סָכַל
𐤎𐤊𐤋
çâkal
H5528 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be foolish, to act ignorantly or without sense. The verb primarily describes the state or behavior of lacking understanding, especially in a moral, practical, or intellectual sense. In certain contexts, it may also refer to acting rashly or with thoughtless disregard for wisdom or appropriate conduct.
Semantic Range
to act foolishly, to lack understanding, be ignorant, to act without sense, to behave rashly, to commit an error in judgment
Root / Etymology
Root derived from סכל (samech-kaf-lamed), which expresses the basic notion of being foolish or lacking sense. The verb form סָכַל presents the causative or stative nuance: to act or become foolish.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, סָכַל appears mostly in poetic and wisdom contexts and is less common in narrative prose. The word typically denotes intellectual, practical, or moral folly, not mere jesting or playful silliness. In contrast to אוִיל (ʾawil, 'fool'), which often describes a persistent character trait, סָכַל tends to emphasize the act or state of behaving foolishly at a given time, often with negative consequences. The term is sometimes paired with wisdom (חָכְמָה) as its opposite, contributing to ethical instruction in wisdom literature. In later classical Hebrew, the root retains its core meaning but appears rarely. English translations such as 'foolish' or 'to act foolishly' capture the basic sense, though the moral undertone and consequence of folly in biblical usage are not always fully conveyed.
Translation Consistency
The primary sense in SILEX is doing something foolish or without sense; "act" naturally and simply captures that conduct-focused meaning (as in "act foolishly"). It is concise, common English, and matches the majority P2 renderings ("acted") while allowing consistent inflection across forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for כָּסַל; to be silly; do (make, play the, turn into) fool(-ish, -ishly, -ishness).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
סכל (çâkal) — to be foolish, lack sense, act imprudently
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5529 | סֶכֶל | the discernment |
| H5530 | סָכָל | a senseless man |
| H5531 | סִכְלוּת | in foolishness |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5528-03 |
נִסְכָּ֑לְתָּ | nisekaleta | HVNp2ms |
you have acted foolishly | you have made yourself foolish | you have acted foolishly | 2 |
H5528-04 |
נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּי | nisekaleti | HVNp1cs |
I have acted foolishly | I have been foolish | I have acted foolishly | 2 |
H5528-01 |
הִסְכַּ֥לְתָּֽ | hisekaleta | HVhp2ms |
you have acted foolishly | you have acted foolishly | you have acted foolishly | 1 |
H5528-02 |
הִסְכַּ֛לְתִּי | hisekaleti | HVhp1cs |
I have played the fool | I have acted foolishly | I have acted foolishly | 1 |
H5528-05 |
סַכֶּל | sakel | HVpv2ms |
make foolish | act foolishly | make foolish | 1 |
H5528-06 |
יְשַׂכֵּֽל | yesakel | HVpi3ms |
makes foolish | he acts foolishly | he makes foolish | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5528-01 |
Genesis 31:28 | הִסְכַּ֥לְתָּֽ | hisekaleta | HVhp2ms |
you have acted foolishly | you have acted foolishly | you have acted foolishly |
H5528-03 |
1 Samuel 13:13 | נִסְכָּ֑לְתָּ | nisekaleta | HVNp2ms |
You have acted foolishly | you have made yourself foolish | you have acted foolishly |
H5528-02 |
1 Samuel 26:21 | הִסְכַּ֛לְתִּי | hisekaleti | HVhp1cs |
I have played the fool | I have acted foolishly | I have acted foolishly |
H5528-05 |
2 Samuel 15:31 | סַכֶּל | sakel | HVpv2ms |
make foolish | act foolishly | make foolish |
H5528-04 |
2 Samuel 24:10 | נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּי | nisekaleti | HVNp1cs |
I have done foolishly | I have been foolish | I have acted foolishly |
H5528-06 |
Isaiah 44:25 | יְשַׂכֵּֽל | yesakel | HVpi3ms |
makes foolish | he acts foolishly | he makes foolish |
H5528-04 |
1 Chronicles 21:8 | נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּי | nisekaleti | HVNp1cs |
I have acted foolishly | I have been foolish | I have acted foolishly |
H5528-03 |
2 Chronicles 16:9 | נִסְכַּ֣לְתָּ | nisekaleta | HVNp2ms |
you have acted foolishly | you have made yourself foolish | you have acted foolishly |