Bible Dictionary
SLEIGHT
Sleight means cunning or trickery. In Ephesians 4:14, “the sleight of men” portrays deceptive teaching as the craft or cheating of gamblers using dice.
Definition
Sleight means cunning, trickery, or deceptive craft. It is unrelated to the ordinary word “slight” in the sense of smallness or insignificance.
Biblical Usage
In Ephesians, “the sleight of men” compares deceptive teaching with dice-playing and the tricks of gamblers.
Historical Background
The term is connected with the idea of gambling tricks and cheating with dice.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>slit: No connection with "slight," but from the same root as "sly" and so = "cunning." So in Eph 4:14, "sleight of men," for kubeia, "dice-plalying" (compare "cube") "gamblers' tricks" "trickery."</p>