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Job 21:22 — Word Study

Depth

WLCהַלְאֵ֥ל יְלַמֶּד־ דָּ֑עַת וְ֝ה֗וּא רָמִ֥ים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

BSACan anyone teachlâmad [who is able, has the capacity, instruct, guide] knowledgedaʻath [understanding, wisdom] to Godʼêl [the Almighty, Creator] since Hehûwʼ [who judges righteously] judgesshâphaṭ [vindicates, governs] those on highrûwm [beings, angels, in heavenly places, exalted ones]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 21
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 22 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 (yish.Pot) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 21:22quick helps
In a sentenceJob questions whether anyone can truly teach knowledge to God, who judges the exalted.
Who is speakingJob, expressing his thoughts on divine wisdom and judgment.
Where we areIn a discourse on the nature of God's knowledge and authority.
The hard wordיְלַמֶּד־
Take awayGod's judgment is beyond human understanding or instruction.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהוּא verbלָמַד 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 21:22

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 Reflection on Divine Knowledgegenerated

21For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?
22Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?
23One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.
24His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.

Job 21:22 explores the limits of human understanding in relation to God's omniscience. Job challenges the notion that any being could impart knowledge to the Almighty, emphasizing God's authority over all creation. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job reflects on the fate of the wicked and the justice of God, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 40:2“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”
2Isaiah 40:13–14Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor?
3Isaiah 45:9Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
4Romans 11:34“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”
51 Corinthians 2:16“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

The Key Word יְלַמֶּד־, ye.la.med-generated

The verb יְלַמֶּד־ (*ye.la.med-*) comes from the root לָמַד (*lamad*), meaning 'to learn' or 'to teach'. It indicates an action of imparting knowledge or instruction, suggesting a capacity to guide or inform. The Piel form here emphasizes the act of teaching, rather than merely learning.

In this context, Job uses the verb to question the possibility of teaching God, highlighting the absurdity of such an idea. The verb's implications suggest that teaching requires a level of authority or knowledge that is inherently absent when considering the divine.


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 verb יְלַמֶּד־ governs the main clause, indicating the action of teaching. The structure includes a prepositional phrase that specifies the object of the teaching, followed by a clause that presents God's judgment as a separate but related thought.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the teaching aspect first, which sets the stage for the subsequent assertion about God's authority and judgment over the exalted.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְלַמֶּד־ as διδάσκων, meaning 'teaching'. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but also emphasizes the act of teaching as a formal role, contrasting the divine nature of God who requires no instruction.

The use of πότερον for הַלְאֵ֥ל suggests a questioning of the possibility of teaching God, underscoring the futility of such an endeavor.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 21:22 asks if anyone can teach knowledge to God, emphasizing that God judges those who are exalted. This verse reflects Job's contemplation on the nature of God's wisdom and authority, asserting that human understanding cannot compare to divine knowledge.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by asking if anyone can teach knowledge to God?

Job is emphasizing the impossibility of imparting knowledge to the Almighty, who possesses perfect understanding and authority over all.

Why does Job question the ability to teach God?

Job questions this ability to highlight the vast difference between human knowledge and divine wisdom, suggesting that God's judgments are beyond human comprehension.

What does the term 'exalted ones' refer to in this verse?

The term refers to beings or angels in heavenly places, emphasizing God's authority over all creation, including those who are high and mighty.

How does this verse relate to the themes of justice in the Book of Job?

This verse reflects Job's struggle with understanding God's justice, particularly in the context of the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I sometimes try to understand or question God's knowledge and judgment?
  2. How can I recognize the limits of my own understanding compared to God's wisdom?
  3. What does it mean for me to trust in God's judgment over my own perceptions?
  4. How can I apply the lesson of humility in my own life when considering divine knowledge?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The early Church Fathers referenced Job's reflections on divine knowledge to discuss God's omniscience and authority, providing insights into the nature of God's judgment.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XV c. 540–604
Ver. 22. Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing that He judgeth those that are high. 61. When in the things, which are done concerning us, we have doubts, we ought to look at others, which are well known to us,
Early Church Fathers on Job 21 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 21:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Shall [any] teach God knowledge?.... Who is a God of knowledge, and knows all things, that teaches men knowledge; will any one take upon him to teach him the path of judgment, and the way of

