Craftiness

Craftiness [NAVE]

CRAFTINESS.
Instances of
Satan, in the temptation of Eve, Gen. 3:1-5.
Jacob, in purchase of Esau's birthright, Gen. 25:31-33; obtaining Isaac's blessing, Gen. 27:6-29; in management of Laban's flocks and herds, Gen. 30:31-43.
Gibeonites, in deceiving Joshua and the Israelites into a treaty, Josh. 9:3-15.
Sanballat, in trying to deceive Nehemiah into a conference, Neh. 6.
Jews, in seeking to entangle the Master, Matt. 22:15-17,24-28; Mark 12:13,14,18-23; Luke 20:19-26; in seeking to slay Jesus, Matt. 26:4; Mark 14:1.

CRAFT; CRAFTINESS; CRAFTY [ISBE]

CRAFT; CRAFTINESS; CRAFTY - kraft, kraf'-ti-nes, kraf'-ti, (panourgia), (panourgos): The original meaning is that of "ability to do anything," universally applied in a bad sense to unscrupulous wickedness, that stops short of no measure, however reprehensible, in order to attain its purposes; then, in a modified form, to resourcefulness in wrong, cunning (Dan 8:25; 2 Macc 12:24; the Revised Version, margin "jugglery"). In Lk 20:23, Jesus perceives "the craftiness" of His adversaries, i.e. the complicated network which they have laid to ensnare Him. The art with which a plot is concealed, and its direction to the ruin of others, are elements that enter into the meaning. Heinrici on 1 Cor 3:19 illustrates from Plato the distinction between craftiness and wisdom. There is a touch of humor in 2 Cor 12:16, when Paul speaks of his conduct toward the Corinthians as having been "crafty."

H. E. Jacobs