WG: Knowledge / Wisdom / Understanding
Overview
The Hebrew knowledge concept operates as a cluster of 7 words spanning three semantic roles: the act of knowing (yada'), the content known (da'ath, de'ah, madda'), and the companion virtues of wisdom (chokmah) and understanding (biyn, tabuwn). These words frequently appear together in triadic formulas — especially in Exodus (Bezalel's endowment), Proverbs (wisdom instruction), and Daniel (court training).
Word Group Members
| Strong's |
Word |
Transliteration |
POS |
Verses |
Role in Concept |
Library Entry |
| H1847 |
דַּעַת |
da'ath |
noun |
91 |
The content — knowledge itself |
H1847 |
| H3045 |
יָדַע |
yada' |
verb |
873 |
The act — to know, perceive, ascertain |
H3045-yada.md |
| H2451 |
חׇכְמָה |
chokmah |
noun |
141 |
Companion virtue — wisdom, skill in living |
H2451-chokmah.md |
| H995 |
בִּין |
biyn |
verb |
162 |
Companion virtue — to discern, distinguish |
H995-biyn.md |
| H8394 |
תָּבוּן |
tabuwn |
noun |
42 |
Companion virtue — understanding, insight |
TODO(need H8394 study) |
| H1844 |
דֵּעָה |
de'ah |
noun |
6 |
Alternate form — knowledge (feminine) |
TODO(need H1844 study) |
| H4093 |
מַדָּע |
madda' |
noun |
6 |
Cognate — intelligence, consciousness |
TODO(need H4093 study) |
Relationships
Shared Roots
- da'ath (H1847), de'ah (H1844), madda' (H4093) — all from root yada' (H3045, ידע "to know")
- biyn (H995) and tabuwn (H8394) — from root בין "to discern"
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)
| Word A |
Word B |
Shared Verses |
Typical Context |
| da'ath (H1847) |
chokmah (H2451) |
20x |
"wisdom and knowledge" triad (Exo 31:3; Pro 2:6) |
| chokmah (H2451) |
tabuwn (H8394) |
19x |
"wisdom and understanding" (Exo 31:3; Pro 2:6) |
| chokmah (H2451) |
yada' (H3045) |
16x |
"wisdom...know" (Exo 36:1; Pro 30:3) |
| biyn (H995) |
yada' (H3045) |
35x |
"understand and know" (Gen 41:39; Jer 9:24) |
| chokmah (H2451) |
biyn (H995) |
12x |
"wisdom...understand" (Deu 4:6; Pro 14:33) |
| da'ath (H1847) |
biyn (H995) |
10x |
"knowledge...understand" (Pro 14:6; Isa 40:14) |
| da'ath (H1847) |
yada' (H3045) |
10x |
"knew the knowledge" (Num 24:16) |
| da'ath (H1847) |
tabuwn (H8394) |
7x |
"knowledge and understanding" (Pro 17:27) |
| chokmah (H2451) |
madda' (H4093) |
5x |
"wisdom and knowledge" in 2 Chronicles |
LXX Overlaps
| Hebrew Words |
Shared Greek |
Notes |
| da'ath + chokmah + tabuwn |
σοφία (sophia) G4678 |
sophia absorbs all three in some LXX contexts |
| da'ath + tabuwn |
σύνεσις (synesis) G4907 |
Greek conflates knowledge and understanding |
| da'ath + chokmah |
γνῶσις (gnosis) G1108 |
gnosis primarily maps da'ath but also chokmah (12x) |
Roles in the Concept
- Act: yada' (יָדַע) — the verb of knowing; experiential, relational, cognitive
- Content: da'ath (דַּעַת) — the knowledge grasped; what is known
- Alternate content forms: de'ah (דֵּעָה) — rare feminine synonym; madda' (מַדָּע) — intelligence/consciousness
- Companion — Wisdom: chokmah (חׇכְמָה) — skill in applying knowledge to life
- Companion — Discernment: biyn (בִּין) — ability to distinguish and perceive; tabuwn (תָּבוּן) — the resulting insight
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together
- Exo 31:3 — [da'ath + chokmah + tabuwn] "filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge"
- Exo 35:31 — [da'ath + chokmah + tabuwn] Same triad repeated for Bezalel
- 1Ki 7:14 — [da'ath + chokmah + tabuwn] Hiram "filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning"
- Pro 2:6 — [da'ath + chokmah + tabuwn] "the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding"
- Isa 40:14 — [da'ath + biyn + yada' + tabuwn] "taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding"
- Dan 1:4 — [da'ath + chokmah + biyn + yada' + madda'] "skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science" — all five nouns/verbs in one verse
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py
Last updated: 2026-04-11