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# מְזִמָּה

Biblical Hebrew · Strong's H4209

**purpose** — used 19 times in the Hebrew Bible. Below: its meanings with their sources, MACULA's glosses, and 2 verses word for word and in JPS 1917.

## Meaning

### OpenScriptures lexical index

purpose [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4209/#m1)

### Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906

מְזִמָּה: n.f. purpose, discretion, device [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4209/#m2)

**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. purpose, discretion, device (Je and WisdLt), מְזִמָּה Jb 42:2 + 5 times; הַמְּזִמָּ֫תָה Je 11:15 (but read for המ׳ רַבִּים with 𝔊 הַמְּזִמֹּת הַֽנְדָרִים); altogether עָֽשְׂתָה מְזִמֹּת הַֽנְדָרִים וּבְשַׂר קֹדֶשׁ יַעֲבִרוּ מֵעָלַיִךְ רָעָתֵךְ. מְזִמָּתוֹ Je 51:11; pl. abs. מְזִמּוֹת ψ 37:7 + 7 times; cstr. id. Je 23:20; 30:24; sf. מְזִמּוֹתָיו ψ 10:4;— of י׳’s purposes Jb 42:2; chiefly in punishment (cf. זָמַם, זִמָּה) Je 23:20; 30:24; 51:11 (‖ זמם v 12). power of devising, discretion Pr 1:4 (‖ דַּעַת), 2:11 (‖ תְּבוּנָה), 3:21 (‖ תֻּשִׁיָּה), 5:2 (‖ דַּעַת); דַּעַת מְזִמּוֹת 8:12. evil thoughts of men ψ 10:4, evil devices of men Jb 21:27 (‖ מחשׁבות), ψ 10:2; 21:12 (both c. חָשַׁב. wickedness in act Je 11:15 ψ 37:7 (both c. עָשָׂה), 139:20 לִמְזִמָּה = wickedly;—note phrases: אישׁ מְזִמּוֹת a man of (evil) devices (or practices). Pr 12:2 (opp. טוֹכ) 14:17; בַּעַל־מְזִמּוֹת Pr 24:8 (‖ מְחַשֵּׁב לְהָרֵעַ; v. בַּעַל).

Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 19 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

## Glosses

MACULA's English glosses of the word in the text, with how often each is used: discretion (4); of evil devices (2); schemes (2).

## In the verses

[Proverbs 2:11](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.2.11/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.2.11/#tree)

מְ֭זִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹ֥ר עָלֶ֗יךָ תְּבוּנָ֥ה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃

*Word for word:* discretion it.will.watch over you understanding it will.preserve.you

*JPS 1917:* Discretion shall watch over thee, discernment shall guard thee;

[Proverbs 5:2](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.5.2/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.5.2/#tree)

לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמּ֑וֹת וְ֝דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

*Word for word:* to preserve discretion and knowledge lips your they.will.observe

*JPS 1917:* That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of its meanings](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4209/): every English meaning parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.

Sources. The words, their counts, glosses and the word-for-word renderings: MACULA Hebrew (the Westminster Leningrad Codex; Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0). Meanings: the OpenScriptures lexical index (CC BY 4.0), Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906 and Jastrow 1903 (public domain, via Sefaria); Targum Onkelos from Sefaria (public domain). Translation: JPS 1917 (public domain, from eBible.org).