Proverbs 9:10

Amplified Bible

The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Hebrew Names Version
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

King James Version
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

English Standard Version
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

New American Standard Bible
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

New Century Version
"Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord , and understanding begins with knowing the Holy One.

New English Translation
The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord , and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding.

World English Bible
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lorde, and the knowledge of holy things, is vnderstanding.

Legacy Standard Bible
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Berean Standard Bible
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Contemporary English Version
Respect and obey the Lord ! This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God.

Complete Jewish Bible
The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of holy ones is understanding.

Darby Translation
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is intelligence.

Easy-to-Read Version
Wisdom begins with fear and respect for the Lord . Knowledge of the Holy One leads to understanding.

George Lamsa Translation
The reverence of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the righteous is understanding.

Good News Translation
To be wise you must first have reverence for the Lord . If you know the Holy One, you have understanding.

Lexham English Bible
The start of wisdom is fear of Yahweh, and knowledge of the Holy One, insight.

Literal Translation
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The feare of the LORDE is the begynnynge of wysdome, & the knowlege of holy thinges is vnderstondinge.

American Standard Version
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Bible in Basic English
The fear of the Lord is the start of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One gives a wise mind

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the All-holy is understanding.

King James Version (1611)
The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome: and the knowledge of the holy is vnderstanding.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisdome: and the knowledge of holy thinges, is vnderstanding.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of saints is understanding: for to know the law is the character of a sound mind.

English Revised Version
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The bigynnyng of wisdom is the dreed of the Lord; and prudence is the kunnyng of seyntis.

Update Bible Version
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; And knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Webster's Bible Translation
The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.

New King James Version
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

New Living Translation
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

New Life Bible
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To learn about the Holy One is understanding.

New Revised Standard
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The beginning of wisdom, is the reverence of Yahweh, and, the knowledge of the Holy, is understanding;

Douay-Rheims Bible
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is prudence.

Revised Standard Version
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Young's Literal Translation
The commencement of wisdom [is] the fear of Jehovah, And a knowledge of the Holy Ones [is] understanding.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Contextual Overview

¹Wisdom has built her [spacious and sufficient] house; She has hewn out and set up her seven pillars. ²She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table. ³She has sent out her maidens, she calls From the highest places of the city: ⁴"Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!" As for him who lacks understanding, she says, ⁵"Come, eat my food And drink the wine I have mixed [and accept my gifts]. ⁶"Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live, And walk in the way of insight and understanding." ⁷He who corrects and instructs a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man gets insults for himself. ⁸Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you; Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you. ⁹Give instruction to a wise man and he will become even wiser; Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. ¹⁰The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The fear: Proverbs 1:7, Job 28:28, Psalms 111:10, Ecclesiastes 12:13

the knowledge: Proverbs 2:5, Proverbs 30:3, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Matthew 11:27, John 17:3, 1 John 5:20

Reciprocal: Psalms 119:125 - that I Proverbs 19:25 - reprove Acts 10:33 - are we

Cross-References

Genesis 8:1
And God remembered and thought kindly of Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark; and God made a wind blow over the land, and the waters receded.

Genesis 9:1
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

Genesis 9:5
"For your lifeblood I will most certainly require an accounting; from every animal [that kills a person] I will require it. And from man, from every man's brother [that is, anyone who murders] I will require the life of man.

Genesis 9:6
"Whoever sheds man's blood [unlawfully], By man (judicial government) shall his blood be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

Genesis 9:15
and I will [compassionately] remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again will the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Genesis 9:16
"When the rainbow is in the clouds and I look at it, I will [solemnly] remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

Psalms 145:9
The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].

Jonah 4:11
"Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 [innocent] persons, who do not know the difference between their right and left hand [and are not yet accountable for sin], as well as many [blameless] animals?"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The fear of the Lord [is] the beginning of wisdom,.... This shows who the wise men are, and in what true wisdom lies; no man is wise till he fears the Lord, and he that does so is a wise man, at least then he begins to be one; this is the principal part of wisdom, Proverbs 1:7; and is at the first of it; it is the beginning of grace; it is the first act of wisdom, or grace; or which appears as soon as a man is converted and caused to know wisdom in the hidden part; as repentance, faith, and love, quickly show themselves in one act or another, so does the fear of God; for the former are never without the latter; for fear is an awe and reverence of the divine Being, joined with love to him, trust in him, and a desire to serve and worship him in a right manner; no sooner is a man converted, but presently there is in him a fear of offending God, from a principle of love to him; for not a slavish but a filial fear is here intended;

and the knowledge of the Holy [is] understanding: either the knowledge of the Holy Ones, as the three divine Persons in the Godhead, who are so called, Joshua 24:19; the knowledge of God the Father, who is holy in his nature and works; not a mere natural knowledge of him by the light of nature; nor a mere notional knowledge of him by revelation; not a legal knowledge of him as a lawgiver, and an offended Judge; but an evangelical knowledge of him in Christ, as his God and Father; and as the God of all grace in him; so as to have faith and hope in him, access unto him, and communion with him; this is right understanding: so the knowledge of Christ, God's Holy One; a knowledge of him in his person, offices, and grace; an inward knowledge of him, a spiritual acquaintance with him, so as to approve of him, believe in him, and appropriate him to one's self; this is to attain to a good degree of understanding: as likewise the knowledge of the Holy Spirit, the author of sanctification; of his person, and operations of grace; as a convincer and comforter; as a Spirit of illumination and faith, of regeneration and sanctification; and as the Spirit of adoption, and the earnest of glory; this is another branch of spiritual understanding. Moreover, such knowledge which holy men have, and which makes them so; and which holy men of God, moved by the Holy Ghost, have communicated in the sacred Scriptures, of which they are the penmen. The knowledge of holy things may also be meant; of the holy mysteries of religion, of the holy doctrines of the Gospel, which are all according to godliness, and teach men to live in a holy manner: the faith once delivered to the saints is a most holy faith, encourages and promotes holiness of heart and life; as the doctrines of God's everlasting love; eternal election; the unconditionality of the covenant of grace; redemption by Christ; conversion by efficacious grace; justification by Christ's righteousness; pardon by his blood; satisfaction by his sacrifice; and perseverance by his power: and now a knowledge of these things, not notional, but experimental, is understanding indeed; as well as a knowledge of holy and gracious experiences.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The holy - The word in the Hebrew is plural, agreeing, probably, with אלהים 'elohı̂ym understood (so in Proverbs 30:3). The knowledge of the Most Holy One stands as the counterpart to the fear of Yahweh.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 9:10. The fear of the Lord — See on Proverbs 1:7. The knowledge of the holy; קדשים kedoshim, of the holy ones: Sanctorum, of the saints. - Vulgate. βουλη αγιων, the counsel of the holy persons.