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Cunning


CategoryArchaic Word
Modern Equivalentskillful; crafty; clever; deviously intelligent.
KJV Word TypeAdjective / Noun
DefinitionIn earlier English, "cunning" simply meant skilled or knowledgeable — as in a "cunning craftsman." Over time it gained the sense of craftiness or deviousness. Both senses appear in the KJV: skilled artisans are called cunning workmen, while the serpent's cunning refers to his deceitful craftiness.
Key Verses"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made." (Genesis 3:1); "I know that thou art more cunning than I." (1 Samuel 23:22)