Read John Gill on Job 21 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high. Reply of Job.-`In all these assertions you try to teach God how He ought to deal with men, rather than prove that He does in fact so deal with them.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 21 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Knowledge, i.e. discretion, or how to govern the world. For so you do, whilst you tell him that he must not sorely afflict the godly, nor give the wicked much and long prosperity here. He judgeth those that are high; either, 1. The highest persons, whether in earth, as the greatest kings; or in heaven, as the angels: he judgeth them, i.e. he exactly knows them, and accordingly gives sentence concerning them, as he sees fit; and therefore it is great folly and presumption in us to direct or correct his judgments. Or, 2. Those things that are high, and deep, and far out of our reach, as God’ s secret counsels and judgments are.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 21 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 21:22 Shall [any] teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.Ver. 22. Shall any teach God knowledge?] None but a presumptuous fool will take upon him to do that. Such as was Alphonso the wise (the fool rather), who feared not to say openly, that if he had been of God’ s counsel at the creation, some things should have been better made and marshalled (Roderic, Sanct. Hist. Hispan, p. 4, ch. 5). The wisest men are benighted in many things; and whatever light they have it is from the Father of lights, whose judgments are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out. What a madness were it therefore for any mortal to prescribe to the Almighty, or to define whom, when, by what…

Read John Trapp on Job 21 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) Shall any teach God knowledge? may be regarded as the hypothetical reply of the antagonist. If the reader prefers to understand these latter verses in any other way, it is open to him to do so, but in our judgment it seems better to understand them thus. The supposed alternative hypothetical argument seems to throw much light upon them.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 21 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 22. Shall any teach God knowledge?] Who among the sons of men can pretend to teach GOD how to govern the world, who himself teaches those that are high-the heavenly inhabitants, that excel us infinitely both in knowledge and wisdom? Neither angels nor men can comprehend the reasons of the Divine providence. It is a depth known only to God.

Read AdamClarke on Job 21 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22–26. By insisting on a doctrine of providence which did not correspond to God’s providence as actually seen in facts, Job’s friends were making themselves wiser than God and becoming His teachers—Will any teach knowledge unto God? Shall we insist on His method of government being what it plainly is not? This is what it is: One man dieth in his full prosperity,—wholly at ease and quiet. Another man dieth in the bitterness of his soul and has not tasted pleasure. They lie down alike in the dust and the worm covers them. Their different fortune is not determined by their different character. The one is not good and the other wicked. But God distributes to them as He chooses.

Read Cambridge on Job 21 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall any teach God knowledge? - This commences the reply of Job to the sentiments of his friends to which he had just adverted.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 21 →

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

Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?

NETBNew English Translation2006

Can anyone teach God knowledge, since he judges those that are on high?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Shall any teach God knowledge, Seeing he judgeth those that are high?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Shall any teache God knowledge, who iudgeth the highest things?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Can any teach God knowledge? And he it is that judgeth those that are high.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

To God doth [one] teach knowledge, And He the high doth judge?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Does [one] teach knowledge to God, || Since He judges [those] on high?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Is this fitting God, who teacheth knowledge? him who judgeth those that are highest?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Can anyone teach God knowledge since he judges even those who are high?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Shall any one teach God knowledge, who judgeth those that are high?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Can anyone teach God anything he doesn't already know, since he is the one who judges even heavenly beings?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high.

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.

clauseהַ?clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoאֵ֥לGodverbיְלַמֶּדwill.anyone.teachobjectדָּ֑עַתknowledgeוְ֝andclausesubjectה֗וּאheobjectרָמִ֥יםexalted.[ones]verbיִשְׁפּֽוֹטhe.judges

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in their rendering of the verse, with all words matched in the Hebrew and Greek translations. This consistency highlights the shared understanding of Job's rhetorical question regarding divine knowledge.

