6195. ormah

Lexicon

ormah: Prudence, Craftiness, Shrewdness

Original Word: עָרְמָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `ormah
Pronunciation: ohr-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (or-maw')
Definition: Prudence, Craftiness, Shrewdness
Meaning: trickery, discretion

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

guile, prudence, subtilty, wilily, wisdom

Feminine of orem; trickery; or (in a good sense) discretion -- guile, prudence, subtilty, wilily, wisdom.

see HEBREW orem

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from arom
Definition
craftiness, prudence
NASB Translation
craftily (2), prudence (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

עָרְמָה noun feminine craftiness, prudence; —

1 ׳בְע craftily Exodus 21:14 (E), Joshua 9:4 (JE).

2 ׳ע in Proverbs, in good sense, prudence Proverbs 1:4; Proverbs 8:5,12.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root עָרַם (aram), which means to be subtle or shrewd.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G1012 (boule) • often translated as "purpose" or "counsel," reflecting the idea of deliberate planning or intention.
• G1388 (dolos) • meaning "deceit" or "guile," capturing the negative aspect of cunning or trickery.
• G3834 (panourgia) • translated as "craftiness" or "cunning," similar to the negative connotation of עָרְמָה.
• G5428 (phronesis) • meaning "prudence" or "wisdom," aligning with the positive aspect of discretion and shrewdness.

In summary, עָרְמָה embodies the complex interplay between wisdom and deceit, serving as a reminder of the moral responsibility that accompanies the use of one's intellect and cunning.

Usage: The word עָרְמָה appears in various contexts within the Hebrew Bible, where it can describe both the cunning of the wicked and the prudence of the wise. It is used to highlight the dual nature of shrewdness, which can be employed for both good and evil purposes.

Context: • The term עָרְמָה is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe a quality that can be either virtuous or sinful, depending on the context. In Proverbs 1:4, it is associated with wisdom and prudence, suggesting a positive use of shrewdness: "to impart prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young." Here, עָרְמָה is seen as a desirable trait that aids in the acquisition of wisdom and understanding.
• Conversely, in Job 5:12, the term is used to describe the thwarting of the crafty: "He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success." In this context, עָרְמָה is linked to deceitful schemes and trickery, highlighting its potential for misuse.
• The dual nature of עָרְמָה is further illustrated in Proverbs 8:5, where it is again associated with wisdom: "O you simple, learn prudence; O you fools, gain understanding." This suggests that while עָרְמָה can be used for deceit, it is also a necessary component of wisdom and understanding when applied rightly.
• The term reflects the broader biblical theme that wisdom and cunning are tools that can be wielded for both righteous and unrighteous ends, depending on the moral character of the individual.

Forms and Transliterations

בְּעָרְמָ֔ה בְעָרְמָ֑ה בערמה עָרְמָ֑ה ערמה ‘ā·rə·māh ‘ārəmāh areMah bə‘ārəmāh ḇə‘ārəmāh bə·‘ā·rə·māh ḇə·‘ā·rə·māh beareMah veareMah

Englishman's Concordance

Exodus 21:14
HEB: רֵעֵ֖הוּ לְהָרְג֣וֹ בְעָרְמָ֑ה מֵעִ֣ם מִזְבְּחִ֔י
NAS: so as to kill him craftily, you are to take
KJV: to slay him with guile; thou shalt take
INT: his neighbor to kill craftily him from my altar

Joshua 9:4
HEB: גַם־ הֵ֙מָּה֙ בְּעָרְמָ֔ה וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ וַיִּצְטַיָּ֑רוּ
NAS: acted craftily and set
KJV: They did work wilily, and went
INT: also like craftily and set envoys

Proverbs 1:4
HEB: לָתֵ֣ת לִפְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה לְ֝נַ֗עַר דַּ֣עַת
NAS: To give prudence to the naive,
KJV: To give subtilty to the simple,
INT: to give to the naive prudence to the youth knowledge

Proverbs 8:5
HEB: הָבִ֣ינוּ פְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים הָבִ֥ינוּ
NAS: understand prudence; And, O fools,
KJV: understand wisdom: and, ye fools,
INT: understand naive prudence fools understand

Proverbs 8:12
HEB: חָ֭כְמָה שָׁכַ֣נְתִּי עָרְמָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת מְזִמּ֣וֹת
NAS: dwell with prudence, And I find
KJV: dwell with prudence, and find out
INT: wisdom dwell prudence knowledge discretion

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6195
5 Occurrences

‘ā·rə·māh — 3 Occ.
bə·‘ā·rə·māh — 1 Occ.
ḇə·‘ā·rə·māh — 1 Occ.