A primitive root, chashab means to think, plan, or devise. It can be used in a neutral sense (to think), a positive sense (to plan with skill, like an artisan), or a negative sense (to plot evil). It also carries the meaning of "to reckon" or "to impute," as in accounting.
Chashab is theologically crucial in the doctrine of justification. In Genesis 15:6, Abraham's belief in God is "counted" (chashab) to him as righteousness. This concept of imputation—God reckoning righteousness to those who have faith—is foundational to the Apostle Paul's theology (Romans 4:3-5). The word also highlights human responsibility, as people are condemned for "devising" (chashab) evil (Micah 2:1), but praised for skillfully "planning" (chashab) the construction of the Tabernacle.