Hokhmah
/ˈχɔːx.mɑː/noun
A Hebrew term meaning wisdom, especially divine or mystical wisdom in Jewish thought and Kabbalah.
Did you know?In the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, Hokhmah is the second sefira and is traditionally associated with the primordial, masculine force of pure creative insight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-k-m
“Reconstructed root associated with wisdom, judgment, and being skilled or discerning.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
חָכְמָה (ḥokhmāh)
“Wisdom, skill, intelligence, or practical expertise; the term appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
חָכָם (ḥākhām)
“Wise or skilled; a related masculine form describing a wise person.”
Late Antique Period
Aramaic
חָכְמְתָא (ḥokhmətā)
“Wisdom; an Aramaic cognate used in Jewish religious and literary traditions.”
Medieval Period
Hebrew
חָכְמָה (ḥokhmāh)
“In Kabbalistic writings, divine wisdom and the second of the ten sefirot.”
Modern English
English
hokhmah
“An English scholarly and religious transliteration for Hebrew wisdom, especially in Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah.”