisdom

. wisdom, prudence in religious affairs

. wisdom, ethical and religious

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2451 chokmah khok-maw'

from 2449; wisdom (in a good sense):--skilful, wisdom,

wisely, wit.

see HEBREW for 02449

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חׇכְמָה (chokh.mah) — wisdom.

1) wisdom

1a) skill (in war)

1b) wisdom (in administration)

1c) shrewdness, wisdom

1d) wisdom, prudence (in religious affairs)

1e) wisdom (ethical and religious)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wiz'-dum:

1. Linguistic

2. History

3. Religious Basis

4. Ideals

5. Teaching of Christ

6. Remainder of the New Testament

(1) James

(2) Paul

7. Hypostasis

LITERATURE

1. Linguistic:

In the Revised Version (British and American) the noun "wisdom" and its corresponding adjective and verb ("be wise," "act wisely," etc.) represent a variety of Hebrew words: bin (binah, and in the English Revised Version tebunah), sakhal (sekhel, sekhel), lebh (and in the English Revised Version labhabh), tushiyah (and in the English Revised Version Te`em, `ormah, piqqach. None of these, however, is of very frequent occurrence and by far the most common group is the verb chakham, with the adjective chakham, and the nouns chokhmah, chokhmoth, with something over 300 occurrences in the Old Testament (of which rather more than half are in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes). Cokhmah, accordingly, may be treated as the Hebrew…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of Joseph Ge 41:16,25-39; Ac 7:10

→ Of Moses Ac 7:22

→ Of Bezaleel Ex 31:3-5; 35:31-35; 36:1

→ Of Aholiab Ex 31:6; 35:34,35; 36:1

→ Of other skilled artisans Ex 36:2

→ Of women Ex 35:26

→ Of Hiram 1Ki 7:14; 2Ch 2:14

→ Of Solomon 1Ki 3:12,16-28; 4:29-34; 5:12; 10:24

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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