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בִּינָה

𐤁𐤉𐤍𐤄

bîynâh

H998 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Insight, discernment, or the capacity for understanding; a mental faculty or state characterized by comprehension and the ability to distinguish between things. The term encompasses the process of examining or analyzing a matter to determine its underlying structure or meaning. Semantic range includes intellectual perception, prudent decision-making, and the ability to understand complex situations or instructions.

Semantic Range

insight, discernment, intelligence, perceptiveness, prudent judgment, analytical understanding, thoughtful consideration, ability to interpret or comprehend, faculty of distinguishing or separating matters

Root / Etymology

From the root בין (bet-yod-nun), meaning 'to separate, distinguish, discern.' The noun בִּינָה (bîynâh) denotes the faculty or act of discerning or understanding, derived from the verb בִּין (bin), 'to understand, perceive.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, בִּינָה often appears alongside חָכְמָה (ḥokhmāh, 'wisdom') and דַּעַת (daʿat, 'knowledge'), but differs by focusing on penetrating insight or discernment, especially the skill to perceive nuances and distinctions. In Wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs, Job), it is frequently associated with ethical and practical discernment. During the monarchic period, the term often referred to administrative or judicial sagacity; in post-exilic literature, it retains intellectual and sometimes spiritual connotations. English translations sometimes flatten the nuance to 'understanding' or 'wisdom,' but the term specifically denotes the analytical, discerning aspect of cognition. Later rabbinic tradition also treats בִּינָה as a distinct cognitive faculty. בִּינָה differs from חָכְמָה, which can denote practical skill or general wisdom, and from תְּבוּנָה, a term related but sometimes emphasizing competency or skillfulness.

Translation Consistency

primary "understanding" 37 occurrences

"Understanding" is the most natural, common English rendering and appears most often in the P2 data (23 vs. 15 for "discernment"). It covers the primary senses of בִּינָה—insight, comprehension, perceptiveness, and prudent judgment—while remaining concise and easily inflected in context.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"discernment" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בִּין; understanding; knowledge, meaning, [idiom] perfectly, understanding, wisdom.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

בין (Yavin) — to separate, distinguish, perceive, understand

Root בין to discern, to understand, to distinguish
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1143 בֵּנַיִם the between-two space
H2985 יָבִין like Yavin
H4000 מָבוֹן
H8394 תָּבוּן in discernment
H946 בּוּנָה and Bunah

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H998-02 בִּינָ֖ה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding 13
H998-12 בִינָה֙ vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding 9
H998-09 וּ/בִינָ֔ה uvinah HC/Ncfsa and understanding and discernment and understanding 5
H998-06 לַ/בִּינָ֣ה labinah HRd/Ncfsa for discernment to discernment to understanding 2
H998-01 בַּ/בִּינָֽה babinah HRd/Ncfsa in understanding in discernment in discernment 1
H998-03 בִּֽ֝ינָתְ/ךָ֗ binatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your-understanding your discernment your understanding 1
H998-04 בִּינוֹת֙ binot HNcfpa understanding discernments understanding 1
H998-05 הֲֽ֭/מִ/בִּינָ֣תְ/ךָ hamibinatekha HTi/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms by your understanding your discernment by your understanding 1
H998-07 מִֽ/בִּינָתְ/ךָ֥ mibinatekha HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms from your understanding from your discernment from your understanding 1
H998-08 מִֽ/בִּינָתִ֥/י mibinati HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs of my understanding from my discernment from my understanding 1

Occurrences in Scripture

38 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H998-11 Deuteronomy 4:6 וּ/בִ֣ינַתְ/כֶ֔ם uvinatekhem HC/Ncfsc/Sp2mp and your understanding and your discernment and your understanding
H998-09 Isaiah 11:2 וּ/בִינָ֗ה uvinah HC/Ncfsa and understanding and discernment and understanding
H998-04 Isaiah 27:11 בִּינוֹת֙ binot HNcfpa understanding discernments understanding
H998-10 Isaiah 29:14 וּ/בִינַ֥ת uvinat HC/Ncfsc and understanding of and discernment-of and understanding of
H998-02 Isaiah 29:24 בִּינָ֑ה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-02 Isaiah 33:19 בִּינָֽה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-02 Jeremiah 23:20 בִּינָֽה binah HNcfsa perfectly discernment understanding
H998-12 Proverbs 1:2 בִינָֽה vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-06 Proverbs 2:3 לַ/בִּינָ֣ה labinah HRd/Ncfsa for discernment to discernment to understanding
H998-03 Proverbs 3:5 בִּֽ֝ינָתְ/ךָ֗ binatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your-understanding your discernment your understanding
H998-02 Proverbs 4:1 בִּינָֽה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-12 Proverbs 4:5 בִינָ֑ה vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-12 Proverbs 4:7 בִינָֽה vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-06 Proverbs 7:4 לַ/בִּינָ֥ה labinah HRd/Ncfsa to understanding to discernment to understanding
H998-12 Proverbs 8:14 בִ֝ינָ֗ה vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-02 Proverbs 9:6 בִּינָֽה binah HNcfsa of understanding discernment understanding
H998-02 Proverbs 9:10 בִּינָֽה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-02 Proverbs 16:16 בִּ֝ינָ֗ה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-07 Proverbs 23:4 מִֽ/בִּינָתְ/ךָ֥ mibinatekha HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms from your understanding from your discernment from your understanding
H998-09 Proverbs 23:23 וּ/בִינָֽה uvinah HC/Ncfsa and-understanding and discernment and understanding
H998-13 Proverbs 30:2 בִינַ֖ת vinat HNcfsc understanding discernment of understanding of
H998-08 Job 20:3 מִֽ/בִּינָתִ֥/י mibinati HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs of my understanding from my discernment from my understanding
H998-02 Job 28:12 בִּינָֽה binah HNcfsa of understanding discernment understanding
H998-02 Job 28:20 בִּינָֽה binah HNcfsa of understanding discernment understanding
H998-02 Job 28:28 בִּינָֽה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-02 Job 34:16 בִּ֥ינָה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-12 Job 38:4 בִינָֽה vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-12 Job 38:36 בִינָֽה vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-01 Job 39:17 בַּ/בִּינָֽה babinah HRd/Ncfsa in understanding in discernment in discernment
H998-05 Job 39:26 הֲֽ֭/מִ/בִּינָ֣תְ/ךָ hamibinatekha HTi/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms by your understanding your discernment by your understanding
H998-02 Daniel 1:20 בִּינָ֔ה binah HNcfsa and understanding discernment understanding
H998-12 Daniel 8:15 בִינָ֔ה vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-12 Daniel 9:22 בִינָֽה vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-09 Daniel 10:1 וּ/בִ֥ינָה uvinah HC/Ncfsa and understanding and discernment and understanding
H998-12 1 Chronicles 12:33 בִינָה֙ vinah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
H998-09 1 Chronicles 22:12 וּ/בִינָ֔ה uvinah HC/Ncfsa and understanding and discernment and understanding
H998-09 2 Chronicles 2:11 וּ/בִינָ֔ה uvinah HC/Ncfsa and understanding and discernment and understanding
H998-02 2 Chronicles 2:12 בִּינָ֖ה binah HNcfsa understanding discernment understanding
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