What does שֶׂכֶל (šekel) mean in the Bible?
שֶׂכֶל (šekel): Intelligence that produces practical success; prudent discretion enabling prosperous outcomes in life and leadership
Hebrew · H7922
שֶׂכֶל
Intelligence ; by implication, success
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שֶׂכֶל H7922
Pronunciation šekel
What does שֶׂכֶל (šekel) mean in the Bible?
שֶׂכֶל (šekel): Intelligence that produces practical success; prudent discretion enabling prosperous outcomes in life and leadership
Full entry for שֶׂכֶל (H7922) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7922?
The BSB source-word alignment has 16 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include insight (3), understanding (3), . . . (1), a wise (1), and high regard (1).
Where does שֶׂכֶל (šekel) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Samuel 25:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (6), 1 Chronicles (2), 2 Chronicles (2), 1 Samuel (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 insight 3× 1 Chronicles 22:12, Nehemiah 8:8, Proverbs 19:11
understanding 3× Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 13:15, Proverbs 16:22
. . . 1× 1 Samuel 25:3
a wise 1× 1 Chronicles 26:14
and high regard 1× Proverbs 3:4
his craft 1× Daniel 8:25
of insight 1× Ezra 8:18
the wisdom 1× Proverbs 23:9
to his wisdom 1× Proverbs 12:8
to understanding 1× Job 17:4
who performed skillfully 1× 2 Chronicles 30:22
with insight 1× 2 Chronicles 2:12
Show sample aligned rows
1 Samuel 25:3 שֶׂ֙כֶל֙ to . . . Noun - masculine singular 1 Chronicles 22:12 שֵׂ֣כֶל to insight Noun - masculine singular 1 Chronicles 26:14 בְּשֶׂ֗כֶל to a wise Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 2:12 שֵׂ֣כֶל to with insight Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 30:22 שֵֽׂכֶל־ to who performed skillfully Noun - masculine singular Ezra 8:18 שֶׂ֔כֶל to of insight Noun - masculine singular Nehemiah 8:8 שֶׂ֔כֶל to insight Noun - masculine singular Job 17:4 מִּשָּׂ֑כֶל to to understanding Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Psalms 111:10 שֵׂ֣כֶל to understanding Noun - masculine singular Proverbs 3:4 וְשֵֽׂכֶל־ to and high regard Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row 1 Samuel 25:3
Aligned rows 16
Books represented 9
1 Samuel 1 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 2 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 1 Job 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 6 Daniel 1
Source forms
שֵׂ֣כֶל 5x śê·ḵel 1 Chronicles 22:12, 2 Chronicles 2:12, Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 16:22
שֶׂ֔כֶל 2x śe·ḵel Ezra 8:18, Nehemiah 8:8
שֵֽׂכֶל־ 2x śê·ḵel- 2 Chronicles 30:22, Proverbs 13:15
בְּשֶׂ֗כֶל 1x bə·śe·ḵel 1 Chronicles 26:14
וְשֵֽׂכֶל־ 1x wə·śê·ḵel- Proverbs 3:4
לְשֵׂ֣כֶל 1x lə·śê·ḵel Proverbs 23:9
מִּשָּׂ֑כֶל 1x miś·śā·ḵel Job 17:4
שֶׂ֙כֶל֙ 1x śe·ḵel 1 Samuel 25:3
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 8x 1 Samuel 25:3, 1 Chronicles 22:12, 2 Chronicles 2:12, 2 Chronicles 30:22
Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Proverbs 16:22, Proverbs 19:11
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x Proverbs 12:8, Daniel 8:25
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 1x Proverbs 3:4
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 1x 1 Chronicles 26:14
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Proverbs 23:9
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 1x Job 17:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Intelligence that produces practical success; prudent discretion enabling prosperous outcomes in life and leadership
Source Gloss
intelligence ; by implication, success
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Intelligence that produces practical success; prudent discretion enabling prosperous outcomes in life and leadership
intelligence; by implication, success BDB: prudence Usage: discretion, knowledge, policy, prudence, sense, understanding, wisdom, wise.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Practical intelligence that produces favorable outcomes and success
Prudent judgment and wisdom demonstrated through patience and restraint
Sound judgment and understanding that should guide one's speech and actions
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 16 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שֶׂכֶל is built from this root:
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