Proverbs 20:1 — Word Study
WLCלֵ֣ץ הַ֭יַּין הֹמֶ֣ה שֵׁכָ֑ר וְכָל־ שֹׁ֥גֶה בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א יֶחְכָּֽם׃
BSAWineyayin [a luxurious thing, fermented drink] is a mockerlûwts [scorner, one who ridicules] strong drinkshêkâr [intoxicating liquor] is a brawlerhâmâh [one who is raging, noisy] and whoeverkôl is led astrayshâgâh [deceived, goes astray] is notlôʼ wisechâkam▸ [lacking good judgment, intelligent discernment]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לֵ֣ץ | [is] a mocker | Adj |
| הַ֭יַּין | wine | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| הֹמֶ֣ה | [is] noisy | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| שֵׁכָ֑ר | strong drink | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְכָל־ | and any | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| שֹׁ֥גֶה | [one who] staggers | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| בּ֝֗וֹ | in it | Preposition, suffix |
| לֹ֣א | not | Particle |
| יֶחְכָּֽם׃ | he is wise | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise. |
| KJV | Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. |
| ASV | Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise. |
| YLT | Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise. |
| WEB | Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise. |
| BBE | Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise. |
Where they part company is שֵׁכָר — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by two additional clauses that elaborate on the effects of wine and strong drink.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectשֵׁכָר
verbהָמָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 — Proverbs 20:1
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 — Warnings Against Intoxicationgenerated
Proverbs 20:1 addresses the negative effects of wine and strong drink, presenting them as sources of mockery and strife. The verse emphasizes that those who allow themselves to be misled by these substances lack wisdom. This theme is consistent throughout Proverbs, where wisdom is often contrasted with folly, particularly in relation to behavior influenced by alcohol. The surrounding verses continue to explore themes of conflict and the consequences of irresponsible behavior.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 23:29–35 | Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes? |
| 2 | Proverbs 31:4 | It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, |
| 3 | Genesis 9:21–23 | But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent. |
| 4 | Genesis 19:31–36 | One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us, as is the custom over all the earth. |
| 5 | 1 Samuel 25:36–38 | When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 15 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — לֵץ, letzgenerated
The word לֵץ (letz) is an adjective describing someone who mocks or scorns others, often through ridicule. It implies a sense of arrogance or boastfulness, indicating that the person lacks respect for others.
In this verse, it characterizes wine as a mocker, suggesting that indulgence in wine leads to a scornful attitude and foolish behavior. The passive construction indicates that wine itself has the inherent quality of mocking those who partake in it.
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 main finite verb is יֶחְכָּֽם, he is wise, which governs the entire statement. The structure comprises a series of clauses that describe the characteristics of wine and strong drink, leading to the conclusion about wisdom.
The opening clause introduces the subject הַ֭יַּין (Hai.yain) and שֵׁכָ֑ר (she.Khar), establishing them as the focus of the verse. The subsequent clauses elaborate on their effects, culminating in the statement about wisdom.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates לֵץ as ἀκόλαστον, indicating a moral recklessness associated with wine. This choice emphasizes the negative consequences of indulgence.
The Greek word οἶνος corresponds to יַיִן, maintaining the focus on wine as a source of folly, consistent with the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 20:1 warns that wine leads to mockery and strong drink leads to conflict. Those who are misled by these drinks are not wise. The verse emphasizes the importance of discernment and the dangers of intoxication.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It suggests that wine can lead people to behave foolishly and scornfully, resulting in negative consequences.
Strong drink can incite anger and brawling, leading to disputes and strife among people.
Being led astray indicates a lack of wisdom and good judgment, which can result in poor choices and actions.
Wisdom is essential for making sound decisions and avoiding the pitfalls associated with indulgence in alcohol.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen alcohol influence behavior negatively in my life or the lives of others?
- How can I cultivate wisdom in my choices regarding substances like wine and strong drink?
- What steps can I take to avoid being led astray by peer pressure or social norms related to drinking?
