From H3045 (yada, to know). A rare word referring to knowledge as an active faculty β the capacity for thought, discernment, and informed judgment. Used primarily in later Hebrew (Daniel, Chronicles) for intellectual and spiritual understanding.
In Daniel 1:4, Nebuchadnezzar seeks young men skilled in all madda β knowledge and learning. Daniel's superiority in this arena is attributed not to natural intellect but to God's gift (Daniel 1:17). The theological implication: true knowledge is a divine endowment, not merely human achievement. Ecclesiastes 10:20 uses the word to describe the hidden realm of thought where intentions reside before becoming actions. The Bible consistently teaches that madda without the fear of the LORD is incomplete and dangerous.