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

הַלְאֵ֥ל יְלַמֶּד־ דָּ֑עַת וְ֝ה֗וּא רָמִ֥ים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הַלְאֵ֥לπότερονיְלַמֶּד־διδάσκωνדָּ֑עַתσύνεσινוְ֝ה֗וּאαὐτὸςרָמִ֥יםφόνουςיִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃διακρινεῖ

6 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 21:22אֵל¿ to God¿ to Godאֵללָמַדwill anyonewill anyone teaלָמַדדַּ֫עַתknowledgeknowledgeדַּ֫עַתהוּאand heand heהוּארוּםexalted [onexalted [ones]רוּםשָׁפַטhe judgeshe judgesשָׁפַטאַ֫יִלramramאַ֫יִליָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעקַנָּאjealousjealousקַנָּאשַׁדַּיAlmightyAlmightyשַׁדַּיחֹקstatute: dstatute: decreeחֹקבְּלִיwithoutwithoutבְּלִיחָכְמָהwisdomwisdomחָכְמָהטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתתְּרוּמָהcontributicontributionתְּרוּמָהקֶ֫רֶןhornhornקֶ֫רֶןשֹׁטֵרofficialofficialשֹׁטֵרצֶ֫דֶקRighteousnRighteousnessצֶ֫דֶק
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 21:22

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.

¿ to God will anyone teach knowledge and he exalted [ones] he judges
הַלְאֵ֥לhal.'El ¿ to God H410 Particle · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
241× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'el means strength or power, and is often used to refer to God or false gods. It describes something or someone as mighty or powerful, like the Almighty. This concept is central to understanding the Bible's view of God.
Amplified meaning
the Almighty, Creator
Tyndale gloss
god
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֵל (*'el*) primarily means 'god' and conveys the idea of might or strength. It can refer to the one true God of Israel, as well as to other deities, angels, and mighty men. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including nature and power, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵל n.m. god, but with various subordinate applications to express the idea of might

applied to men of might and rank

angels

gods of the nations

Ēl

as characterizing mighty things in nature

God, the one only and true God of Israel

אֵל strength, power

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H410 אֵל god, but with various subordinate applications to express the idea of might . applied to men of might and rank

. angels

. gods of the nations

. Ēl

. as characterizing mighty things in nature

. God, the one only and true God of Israel

. אֵל strength, power

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

410 'el ale

shortened from 352; strength; as adjective, mighty;

especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):--God

(god), X goodly, X great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong.

Compare names in "-el."

see HEBREW for 0352

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵל (el) — God.

This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

אֵל (el) — El (Berith).

This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power

Combined with "Berith" (berith בְּרִית H1286)

אֵל (el) — El (Elohe).

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power

Combined with "God" (elohim אֱלֹהִים H0430)

אֵל (el) — El (Most High).

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

This name means god, god-like one, mighty one, strength, power

Combined with "Most High" (el.yon עֶלְיוֹן H5945B)

אֵל (el) — god.

: god

1) god, god-like one, mighty one

1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes

1b) angels

1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations)

1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah

2) mighty things in nature

3) strength, power

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | Prep | N-ms — Particle · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTi/R/Ncmsa
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…

¿ to God will anyone teach knowledge and he exalted [ones] he judges
יְלַמֶּד־ye.la.med- will anyone teach H3925 Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine singular
86× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To learn or teach in the Bible means to guide someone, like using a rod to direct an animal. It is about instructing or training someone, as seen in Proverbs and Psalms. Teaching is an important theme in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
who is able, has the capacity, instruct, guide
Tyndale gloss
to learn: teach
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לָמַד (lamad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to learn or teach. It encompasses the ideas of exercising in a skill, being trained, and instructing others. The root suggests a connection to motivation or incentive, as seen in the context of teaching with a rod. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal (to learn), Piel (to teach), and Pual (to be taught).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָמַד vb. exercise in, learn

Qal learn something

Piel teach

Pual trained; taught

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3925 לָמַד exercise in, learn .learn something

.teach

.trained; taught

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3925 lamad law-mad'

a primitive root; properly, to goad, i.e. (by implication) to

teach (the rod being an Oriental incentive):(un-) accustomed,

X diligently, expert, instruct, learn, skilful, teach(-er, -

ing).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָמַד (la.mad) — to learn: teach.

: teach

1) to learn. teach, exercise in

1a) (Qal) to learn

1b) (Piel) to teach

1c) (Pual) to be taught, be trained

Also means: la.mad (לָמַד ": learn" H3925H)

לָמַד (la.mad) — to learn: learn.