- How can I encourage others to seek wisdom and discernment in their choices?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early church fathers referenced this verse to discuss the moral implications of wine and strong drink. Their quotations illustrate the dangers of indulgence and the importance of moderation.
As it is said, “The priest and the prophet were deranged by wine.” “Wine is licentious, drunkenness is bold. The person who indulges in them will not be exempt from sin.” Wine is a good thing if you drink it with moderation.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 20 →
Those who eat the heavenly bread become heavenly without doubt! Wine teaches us in that it makes those who are familiar with it like itself: for it hates those who are fond of it and is intoxicating and maddening and a mocker of them.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 20 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 20:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging,.... Wine deceives a man; it not only overcomes him before he is aware, but it promises him a pleasure which it does not give; but, on the contrary,
Read John Gill on Proverbs 20 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Wine is a mocker. Wine makes those who drink it mockers of God and of men.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 20 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleCHAPTER 20 Wine is a mocker; wine immoderately drunk makes men mockers or scoffers at God and men. Compare . Strong drink is raging; makes men full of rage and passion. Is not wise; is a fool, or a madman, because he depriveth himself of the use of his reason.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 20 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 20:1 Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.Ver. 1. Wine is a mocker, &c.] For, first, it mocks the drunkard, and makes a fool of him, promising him pleasure, but paying him with the stinging of an adder, and biting of a cockatrice, Proverbs 23:32. Wine is a comfortable creature, one of the chief lenitives of human miseries, as Plato calls it; but "excess of wine" is, as one well saith, Blandus daemon, dulce venenum, suave Teccatum; quam qui in se habet, se non habet; quam qui facit, non facit peccatum, sed totus est peccatum. That is, a fair spoken devil, a sweet poison, a sin which he that hath in him, hath not himself, and…
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 20 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXX. (1) Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging—i.e., producing these effects in those who subject themselves to their power.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 20 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleCHAPTER XX Against wine and strong drink. We should avoid contentions. The sluggard. The righteous man. Weights and measures. Tale-bearers. The wicked son. The wise king. The glory of young men. The beauty of old men. The benefit of correction. NOTES ON CHAP. XX Verse 1. Wine is a mocker] It deceives by its fragrance, intoxicates by its strength, and renders the intoxicated ridiculous. Strong drink] שכר shechar, any strong fermented liquor, whether of the vine, date, or palm species.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 20 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1. a mocker] Rather a scorner, Proverbs 1:22, note. raging] Rather, a brawler, R.V. In each case the thing is personified in its victim. The drunkard in his cups becomes impious towards God and quarrelsome towards his neighbour. is deceived] erreth, R.V., reeleth, R.V. marg.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 20 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible“Wine” and “strong drink” are personified as themselves doing what they make men do. The latter (see Leviticus 10:9 note) is here, probably, the “palm-wine” of Syria.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 20 →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
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler; whoever goes astray by them is not wise.
Tyndale line
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whosoever erreth thereby is not wise.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whoever is deceived by it is not wise.
Wine is a mocker and strong drinke is raging: and whosoeuer is deceiued thereby, is not wise.
Strictly literal
Wine is a scorner, strong drink is raging; and whoso erreth thereby is not wise.
Wine [is] a scorner — strong drink [is] noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
Wine [is] a scorner—strong drink [is] noisy, || And any going astray in it is not wise.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is noisy; and whosoever indulgeth therein will never be wise.
Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler; whoever is led astray by drink is not wise.
From the Latin
Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith shell not be wise.
Simplified
Wine turns you into a mocker, alcohol makes you aggressive; you're stupid to be deceived by drink.
Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise.
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Proverbs 20:1 states that "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise." The Septuagint, while it matches 7 of the 9 words from the Masoretic Text, presents a different word order and structure, which indicates a variation in translation rather than a direct agreement. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide additional information for this verse, so we cannot confirm their alignment or differences with the Masoretic Text.
לֵ֣ץ הַ֭יַּין הֹמֶ֣ה שֵׁכָ֑ר וְכָל־ שֹׁ֥גֶה בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א יֶחְכָּֽם׃
7 of the 9 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.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 20:1
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.
