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חִידָה

𐤇𐤉𐤃𐤄

chîydâh

H2420 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חוד to sharpen, to propound a riddle, to be keen/witty

Definition

A riddle, enigmatic saying, or cryptic utterance whose meaning is intentionally concealed or requires discernment to understand. The word denotes both a specific type of verbal puzzle—often posed as a test of wit or intellect—and, more generally, a statement or speech marked by ambiguity or hidden significance. In literary contexts, it can refer to sayings, utterances, or texts that are not immediately transparent but instead demand interpretation.

Semantic Range

riddle, puzzle, enigmatic saying, cryptic utterance, hard (or insoluble) question, dark saying, ambiguous speech, maxim requiring interpretation

Root / Etymology

From the root חוּד (ḥ-w-d), 'to propound a riddle' or 'to be sharp/witty.' The noun חִידָה (ḥîdāh) forms from this root and denotes something posed as a challenge or to stimulate the mind—typically a riddle or cryptic saying. While the core root concept is 'to be sharp' or 'to sharpen' (as of a thought or question), the derived noun signifies the outcome of such intellectual sharpening: a riddle, puzzle, or enigmatic speech.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חִידָה appears in poetic, sapiential, and narrative texts, especially where a test of wisdom or discernment is at stake. In the Hebrew Bible, this form is most recognizable in the Samson narrative (Judges 14), where a literal riddle is given, and in wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs 1:6, Ezekiel 17:2) as a figure for deep, cryptic teaching. Over time, the word's sense broadened from formal riddles to include any utterance considered difficult or obscure. Later tradition, including the Septuagint and English translations, sometimes render it as 'proverb,' 'dark saying,' or 'mystery,' but these can obscure the original sense of challenge or intellectual puzzle present in earlier Israelite culture. There is distinction from the term מָשָׁל (māšāl, 'proverb' or 'parable'), which typically connotes illustrative comparison or analogy; חִידָה involves opacity and the need for decoding, rather than illustrative teaching. In later periods, including post-exilic and rabbinic, 'ḥîdāh' retains the sense of enigma, often associated with interpretive or exegetical challenge.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חוּד; a puzzle, hence, a trick, conundrum, sententious maxim; dark saying (sentence, speech), hard question, proverb, riddle.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חוד (ḥ-w-d) — to sharpen, to propound a riddle, to be keen or witty

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2330 חוּד let me pose a riddle
H4240 מְחִידָא Mechida

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2420-06 הַ/חִידָ֖ה hachidah HTd/Ncfsa the riddle the riddle 5
H2420-05 חִיד֣וֹת chidot HNcfpa intrigue enigmatic riddles 3
H2420-07 בְ/חִידֹ֔ת vechidot HR/Ncfpa in-riddles in riddles 2
H2420-04 חִידָתִֽ/י chidati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my riddle my riddle 2
H2420-02 חִידָ֑ה chidah HNcfsa a riddle a riddle 2
H2420-03 חִידָתְ/ךָ֖ chidatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your riddle your riddle 1
H2420-01 בְּ/חִידֽוֹת bechidot HR/Ncfpa with-riddles in riddles 1
H2420-08 וְ/חִידֹתָֽ/ם vechidotam HC/Ncfpc/Sp3mp and their riddles and their riddles 1

Occurrences in Scripture

17 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2420-07 Numbers 12:8 בְ/חִידֹ֔ת vechidot HR/Ncfpa in-riddles in riddles
H2420-02 Judges 14:12 חִידָ֑ה chidah HNcfsa a riddle a riddle
H2420-03 Judges 14:13 חִידָתְ/ךָ֖ chidatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your riddle your riddle
H2420-06 Judges 14:14 הַ/חִידָ֖ה hachidah HTd/Ncfsa the riddle the riddle
H2420-06 Judges 14:15 הַ֣/חִידָ֔ה hachidah HTd/Ncfsa the riddle the riddle
H2420-06 Judges 14:16 הַֽ/חִידָ֥ה hachidah HTd/Ncfsa the riddle the riddle
H2420-06 Judges 14:17 הַ/חִידָ֖ה hachidah HTd/Ncfsa the riddle the riddle
H2420-04 Judges 14:18 חִידָתִֽ/י chidati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my riddle my riddle
H2420-06 Judges 14:19 הַ/חִידָ֑ה hachidah HTd/Ncfsa the riddle the riddle
H2420-01 1 Kings 10:1 בְּ/חִידֽוֹת bechidot HR/Ncfpa with-riddles in riddles
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