Word study
Insight
6 Hebrew and 1 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with “insight”. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “insight” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- שֶׂכֶל sekelprudence, insighttranslated this way 5 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s H7922Noun · Translated: insight 5, understanding 4, wisdom 2Full study and all 15 verses →
1 Chronicles 22:12 Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the Law of the LORD your God.
2 Chronicles 2:12 And Hiram added: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son with insight and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
- תָּבוּן tâbûnintelligence, argument, capricetranslated this way 4 times of its 42 uses · Strong’s H8394Noun · Translated: understanding 28, insight 4, ability 3Full study and all 42 verses →
1 Kings 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore.
Psalm 136:5 By His insight He made the heavens. His loving devotion endures forever.
- שָׂכַל sâkalbe prudenttranslated this way 4 times of its 61 uses · Strong’s H7919Verb · Translated: wise 11, prosper 5, understand 5, prospered 3Full study and all 61 verses →
Job 34:35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
Psalm 119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
- בִּינָה bînâhunderstandingtranslated this way 3 times of its 36 uses · Strong’s H998Noun · Translated: understanding 27, insight 3, understand 2Full study and all 36 verses →
Proverbs 1:2 for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
Proverbs 2:3 if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
- בִּין bîndiscerntranslated this way 2 times of its 166 uses · Strong’s H995Verb · Translated: understand 27, discerning 16, understanding 12, consider 10Full study and all 160 verses →
1 Chronicles 27:32 David’s uncle Jonathan was a counselor; he was a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hachmoni attended to the sons of the king.
Daniel 1:17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
- נְהִיר nehîrlighttranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H5094Noun · Translated: insight 2, light 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Daniel 5:11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,
Daniel 5:14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
Greek words (New Testament)
- σύνεσις sýnesisunderstandingtranslated this way 2 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s G4907Noun · Translated: understanding 4, insight 2, intelligence 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Ephesians 3:4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all things.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.