עֹרֶם
𐤏𐤓𐤌
ʻôrem
H6193 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
State or quality of being crafty, cunning, or shrewd; in biblical usage, typically denotes cleverness or scheming, often with a negative connotation of deceitfulness. May occasionally imply prudence or practical intelligence, but predominately refers to cunning plans or guile.
Semantic Range
craftiness, cunning, shrewdness, scheming, deceitfulness, practical cleverness (rare)
Root / Etymology
From the root ערם (ʿ-ʀ-m), which means 'to be crafty, to be shrewd, to be cunning'. The noun עֹרֶם is a nominal formation denoting the trait or quality produced by this root action: 'craftiness, cunning'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עֹרֶם appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with its most characteristic usage in poetic or wisdom texts. It is closely related to the more common עָרוּם (ʿarūm, 'shrewd, crafty'). While עֹרֶם primarily conveys cunning or strategic deceit, the semantic range can, in some contexts of Wisdom Literature, bleed into the notion of skillful intelligence used for survival or advantage. English translations typically render it as 'craftiness' or 'cunning,' though these terms do not fully reflect contextual nuances—sometimes emphasizing practical shrewdness, at other times highlighting negative, deceitful aspects. Unlike the positive connotation of prudence (as in חָכְמָה, 'wisdom'), עֹרֶם typically bears a cautionary or negative tone, especially in moral instruction literature. Its usage and the related adjective/noun contrast with terms for wisdom or innocence, indicating a line between wise savvy and morally problematic scheming.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עָרַם; a stratagem; craftiness.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ערם (ʿ-r-m) — craftiness, cunning, shrewdness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4636 | מַעֲרֹם | their barenesses |
| H5903 | עֵירֹם | bare |
| H6174 | עָרוֹם | bare one |
| H6175 | עָרוּם | shrewd one |
| H6191 | עָרַם | shrewd (masculine singular) |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6193-01 |
בְּ/עָרְמָ֑/ם | bearemam | HR/Vqc/Sp3mp |
in their craftiness | in their craftiness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6193-01 |
Job 5:13 | בְּ/עָרְמָ֑/ם | bearemam | HR/Vqc/Sp3mp |
in their craftiness | in their craftiness |