sachal · act wisely, understand

What it means

sachal (שָׂכַל) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “act wisely, understand”.

Have insight; make wise, teach. Also succeed, prosper.

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. To grasp what matters and act wisely.
2. To explain something so that another understands.
3. For what one undertakes to turn out well.
4. To lay one hand over the other, crossed.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

To look closely, understand; and, from what comes of understanding, to act wisely, succeed. In the causative, to make understand, to teach. Of the same root is מַשְׂכִּיל, the title of some psalms.

• Understanding, considering Psalms 14:2Psalms 64:9Psalms 32:8
• Acting wisely: the one who follows the instruction Joshua 1:71 Samuel 18:141 Samuel 18:30
• “My servant will act wisely” Isaiah 52:13Jeremiah 23:5
• Being prudent, paying attention Psalms 2:10Psalms 41:1Proverbs 16:20
• “The insightful” in Daniel Daniel 12:3Daniel 11:33

How we translate it

It varies with what the context stresses: “understand” 9 times when it is comprehending; “prudent” 10 and “prudence” 3 when it is good judgment (Psalm 2:10); “act wisely” when it is the result (“David was acting wisely”, 1 Samuel 18:14); “insight” and “insightful” (Daniel 12:3); “considers” in Psalm 41:1. In Genesis 3:6 the tree was desirable “for gaining insight”.

How it is translated

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

• prudent ×10
• understand ×9
• insight ×5
• insightful ×5
• act wisely ×3
• prudence ×3
• understanding ×3
• you may act wisely ×3
• anyone who understands ×2
• considers ×2
• others ×18

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Genesis×2
• Deuteronomy×2
• Joshua×2
• 1 Samuel×4
• 1 Kings×1
• 2 Kings×1
• 1 Chronicles×1
• 2 Chronicles×1
• Nehemiah×2
• Job×3
• Psalms×12
• Proverbs×13
• Isaiah×3
• Jeremiah×6
• Daniel×9
• Amos×1

• Genesis 3:6

  And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable for gaining insight; and she took of its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

• Genesis 48:14

  But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

• Deuteronomy 29:9

  So keep the words of this covenant and do them, so that you may act wisely in all that you do.

• Deuteronomy 32:29

  If only they were wise, they would understand this; they would consider their end!

• Joshua 1:7

  Only be strong and very firm, being careful to do according to all the instruction that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, so that you may act wisely wherever you go.

• Joshua 1:8

  This book of the instruction shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosper, and then you will act wisely.

• 1 Samuel 18:5

  David went out; wherever Saul sent him, he acted wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

• 1 Samuel 18:14

  David was acting wisely in all his ways, and YHWH was with him.

• 1 Samuel 18:15

  Saul saw that he was acting very wisely, and he dreaded him.

• 1 Samuel 18:30

  The commanders of the Philistines went out; and it would be, as often as they went out, that David acted more wisely than all the servants of Saul, and his name was highly esteemed.

• 1 Kings 2:3

  And keep the charge of YHWH your Elohim, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the instruction of Moses, so that you may act wisely in all that you do and wherever you turn,

• 2 Kings 18:7

  YHWH was with him; wherever he went out, he acted wisely. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

• 1 Chronicles 28:19

  “All this in writing from the hand of YHWH upon me, he made me understand: all the works of the pattern.”

• 2 Chronicles 30:22

  Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites who showed good insight in the service of YHWH. And they ate what belonged to the appointed feast the seven days, sacrificing sacrifices of peace and giving thanks to YHWH, the Elohim of their fathers.

• Nehemiah 8:13

  And on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered to Ezra the scribe, to consider the words of the law.

• Nehemiah 9:20

  And your good spirit you gave to give them understanding, and your manna you did not withhold from their mouth, and water you gave them for their thirst.

• Job 22:2

  “Can a man be of profit to El? Rather, the prudent profits himself.

• Job 34:27

  because they turned away from following him, and none of his ways did they understand,

• Job 34:35

  ‘Job does not speak with knowledge, and his words are not with prudence.’

• Psalms 2:10

  And now, kings, be prudent; accept correction, judges of the earth.

• Psalms 14:2

  YHWH from the heavens looked down upon human beings to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks Elohim.

• Psalms 32:8

  I will make you understand and teach you in the way that you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

• Psalms 36:3

  The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to understand, to do good.

• Psalms 41:1

  For the director. A psalm of David. Happy is the one who considers the poor; in the day of evil YHWH will let him escape.

• Psalms 47:7

  For the King of all the earth is Elohim; sing a maskil.

• Psalms 53:2

  Elohim from the heavens looked down upon human beings to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks Elohim.

• Psalms 64:9

  And all human beings fear, and they declare the work of Elohim, and what he has done they understand.

• Psalms 94:8

  Understand, you stupid ones among the people; and you foolish ones, when will you have insight?

• Psalms 101:2

  I will give heed to the way of blamelessness; when will you come to me? I will walk in the integrity of my heart within my house.

• Psalms 106:7

  Our fathers in Egypt did not understand your wonders; they did not remember the abundance of your loyal love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Sea of Reeds.

• Psalms 119:99

  I have more insight than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

• Proverbs 1:3

  to receive the correction of prudence, righteousness, justice, and uprightness;

• Proverbs 10:5

  He who gathers in the summer is a prudent son; he who sleeps in the harvest is a son who brings shame.

• Proverbs 10:19

  In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.

• Proverbs 14:35

  The favor of a king is toward a prudent slave, but his fury will be on the one who brings shame.

• Proverbs 15:24

  The path of life leads upward for the prudent, so that he may turn away from Sheol below.

• Proverbs 16:20

  Whoever pays attention to the word will find good, and whoever trusts in YHWH, happy is he.

• Proverbs 16:23

  The heart of the wise makes his mouth prudent, and on his lips it adds teaching.

• Proverbs 17:2

  A prudent slave will rule over a son who brings shame, and in the midst of the brothers he will share the inheritance.

• Proverbs 17:8

  A stone of favor is a bribe in the eyes of its owner; wherever he turns, he prospers.

And 23 more times.