: learn

1) to learn. teach, exercise in

1a) (Qal) to learn

1b) (Piel) to teach

1c) (Pual) to be taught, be trained

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVpi3ms
¿ to God will anyone teach knowledge and he exalted [ones] he judges
דָּ֑עַתDa.'at knowledge H1847 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
92× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, daath means knowledge or understanding, like when Solomon asked God for wisdom in 1 Kings 3:9. It involves skill and perception, and is often linked to wisdom. This concept appears in the book of Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
understanding, wisdom
Tyndale gloss
knowledge
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דַּ֫עַת (da`ath) means knowledge, encompassing perception, skill, and moral understanding. It is associated with prophetic knowledge and is noted for its divine aspect, particularly in the context of wisdom literature. The entries highlight its use in various forms of knowledge, including discernment and understanding.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דַּ֫עַת n.f. knowledge

knowledge, perception

= skill (in workmanship)

of proph. knowledge

esp. knowledge with moral quality

knowledge possessed by God

esp. in Wisd Lt = discernment, understanding, wisdom

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1847 דַּ֫עַת knowledge . . knowledge, perception

. = skill (in workmanship)

. of proph. knowledge

. esp. knowledge with moral quality

. knowledge possessed by God

. esp. in Wisd Lt = discernment, understanding, wisdom

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1847 da`ath dah'-ath

from 3045; knowledge:--cunning, (ig-)norantly, know(-ledge),

(un-)awares (wittingly).

see HEBREW for 03045

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דַּ֫עַת (da.at) — knowledge.

1) knowledge

1a) knowledge, perception, skill

1b) discernment, understanding, wisdom

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ Of good and evil Ge 2:9,17; 3:22

→ Is power Pr 3:20; 24:5

→ Desire for 1Ki 3:9; Ps 119:66; Pr 2; 3; 12:1; 15:14; 18:15

→ Rejected Ho 4:6

→ Those who reject are destroyed Ho 4:6

→ Fools hate Pr 1:22,29

→ A divine gift 1Co 12:8

→ Is pleasant Pr 2:10

→ Shall be increased Da 12:4

¿ to God will anyone teach knowledge and he exalted [ones] he judges
וְ֝ה֗וּאve.Hu' and he H1931 Conjunction · pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Amplified meaning
who judges righteously
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · pronoun
HC/Pp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
¿ to God will anyone teach knowledge and he exalted [ones] he judges
רָמִ֥יםra.Mim exalted [ones] H7311 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural
190× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb can mean to lift something or someone up, like a parent lifting a child, or to exalt oneself in pride. In the Bible, it's used to describe God lifting up the humble and bringing down the proud.
Amplified meaning
beings, angels, in heavenly places, exalted ones
Tyndale gloss
to exalt
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רוּם (ruwm) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be high or exalted, covering a range of actions such as rising, lifting, and promoting. It can refer to physical elevation, like raising an ark or setting up a throne, as well as figurative exaltation, particularly in relation to God. The word also has a related form, רָמַם (ramam), which means to be wormy.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רוּם vb. be high, exalted, rise

Qal

be high, lit. rock (in fig.)

esp. of י׳

be raised, uplifted

be lifted, rise, of ark

Pō‛lēl

raise, rear, children

cause tree to grow

lift up

exalt, extol, acc. י׳

Pō‛lal be lift up

Hiph.

raise, rear, c. acc., hand

raise poor

lift up voice

(take into one's hand and) lift, take up, stone

set up, erect, stone

set on high, throne

lift up, exalt, c. acc. pers.

lift up and take away, remove

lift off and present, contribute, offer

Hoph. be taken off from; be abolished

Hithpō‛l. and he shall exalt and magnify himself above, etc.; I will raise myself

base

[רָמַם] vb. denom. be wormy;—Ex 16:20

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7311a רוּם be high, exalted, rise .. . be high, lit. rock (in fig.)

. esp. of י׳

. be raised, uplifted

. be lifted, rise, of ark

.. . raise, rear, children

. cause tree to grow

. lift up

. exalt, extol, acc. י׳

.be lift up

. . . . raise, rear, c. acc., hand

. raise poor

. lift up voice

. (take into one's hand and) lift, take up, stone

. set up, erect, stone

. set on high, throne

. lift up, exalt, c. acc. pers.

