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סִכְלוּת

𐤎𐤊𐤋𐤅𐤕

çiklûwth

H5531 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סכל to be foolish, act foolishly, lack understanding

Definition

The quality or condition of being foolish, lacking sense or sound judgment; folly, foolishness. The term conveys not only intellectual lack but also poor decision-making or imprudence in behavior. In the context of biblical literature, סִכְלוּת denotes an absence of the wisdom that is highly valued in wisdom literature, often relating to moral or practical failings rather than ignorance alone.

Semantic Range

folly, foolishness, lack of wisdom, imprudence, ill-judgment, absence of sound sense; in wisdom literature, opposition to wisdom

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ס-כ-ל (סכל), which carries the core meaning 'to be foolish' or 'to lack understanding.' The nominal form סִכְלוּת creates an abstract noun indicating the state or condition arising from such foolishness. The formation uses the standard Hebrew abstract suffix -ות (-ût).

Historical & Contextual Notes

סִכְלוּת appears notably in Ecclesiastes, where it is contrasted with wisdom (חָכְמָה). In the context of Ecclesiastes (e.g., Eccl 1:17; 2:12; 7:25), it refers specifically to the opposite of wise or skillful conduct, encompassing both imprudence and moral obtuseness. The focus is not merely on lack of intellect but on a failure to act wisely within the framework of Israelite wisdom tradition. Unlike פֶּתִי (peti, 'simple, naïve') or אִוֶּלֶת (iwwelet, 'stupidity, folly'), which can connote either inexperience or extreme moral ruin, סִכְלוּת is a broader term for general foolishness as a state or quality. Later Jewish tradition often uses derivatives of this root for foolishness in general, but in biblical usage, it retains the nuance of eschewing wisdom. English translations as 'folly' or 'foolishness' are generally adequate, though they sometimes fail to convey the deep opposition to Israelite conceptions of wisdom inherent in the term. The abstract nature of the noun means it refers to a quality or attribute, not a particular act or person.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שִׂכְלוּת; (Ecclesiastes 1:17), from סָכַל; silliness; folly, foolishness.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סכל (s-k-l) — to be foolish, act foolishly, lack understanding

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5528 סָכַל you have acted foolishly
H5529 סֶכֶל the discernment
H5530 סָכָל a senseless man

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5531-05 וְ/שִׂכְל֑וּת vesikhelut HC/Ncfsa foolishness 2
H5531-03 סִכְל֥וּת sikhelut HNcfsc folly foolishness-of 2
H5531-02 הַ/סִּכְל֑וּת hasikhelut HTd/Ncfsa the foolishness 1
H5531-01 בְּ/סִכְל֔וּת besikhelut HR/Ncfsa in foolishness 1
H5531-04 וְ/הַ/סִּכְל֖וּת vehasikhelut HC/Td/Ncfsa and the foolishness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5531-05 Ecclesiastes 1:17 וְ/שִׂכְל֑וּת vesikhelut HC/Ncfsa foolishness
H5531-01 Ecclesiastes 2:3 בְּ/סִכְל֔וּת besikhelut HR/Ncfsa in foolishness
H5531-05 Ecclesiastes 2:12 וְ/סִכְל֑וּת vesikhelut HC/Ncfsa foolishness
H5531-02 Ecclesiastes 2:13 הַ/סִּכְל֑וּת hasikhelut HTd/Ncfsa the foolishness
H5531-04 Ecclesiastes 7:25 וְ/הַ/סִּכְל֖וּת vehasikhelut HC/Td/Ncfsa and the foolishness
H5531-03 Ecclesiastes 10:1 סִכְל֥וּת sikhelut HNcfsc folly foolishness-of
H5531-03 Ecclesiastes 10:13 סִכְל֑וּת sikhelut HNcfsa is foolishness foolishness-of
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