First occurrence
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and ate, and gave also to her husband with her; and he ate. Gen 3:6
(In the Scripture Picture: Blessed is he who considers the poor …)
Hebrew root word parable
Strong’s H7919, שכל shakal, a primitive root meaning, ‘to be prudent, to wisely understand.’ The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon defines it as “the ability to consider a situation with comprehension in order to be successful or prosperous.”
shin ש = two front teeth (sharp, press, eat, two, again)
kaph כ ך = open palm (bend, open, allow, tame)
lamed ל = shepherd’s staff (teach, yoke, to, bind)
The parable: pressing in (shin) to tame (kaph) that which is unruly, gaining mastery (lamed) over it. A wise man presses into chaotic thoughts, discourse, or policy; a wise husbandman gains mastery over an unruly landscape; a prudent craftsman brings a thing of beauty from common clay or other raw materials, and a prudent businessman presses into an organic economy to harness it to his profit.
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