etsa · counsel

What it means

etsa (עֵצָה) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “counsel”.

Good judgment for deciding; also a plan.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. What is said to someone to help him decide what to do.
2. What someone decides to do, above all YHWH, which stands.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Counsel: the advice given for making a decision, and also the plan or purpose someone forms. It comes from יָעַץ, “counsel” (H3289). BDB: advice; by implication, plan, prudence.

• The counsel of the king's counselors 2 Samuel 17:141 Kings 12:8
• “The counsel of the wicked” Psalms 1:1
• The counsel of YHWH, which stands Proverbs 19:21Psalms 33:11Isaiah 46:10
• “The spirit of counsel” Isaiah 11:2
• “Who is this that darkens counsel…?” Job 38:2

Historical and cultural background

2 Samuel 16–17 tells of the contest between the counsel of Ahithophel and that of Hushai before Absalom; the text says that “YHWH had commanded to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel” (2 Samuel 17:14).

How we translate it

“Counsel” 77 times, “plan” 6, “counselors” 2, “counsels” 2, “advice” 1. The noun and the verb go as a pair, “counsel / counsel” (“the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him”, 1 Kings 12:8), so the reader sees the two words together; “plan” when it is a project someone lays out.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• counsel ×77
• plan ×6
• counselors ×2
• counsels ×2
• advice ×1
• plans ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Deuteronomy×1
• Judges×1
• 2 Samuel×10
• 1 Kings×4
• 2 Kings×1
• 1 Chronicles×1
• 2 Chronicles×5
• Ezra×3
• Nehemiah×1
• Job×9
• Psalms×11
• Proverbs×10
• Isaiah×19
• Jeremiah×8
• Ezekiel×2
• Hosea×1
• Micah×1
• Zechariah×1

• Deuteronomy 32:28

  For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them.

• Judges 20:7

  Look, all of you, sons of Israel, give here your word and counsel.”

• 2 Samuel 15:31

  David was told, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “Please, YHWH, turn into folly the counsel of Ahithophel.”

• 2 Samuel 15:34

  But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I am your servant,’ then you will thwart for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

• 2 Samuel 16:20

  Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel: what shall we do?”

• 2 Samuel 16:23

  The counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if a man inquired of the word of Elohim; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both to David and to Absalom.

• 2 Samuel 17:7

  Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel has counseled is not good this time.”

• 2 Samuel 17:14

  Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For YHWH had commanded to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that YHWH might bring the evil on Absalom.

• 2 Samuel 17:23

  When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled the donkey and got up and went to his house, to his city. He gave orders to his house and hanged himself and died, and he was buried in the tomb of his father.

• 1 Kings 1:12

  So now come, please let me give you advice, and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

• 1 Kings 12:8

  But he abandoned the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him, and sought counsel from the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

• 1 Kings 12:13

  The king answered the people harshly, and abandoned the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him;

• 1 Kings 12:14

  and he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made heavy your yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

• 2 Kings 18:20

  You have said —only a word of lips— “There is counsel and might for war.” Now, on whom have you trusted, that you have rebelled against me?

• 1 Chronicles 12:19

  And from Manasseh some went over to David when he came with the Philistines against Saul for war; but they did not help them, for after taking counsel the lords of the Philistines sent him away, saying, “With our heads he will go over to his lord Saul.”

• 2 Chronicles 10:8

  But he abandoned the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him, and sought counsel from the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

• 2 Chronicles 10:13

  The king answered them harshly; King Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the elders,

• 2 Chronicles 10:14

  and he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “I will make heavy your yoke, and I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I with scorpions.”

• 2 Chronicles 22:5

  He also walked in their counsel, and went with Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead; and the Arameans wounded Joram.

• 2 Chronicles 25:16

  And it happened, as he was speaking to him, that the king said to him, “Have we made you a counselor to the king? Stop! Why should they strike you down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that Elohim has decided to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

• Ezra 4:5

  and hiring counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, and until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

• Ezra 10:3

  So now let us make a covenant with our Elohim to send out all the wives and those born of them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our Elohim; and let it be done according to the law.

• Ezra 10:8

  and that everyone who did not come within three days, according to the counsel of the officials and the elders, all his goods would be devoted to destruction, and he himself would be separated from the assembly of the exiles.

• Nehemiah 4:15

  It happened that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that Elohim had annulled their counsel, we returned all of us to the wall, each to his work.

• Job 5:13

  who catches the wise in their craftiness, and the counsel of the twisted is rushed headlong.

• Job 10:3

  Does it seem good to you that you oppress, that you despise the labor of your palms, and shine forth on the counsel of the wicked?

• Job 12:13

  With him are wisdom and might; to him belong counsel and understanding.

• Job 18:7

  The steps of his vigor are cramped, and his own counsel throws him down.

• Job 21:16

  Look, their prosperity is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

• Job 22:18

  Yet he had filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

• Job 29:21

  To me they listened and waited, and kept silent for my counsel.

• Job 38:2

  “Who is this that darkens counsel with words without knowledge?

• Job 42:3

  ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I declared what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

• Psalms 1:1

  Happy is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers;

• Psalms 13:2

  How long will I put counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart by day? How long will my enemy rise up over me?

• Psalms 14:6

  The counsel of the afflicted you put to shame, for YHWH is his refuge.

• Psalms 20:4

  May he give you according to your heart, and fulfill all your counsel.

• Psalms 33:10

  YHWH has annulled the counsel of the nations; he has frustrated the thoughts of the peoples.

• Psalms 33:11

  The counsel of YHWH stands firm forever, the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.

• Psalms 73:24

  With your counsel you will guide me, and afterward with glory you will take me.

And 49 more times.