. lift up and take away, remove

. lift off and present, contribute, offer

. be taken off from; be abolished

. and he shall exalt and magnify himself above, etc.; I will raise myself

H7311b רָמַם vb. denom. be wormy

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7311 ruwm room

a primitive root; to be high actively, to rise or raise (in

various applications, literally or figuratively):--bring up,

exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be,

lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up,

levy, lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, (X a-)loud, mount up, offer

(up), + presumptuously, (be) promote(-ion), proud, set up,

tall(-er), take (away, off, up), breed worms.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רוּם (rum) — to exalt.

1) to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be high, be set on high

1a2) to be raised, be uplifted, be exalted

1a3) to be lifted, rise

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to raise or rear (children), cause to grow up

1b2) to lift up, raise, exalt

1b3) to exalt, extol

1c) (Polal) to be lifted up

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to raise, lift, lift up, take up, set up, erect, exalt, set on high

1d2) to lift up (and take away), remove

1d3) to lift off and present, contribute, offer, contribute

1e) (Hophal) to be taken off, be abolished

1f) (Hithpolel) to exalt oneself, magnify oneself

Aramaic equivalent: rum (רוּם "to rise" H7313)

רָמַם (ra.mam) — be rotten.

(Qal) to be rotten, be wormy

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural
HVqrmpa
¿ to God will anyone teach knowledge and he exalted [ones] he judges
יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃yish.Pot he judges H8199 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
202× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To shaphat means to judge or govern, and can also mean to vindicate or punish. In the Bible, this term is often used to describe God's role as a judge, as well as human judges and rulers.
Amplified meaning
vindicates, governs
Tyndale gloss
to judge
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁפַט (shaphat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to judge or govern. It encompasses a range of actions including pronouncing sentences, executing judgments, and deciding controversies in various contexts such as civil and religious matters. The word can also imply being judged or entering into legal disputes. There is a specific mention of its use in the context of final judgment.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁפַט 185 vb. judge, govern

Qal

act as law-giver, judge, governor

specif. decide controversy, discriminate betw. persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions

execute judgment

Niph.

recipr., enter into controversy, plead

pass. be judged

Pô‛el = my opponent-at-law

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8199 שָׁפַט judge, govern .. act as law-giver, judge, governor

. specif. decide controversy, discriminate betw. persons, in civil, political, domestic and religious questions

. execute judgment

. . recipr., enter into controversy, plead

. pass. be judged

.= my opponent-at-law

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8199 shaphat shaw-fat'

a primitive root; to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence (for or

against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by

extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literally or

figuratively):--+ avenge, X that condemn, contend, defend,

execute (judgment), (be a) judge(-ment), X needs, plead,

reason, rule.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁפַט (sha.phat) — to judge.

1) to judge, govern, vindicate, punish

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to act as law-giver or judge or governor (of God, man)

1a1a) to rule, govern, judge

1a2) to decide controversy (of God, man)

1a3) to execute judgment

1a3a) discriminating (of man)

1a3b) vindicating

1a3c) condemning and punishing

1a3d) at theophanic advent for final judgment

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to enter into controversy, plead, have controversy together

1b2) to be judged

1c) (Poel) judge, opponent-at-law (participle)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

The judges were temporary and special deliverers, sent by God to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors; not supreme magistrates, succeeding to the authority of Moses and Joshua. Their power only extended over portions of the country, and some of them were contemporaneous. Their first work was that of deliverers and leaders in war; they then administered justice to the people, and their authority supplied the want of a regular government. Even while the administration of Samuel gave something like a settled government to the south, there was scope for the irregular exploits of Samson on the borders of the Philistines; and Samuel at last established his authority as judge and prophet, but still as the servant of Jehovah, only to see it so abused by his sons as to exhaust the patience of the people, who at length demanded a king , after the pattern of the surrounding nations. The…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In Hebrew Shophetim, were the rulers, chiefs, or leaders of Israel, from Joshua to Saul. They were very different from the ordinary administrators of justice among the Hebrews, respecting whom, see JUSTICE. The Carthaginians, a colony of the Tyrians, had likewise governors, whom they called Suffetes, or Sophetim, with authority almost equal to that of kings.

The dignity of judge was for life; but the succession was not always constant. There were anarchies, or intervals, during which the commonwealth was without rulers. There were likewise long intervals of foreign servitude and oppression, under which the Hebrews groaned without deliverers. Although God alone regularly appointed the judges, yet the people, on some occasions, chose that individual who appeared to them most proper to deliver them from oppression; and as it often happened that the oppressions which occasioned recourse to…

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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