Counsel (To)

"to advise, counsel consult." Used throughout the history of the Hebrew language, this verb occurs in the Hebrew Old Testament approximately 80 times. Ya‘as is found first in Exod 18:19, where Jethro says to his son-in-law Moses: "I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee." The word is found only one other time in the Hexateuch, and that is in Num 24:14: "I will advise you" (nasb, rsv, "I will let you know": jb, "let me warn you"; neb, "I will warn you"). While ya‘as most often describes the "giving of good advice," the opposite is sometimes true. A tragic example was the case of King Ahaziah of Judah, whose mother "was his counselor to do wickedly" (2Chron 22:3). The idea of "decision" is expressed in Isa 23:9: "The Lord of hosts hath purposed it" (rsv, neb, nasb, "planned it"; jb, "decision").

"counselor." Perhaps the most familiar use of this root is the noun form found in the messianic passage, Isa 9:6. On the basis of the syntax involved, it is probably better to translate the familiar "Wonderful Counselor" (nasb, tev) as "Wonder-Counsellor" (jb, nab) or "Wonder of a Counsellor." The neb renders it "in purpose wonderful." Another possibility is that of separating the terms: "Wonderful, Counselor" (kjv).

"those who give counsel." Ya‘as is frequently used in its participle form, "those who give counsel," especially in connection with political and military leaders (2Sam 15:12; 1Chr 13:1).