לִיץ (luwts) means to scorn or mock, with various forms indicating actions like deriding or acting as a scorner. It can also refer to interpreting language or serving as an ambassador. The entries highlight its use in different contexts, including boasting and showing arrogance.
[לִיץ] vb. scorn
Qal scorn
Hiph.
deride
Pt. interpreter
Po‛lel scorners
Hithp. act as a scorner, shew oneself a mocker
base
H3887 [לִיץ] scorn .scorn
. . deride
. Pt. interpreter
.scorners
. act as a scorner, shew oneself a mocker
3887 luwts loots
a primitive root; properly, to make mouths at, i.e. to scoff;
hence (from the effort to pronounce a foreign language) to
interpret, or (generally) intercede:--ambassador, have in
derision, interpreter, make a mock, mocker, scorn(-er, -ful),
teacher.
לִיץ (luts) — to mock.
1) to scorn, make mouths at, talk arrogantly
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to boast
1a2) to scorn
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to mock, deride
1b2) to interpret (language)
1b2a) interpreter (participle)
1b2b) ambassador (fig.)
1c) (Hithpalpel) to be inflated, scoff, act as a scorner, show oneself a mocker
Also means: la.tsats (לָצַץ "to scorn" H3945)
Adj — AdjHAamsa
יַ֫יִן (yayin) means 'wine' and is associated with fermentation and intoxication. It appears in various contexts, including banqueting. The word is derived from an unused root that suggests the idea of effervescence.
יַ֫יִן 141 n.m. wine
base
H3196 יַ֫יִן wine
3196 yayin yah'-yin
from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as
fermented); by implication, intoxication:--banqueting, wine,
wine(-bibber).
יַ֫יִן (ya.yin) — wine.
wine
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
Wine
The common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a root meaning “to boil up,” “to be in a ferment.” Others derive it from a root meaning “to tread out,” and hence the juice of the grape trodden out. The Greek word for wine is oinos_, and the Latin _vinun. But besides this common Hebrew word, there are several others which are thus rendered.
(1.) Ashishah (2 Sam. 6:19; 1 Chr. 16:3; Cant. 2:5; Hos. 3:1), which, however, rather denotes a solid cake of pressed grapes, or, as in the Revised Version, a cake of raisins.
(2.) ‘Asis, “sweet wine,” or “new wine,” the product of the same year (Cant. 8:2;
The manufacture of wine is carried back in the Bible to the age of Noah, (Genesis 9:20,21) to whom the discovery of the process is apparently, though not explicitly, attributed. The natural history and culture of the vine are described under a separate head. [VINE] The only other plant whose fruit is noticed as having been converted into wine was the pomegranate. (Solomon 8:2) In Palestine the vintage takes place in September, and is celebrated with great rejoicing. The ripe fruit was gathered in baskets, (Jeremiah 6:9) as represented in Egyptian paintings, and was carried to the wine-press. It was then placed in the upper one of the two vats or receptacles of which the winepress was formed, and was subjected to the process of "treading," which has prevailed in all ages in Oriental…
The vine being natural to the soil of Canaan and its vicinity, wine was much used as a beverage, especially at festivals, Es 1:7 5:6 Da 5:1-4 Joh 2:3. As one of the staple products of the Holy Land, it was employed for drink-offerings in the temple service, Ex 20:26 Nu 15:4-10; it was included among the "first-fruits," De 18:4, and was used in the celebration of the Passover, and subsequently of the Lord’s supper, Mt 26:27-29. Together with corn and oil it denoted all temporal supplies,
הָמָה (hamah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to murmur, growl, or roar, and it conveys a sense of loudness or tumult. It can refer to various forms of noise and commotion, including being boisterous or troubled. The entries suggest a range of meanings from making noise to being in a state of uproar, with some nuances in emotional expression, such as mourning or prayer.
