What does עׇרְמָה (ormah) mean in the Bible?
עׇרְמָה (ormah): Shrewdness that pivots between cunning deception and prudent wisdom depending on moral context and intent.
Hebrew · H6195
עׇרְמָה
Trickery ; or (in a good sense) discretion
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עׇרְמָהH6195
Pronunciationormah
What does עׇרְמָה (ormah) mean in the Bible?
עׇרְמָה (ormah): Shrewdness that pivots between cunning deception and prudent wisdom depending on moral context and intent.
Full entry for עׇרְמָה (H6195) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6195?
The BSB source-word alignment has 5 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (1), prudence (1), schemes (1), to be shrewd (1), with prudence (1).
Where does עׇרְמָה (ormah) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 21:14. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (3), Exodus (1), Joshua (1).
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. . .1×Joshua 9:4
prudence1×Proverbs 1:4
schemes1×Exodus 21:14
to be shrewd1×Proverbs 8:5
with prudence1×Proverbs 8:12
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 21:14בְעָרְמָ֑הtoschemesPreposition-b | Noun - feminine singularJoshua 9:4בְּעָרְמָ֔הto. . .Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singularProverbs 1:4עָרְמָ֑הtoprudenceNoun - feminine singularProverbs 8:5עָרְמָ֑הtoto be shrewdNoun - feminine singularProverbs 8:12עָרְמָ֑הtowith prudenceNoun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 21:14
Aligned rows5
Books represented3
Exodus1Joshua1Proverbs3
Source forms
עָרְמָ֑ה3x‘ā·rə·māhProverbs 1:4, Proverbs 8:5, Proverbs 8:12
בְעָרְמָ֑ה1xḇə·‘ā·rə·māhExodus 21:14
בְּעָרְמָ֔ה1xbə·‘ā·rə·māhJoshua 9:4
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular3xProverbs 1:4, Proverbs 8:5, Proverbs 8:12
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular2xExodus 21:14, Joshua 9:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Shrewdness that pivots between cunning deception and prudent wisdom depending on moral context and intent.
Source Gloss
trickery ; or (in a good sense) discretion
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Shrewdness that pivots between cunning deception and prudent wisdom depending on moral context and intent.
trickery; or (in a good sense) discretion BDB: craftiness Usage: guile, prudence, subtilty, wilily, wisdom.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
shrewd discernment or practical insight
Showing 1 selected witness from 5 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
עׇרְמָה is built from this root:
עֹרֶםH6193
Why This Word Matters
Prudence enables wisdom to navigate complex decisions with discernment.Proverbs 8:12-21
Canonical Themes
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.