Lexical Summary cheshbon: Account, plan, thought, reasoning Original Word: חֶשְׁבּוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance account, device, reason From chashab; properly, contrivance; by implication, intelligence -- account, device, reason. see HEBREW chashab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chashab Definition a reckoning, account NASB Translation explanation (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. חֶשְׁבּוֺן noun masculine reckoning, account (Late Hebrew Aramaic id.) Ecclesiastes 9:10, ׳בקּשׁ ח Ecclesiastes 7:25, ׳מצא ח Ecclesiastes 7:27. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Conceptחֶשְׁבּוֹן conveys the idea of mental calculation—deliberation, accounting, or thoughtful planning. It is not a cold mathematics of the mind only, but an intentional weighing of life’s realities before God. The word belongs to the vocabulary of wisdom, calling people to reflect with clarity, integrity, and purpose. Occurrences in Ecclesiastes “I turned my heart to know, to explore, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness”. Qoheleth demonstrates that true wisdom demands diligent “explanation” (חֶשְׁבּוֹן). Spiritual and moral discernment arises from careful thought, not impulsive opinion. “‘Behold, I have discovered this,’ says the Teacher. ‘Adding one thing to another to find an explanation’”. Here חֶשְׁבּוֹן becomes the product of cumulative investigation—line upon line, “adding one thing to another.” Wisdom grows through persistent, orderly evaluation of evidence under the fear of the Lord. “Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for there is no work or planning, knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going”. חֶשְׁבּוֹן (“planning”) is contrasted with the finality of death. While breath remains, thoughtful planning enables wholehearted service; once Sheol is reached, the opportunity to plan for God’s glory is gone. Literary Setting within Wisdom Literature Ecclesiastes presses its readers to wrestle with life “under the sun.” חֶשְׁבּוֹן supplies the intellectual framework for that wrestling. The Teacher’s use of the term underscores a recurrent wisdom motif: the righteous person constantly re-examines motives and outcomes in the light of divine reality (compare Proverbs 4:26; 5:6). Theological Themes 1. Human accountability. Deliberation is necessary because actions will be weighed by God (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14). Practical Implications for Discipleship and Ministry • Encourage believers to cultivate disciplined reflection before decisions, budgets, ministry strategies, or doctrinal conclusions. Connections with the Wider Canon The root concept appears when faith is “credited” to Abraham as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), when iniquity is “counted” (Psalm 32:2), and when craftsmen “devise” artistic designs for the sanctuary (Exodus 35:32). Across these contexts, thoughtful calculation serves covenant purposes—justification, forgiveness, worship, and artistry. In the New Testament, the call to “consider” (Romans 6:11) and to “reckon” God faithful (Hebrews 11:19) echoes the same impulse: believers are to exercise sanctified reasoning grounded in revelation. Summary חֶשְׁבּוֹן stands at the intersection of thought and faith, urging God’s people to measure life carefully, pursue wisdom diligently, and act decisively while time remains. Forms and Transliterations וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ וחשבון חֶשְׁבּֽוֹן׃ חשבון׃ cheshBon ḥeš·bō·wn ḥešbōwn vecheshBon wə·ḥeš·bō·wn wəḥešbōwnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ecclesiastes 7:25 HEB: וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ חָכְמָ֖ה וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ רֶ֣שַׁע NAS: wisdom and an explanation, and to know KJV: wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know INT: seek wisdom and an explanation cunning the evil Ecclesiastes 7:27 Ecclesiastes 9:10 3 Occurrences |
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