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Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Easy-to-Read Version

Proverbs 3:14

Profit that comes from wisdom is better than silver and even the finest gold.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Happiness;   Peace;   Wisdom;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Call, Divine;   God's;   Gold;   Knowledge;   Knowledge-Ignorance;   Silver;   Wisdom;   Wisdom-Folly;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gold;   Silver;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Wise, Wisdom;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jealousy;   Proverbs, Book of;   Silver;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Gold;   Old Testament (Ii. Christ as Student and Interpreter of).;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Proverbs book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fine;   Gain;   Gold;   Merchandise;   Silver;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
for she is more profitable than silver,and her revenue is better than gold.
Hebrew Names Version
For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, The profit of it better than fine gold.
King James Version
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
English Standard Version
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.
New Century Version
Wisdom is worth more than silver; it brings more profit than gold.
New English Translation
For her benefit is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than gold.
Amplified Bible
For wisdom's profit is better than the profit of silver, And her gain is better than fine gold.
New American Standard Bible
For her profit is better than the profit of silver, And her produce better than gold.
World English Bible
For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, The profit of it better than fine gold.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof is better then golde.
Legacy Standard Bible
For her profit is better than the profit of silverAnd her produce better than fine gold.
Berean Standard Bible
for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold.
Contemporary English Version
Wisdom is worth more than silver; it makes you much richer than gold.
Complete Jewish Bible
for her profit exceeds that of silver, gaining her is better than gold,
Darby Translation
For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver, and her revenue than fine gold.
George Lamsa Translation
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and its gains than fine gold.
Good News Translation
There is more profit in it than there is in silver; it is worth more to you than gold.
Lexham English Bible
For her income is better than the income of silver, and her revenue than that of gold.
Literal Translation
For its profit is better than the gain from silver, and its increase more than fine gold;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for the gettinge of it is better then eny marchaundise of syluer, & the profit of it is better then golde.
American Standard Version
For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, And the profit thereof than fine gold.
Bible in Basic English
For trading in it is better than trading in silver, and its profit greater than bright gold.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
King James Version (1611)
For the merchandise of it is better then the merchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof, then fine gold.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For the marchaundise of it, is better then the marchaundise of siluer, and the gayne therof [is better] then golde.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver.
English Revised Version
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The geting therof is betere than the marchaundie of gold and of siluer; the fruytis therof ben the firste and clenneste.
Update Bible Version
For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, And the profit thereof than fine gold.
Webster's Bible Translation
For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain of it than fine gold.
New King James Version
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.
New Living Translation
For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold.
New Life Bible
For it is better than getting silver and fine gold.
New Revised Standard
for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For better is her merchandise, than the merchandise of silver, yea, than gold, her increase;
Douay-Rheims Bible
The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold:
Revised Standard Version
for the gain from it is better than gain from silver and its profit better than gold.
Young's Literal Translation
For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold.

Contextual Overview

13 Those who find wisdom are fortunate; they will be blessed when they gain understanding. 14 Profit that comes from wisdom is better than silver and even the finest gold. 15 Wisdom is worth more than fine jewels. Nothing you desire has more value. 16 With her right hand, Wisdom offers long life—with the other hand, riches and honor. 17 Wisdom will lead you to a life of joy and peace. 18 Wisdom is like a life-giving tree to those who hold on to her; she is a blessing to those who keep her close. 19 With wisdom and understanding, the Lord created the earth and sky. 20 With his knowledge, he made the oceans and the clouds that produce rain.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 2:4, Proverbs 8:10, Proverbs 8:11, Proverbs 8:19, Proverbs 16:16, 2 Chronicles 1:11, 2 Chronicles 1:12, Job 28:13-19, Psalms 119:72, Psalms 119:111, Psalms 119:162, Matthew 16:26, Philippians 3:8, Philippians 3:9, Revelation 3:18

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 10:8 - happy are these 2 Chronicles 9:7 - General Revelation 18:11 - buyeth

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, "Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:15
I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your children and her children will be enemies. You will bite her child's foot, but he will crush your head."
Genesis 3:20
Adam named his wife Eve. He gave her this name because Eve would be the mother of everyone who ever lived.
Genesis 9:6
"God made humans to be like himself. So whoever kills a person must be killed by another person.
Leviticus 20:25
So you must treat clean animals differently from unclean animals. You must also treat clean birds differently from unclean birds. Don't eat any of these unclean birds or animals or things that crawl on the ground. I have made these things unclean.
Psalms 72:9
May all the people living in the desert bow down to him. May all his enemies bow before him with their faces in the dirt.
Isaiah 29:4
You will be pulled to the ground. Your voice will rise from the ground like the voice of a ghost. Your words come like a whisper from the dirt."
Isaiah 65:25
Wolves and little lambs will eat together. Lions will eat hay like cattle, and snakes will eat only dust. They will not hurt or destroy each other on my holy mountain." This is what the Lord said.
Micah 7:17
They will crawl in the dust like a snake. They will shake with fear. They will be like insects crawling from their holes in the ground and coming to the Lord our God. God, they will fear and respect you!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver,.... The believer is a spiritual merchant; faith is a trading with and for Christ, and for spiritual and heavenly things by him; and because there is a parting with something for Christ, as a man's sinful lusts and pleasures, his own righteousness, his friends and relations, when set in opposition to or competition with him, and even life itself, when called for; and because he runs a risk of suffering reproach, afflictions, and death itself; therefore this concern with him, and enjoyment of him, is called a "merchandise", which is "better than [that] of silver", or than silver which is got by merchandise: for Christ, and the things of Christ, are more valuable than silver, and to be preferred unto it; more useful and profitable than silver is, which a man may have a large abundance of, and lose his soul, whereas by Christ is the salvation of it; more satisfying than silver is, with which a man is never satisfied, whereas he that has Christ has enough, having all things; more pleasant in obtaining, and more safe in enjoying; a great deal of anxiety and vexation attend the one, and inexpressible pleasure the other; and more durable and lasting than that, the enjoyment of Christ is for ever;

and the gain thereof than fine gold; the doctrines and ordinances of Christ are more to be desired than gold, yea, than fine gold; the blessings of grace by Christ, such as redemption, pardon of sin, c. are not obtained by corruptible things, as silver and gold, but are more precious than they and even the graces of Christ in the hearts of his people, as faith, hope, and love, are more precious than gold that perisheth; and much more preferable must he himself be, and the gain that accrues to a believer by him, which is cent per cent an hundred fold, even in this world, and in the world to come everlasting life: it is all clear gain a believer gets by Christ and trading with him; he has him, and all with him, without money and without price; he has that which is more worth than the gain of the whole world, even the salvation of his immortal soul; the riches he has by Christ are immense and unsearchable, the riches of grace and glory; it cannot be said how great this gain is.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare Proverbs 2:4. “Fine gold” is apparently a technical word of that commerce, the native gold in the nugget or the dust.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 3:14. For the merchandise — סחר sachar, the traffic, the trade that is carried on by going through countries and provinces with such articles as they could carry on the backs of camels, c. from סחר sachar, to go about, traverse. Chaffarynge; Old MS. Bible.

And the gain thereof — תבואתה tebuathah, its produce; what is gained by the articles after all expenses are paid. The slaves, as we have already seen, got their liberty if they were so lucky as to find a diamond of so many carats' weight; he who finds wisdom-the knowledge and salvation of God - gets a greater prize; for he obtains the liberty of the Gospel, is adopted into the family of God, and made an heir according to the hope of an eternal life.


 
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