כְּסִילוּת
𐤊𐤎𐤉𐤋𐤅𐤕
kᵉçîylûwth
H3687 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
State or quality of being foolish; folly, stupidity, or lack of discernment. The term designates thoughtless or imprudent behavior or attitudes, often in contrast to wisdom and understanding in a moral, practical, or spiritual sense.
Semantic Range
folly, foolishness, lack of discernment, imprudence, lack of ethical wisdom
Root / Etymology
From the root כְּסִיל (k-s-l), which fundamentally means 'to be dull, insensitive, or foolish.' The noun כְּסִילוּת (kᵉsîlût) is a nominal form denoting the abstract state belonging to כְּסִיל (kᵉsîl, 'fool').
Historical & Contextual Notes
כְּסִילוּת appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with primary attestation in wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs 9:6), where it denotes the condition or quality of being foolish. It functions as the direct antonym of חָכְמָה (ḥokhmāh, 'wisdom'), and, like its root noun כְּסִיל, carries both intellectual and moral connotations. The term refers not just to mental inadequacy but to a disposition toward behavior lacking in ethical insight or restraint. In ancient Israelite usage, כְּסִילוּת is distinct from תִּפְלָה (tiflāh, 'senselessness' or 'moral degeneracy') and אִוֶּלֶת (ʾiwwelet, 'simple folly'), focusing on the settled condition of stubborn or reflexive imprudence. English translations often reduce כְּסִילוּת to 'foolishness' or 'folly,' which may obscure the deeper moral and existential dimensions present in Hebrew wisdom tradition. The usage does not shift significantly through Israelite history due to its literary context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from כְּסִיל; silliness; foolish.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כסל (k-s-l) — to be dull, to be foolish, to lack discernment
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3684 | כְּסִיל | in the thick-minded ones |
| H3685 | כְּסִיל | thick-headed one |
| H3688 | כָּסַל | and they become dull-minded |
| H3689 | כֶּסֶל | the loins |
| H3690 | כִּסְלָה | your confidence |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3687-01 |
כְּ֭סִילוּת | kesilut | HNcfsa |
folly | foolishness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3687-01 |
Proverbs 9:13 | כְּ֭סִילוּת | kesilut | HNcfsa |
folly | foolishness |