[הָמָה] vb. murmur, growl, roar, be boisterous
Qal
growl like a dog
murmur, fig. of soul in discouragement
roar, of waves
be in commotion, stir
be boisterous, turbulent
base
H1993 [הָמָה] murmur, growl, roar, be boisterous
1993 hamah haw-maw'
a primitive root (compare 1949); to make a loud sound like
Engl. "hum"); by implication, to be in great commotion or
tumult, to rage, war, moan, clamor:--clamorous, concourse, cry
aloud, be disquieted, loud, mourn, be moved, make a noise,
rage, roar, sound, be troubled, make in tumult, tumultuous, be
in an uproar.
see HEBREW for 01949
הָמָה (ha.mah) — to roar.
1) to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to growl
1a2) to murmur (fig. of a soul in prayer)
1a3) to roar
1a4) to be in a stir, be in a commotion
1a5) to be boisterous, be turbulent
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
שֵׁכָר (shekar) refers to an intoxicating or strong drink, often associated with alcoholic beverages. It is derived from a root meaning to be drunk and encompasses intensely alcoholic liquor. The term appears in contexts discussing strong drink and drunkenness.
שֵׁכָר n.[m.] intoxicating drink, strong drink
base
H7941 שֵׁכָר intoxicating dring, strong drink
7941 shekar shay-kawr'
from 7937; an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic
liquor:--strong drink, + drunkard, strong wine.
see HEBREW for 07937
שֵׁכָר (she.khar) — strong drink.
strong drink, intoxicating drink, fermented or intoxicating liquor
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
See WINE.
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
שָׁגָה (shagah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to stray or err, often in a moral or mental sense. It can refer to wandering off course, committing sins of ignorance, or leading others astray. The entries highlight its use in both a literal and figurative context, including the idea of intoxication or being enraptured.
[שָׁגָה] vb. go astray, err
Qal
err, stray, of flock
swerve, meander, reel or roll
go astray
specif. commit sin of ignorance, inadvertence
Hiph. lead astray
lit.
mentally = mislead
morally
base
H7686 [שָׁגָה] go astray, err .. err, stray, of flock
. swerve, meander, reel or roll
. go astray
. specif. commit sin of ignorance, inadvertence
. lead astray . lit.
. mentally = mislead
. morally
7686 shagah shaw-gaw'
a primitive root; to stray (causatively, mislead), usually
(figuratively) to mistake, especially (morally) to transgress;
by extension (through the idea of intoxication) to reel,
(figuratively) be enraptured:--(cause to) go astray, deceive,
err, be ravished, sin through ignorance, (let, make to)
wander.
שָׁגָה (sha.gah) — to wander.
1) to go astray, stray, err
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to err, stray
1a2) to swerve, meander, reel, roll, be intoxicated, err (in drunkenness)
1a3) to go astray (morally)
1a4) to commit sin of ignorance or inadvertence, err (ignorantly)
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to lead astray
1b2) to lead astray, mislead (mentally)
1b3) to lead astray (morally)
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Part — ParticleHTn
חָכַם (chakam) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be wise or to act wisely. It encompasses various forms, including teaching wisdom and showing oneself wise. The entries highlight its use in different contexts, such as making others wise or dealing shrewdly. There are no noted disagreements among the lexicons.
חָכַם vb. be wise
Qal be or become wise, act wisely
Pi. make wise, teach wisdom
Pu. made wise, intensive, as it were the embodiment of wisdom
Hiph. making wise the simple
Hithp. let us deal wisely (shrewdly) toward it (the people); make or shew thyself wise
base
H2449 חָכַם be wise .be or become wise, act wisely
. make wise, teach wisdom
. made wise, intensive, as it were the embodiment of wisdom
. making wise the simple
. let us deal wisely (shrewdly) toward it (the people); make or shew thyself wise
2449 chakam khaw-kam'
a primitive root, to be wise (in mind, word or act):--X
exceeding, teach wisdom, be (make self, shew self) wise, deal
(never so) wisely, make wiser.
חָכַם (cha.kham) — be wise.
1) to be wise
1a) (Qal) to be or become wise, act wisely
1b) (Piel) to make wise, teach wisdom, instruct
1c) (Pual) to be made wise
1d) (Hiphil) to make wise
1e) (Hithpael) to show oneself wise, deceive, show one's wisdom
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
