What does חָכַם mean in the Bible?
חָכַם is a Hebrew word meaning "to be wise (in mind, word or act)".
Hebrew · H2449
חָכַם
To be wise (in mind, word or act)
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חָכַם H2449
What does חָכַם mean in the Bible?
חָכַם is a Hebrew word meaning "to be wise (in mind, word or act)".
Full entry for חָכַם (H2449) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2449?
The BSB source-word alignment has 27 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and be wise (2), wise (2), you are wise (2), and become wise (1), and he will be wiser (1).
Where does חָכַם appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 1:10. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (13), Ecclesiastes (4), Psalms (4), Job (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and be wise 2× Proverbs 8:33, Proverbs 23:19
wise 2× Proverbs 20:1, Ecclesiastes 7:16
you are wise 2× Proverbs 9:12
and become wise 1× Proverbs 6:6
and he will be wiser 1× Proverbs 9:9
and makes us wiser 1× Job 35:11
and teach 1× Psalms 105:22
are exceedingly 1× Proverbs 30:24
Be wise 1× Proverbs 27:11
by being wise 1× Ecclesiastes 2:15
gain wisdom 1× Proverbs 21:11
He was wiser 1× 1 Kings 4:31
is wise 1× Proverbs 23:15
let us deal shrewdly 1× Exodus 1:10
make me wiser 1× Psalms 119:98
making wise 1× Psalms 19:7
shrewd 1× Zechariah 9:2
skillfully 1× Ecclesiastes 2:19
they were wise 1× Deuteronomy 32:29
to be wise 1× Ecclesiastes 7:23
who are wise 1× Job 32:9
who skillfully 1× Psalms 58:5
will become wise 1× Proverbs 13:20
you may be wise 1× Proverbs 19:20
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 1:10 נִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖ה to let us deal shrewdly Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural Deuteronomy 32:29 חָכְמ֖וּ to they were wise Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 1 Kings 4:31 וַיֶּחְכַּם֮ to He was wiser Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Job 32:9 יֶחְכָּ֑מוּ to who are wise Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Job 35:11 יְחַכְּמֵֽנוּ׃ to and makes us wiser Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural Psalms 19:7 מַחְכִּ֥ימַת to making wise Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular construct Psalms 58:5 מְחֻכָּֽם׃ to who skillfully Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular Psalms 105:22 יְחַכֵּֽם׃ to and teach Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 119:98 תְּחַכְּמֵ֣נִי to make me wiser Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | first person common singular Proverbs 6:6 וַחֲכָֽם׃ to and become wise Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 1:10
Aligned rows 27
Books represented 8
Exodus 1 Deuteronomy 1 1 Kings 1 Job 2 Psalms 4 Proverbs 13 Ecclesiastes 4 Zechariah 1
Source forms
אֶחְכָּ֔מָה 1x ’eḥ·kā·māh Ecclesiastes 7:23
וַחֲכָם 1x wa·ḥă·ḵå̄m Proverbs 13:20
וַחֲכָ֑ם 1x wa·ḥă·ḵām Proverbs 23:19
וַחֲכָֽם׃ 1x wa·ḥă·ḵām Proverbs 6:6
וַחֲכָ֗מוּ 1x wa·ḥă·ḵā·mū Proverbs 8:33
וַיֶּחְכַּם֮ 1x way·yeḥ·kam 1 Kings 4:31
וְיֶחְכַּם־ 1x wə·yeḥ·kam- Proverbs 9:9
וְשֶׁחָכַ֖מְתִּי 1x wə·še·ḥā·ḵam·tî Ecclesiastes 2:19
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 21:11
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular 2x Proverbs 6:6, Proverbs 23:19
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular 2x Proverbs 9:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Proverbs 9:9
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x 1 Kings 4:31
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 1x Proverbs 8:33
Conjunctive waw, Pr | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 1x Ecclesiastes 2:19
Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular construct 1x Psalms 19:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. to be wise (in mind, word or act)
Source Gloss
to be wise (in mind, word or act)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
to be wise (in mind, word or act) BDB: be wise Usage: × exceeding, teach wisdom, be (make self, shew self) wise, deal (never so) wisely, make wiser.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 19
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 13×
Perfect Prov 9:12 · Deut 32:29 · Eccl 2:15 · Prov 23:15 · Zech 9:2 6×
Imperfect Prov 13:20 · Prov 20:1 · Prov 21:11 · Job 32:9 · Prov 19:20 5×
Cohortative Eccl 7:23 1×
Sequential imperfect Prov 27:11 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 2×
Participle passive Prov 30:24 · Ps 58:6 2×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 2×
Jussive Eccl 7:16 1×
Cohortative Exod 1:10 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Participle active Ps 19:8 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Imperfect Ps 105:22 1×
Word Origins
חָכַם is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain