the Second Week after Easter
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Easy-to-Read Version
Proverbs 4:7
Bible Study Resources
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- InternationalParallel Translations
Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.And whatever else you get, get understanding.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
Wisdom is the most important thing; so get wisdom. If it costs everything you have, get understanding.
Wisdom is supreme—so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding!
"The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].
"The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;And with all your acquiring, acquire understanding.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. If it costs all you have to acquire, gain understanding.
The best thing about Wisdom is Wisdom herself; good sense is more important than anything else.
The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom! And along with all your getting, get insight!
The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all your substance get understanding.
Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight.
The beginning of wisdom: Get wisdom! With all that is in your possession, gain insight.
Wisdom is the main thing; get wisdom, and with all your getting, get understanding.
The chefe poynte of wy?dome is, that thou be wyllynge to opteyne wy?dome, and before all thy goodes to get the vnderstondynge.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.
The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
Wisedome is the principall thing, therefore get wisedome: and with all thy getting, get vnderstanding.
The chiefe poynt of wysdome, is to possesse wysdome: and before all thy goodes to get thee vnderstanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: yea, with all thou hast gotten get understanding.
The bigynnyng of wisdom, welde thou wisdom; and in al thi possessioun gete thou prudence.
Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom; Yes, with all your getting get understanding.
Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom! And with all you have gotten, get understanding.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight.
The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
The first thing [is] wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
"The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Wisdom is: Ecclesiastes 7:12, Ecclesiastes 9:16-18, Matthew 13:44-46, Luke 10:42, Philippians 3:8
with: Proverbs 16:16, Proverbs 21:6, Psalms 49:16-20, Ecclesiastes 2:4-9, Ecclesiastes 4:8, Mark 8:36, Mark 8:37, Luke 12:20
get understanding: Psalms 119:104
Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 1:10 - Give me Job 22:2 - as he that Psalms 90:12 - that Proverbs 4:23 - with all diligence Proverbs 8:18 - Riches and honour Proverbs 14:18 - the prudent Proverbs 18:15 - General Ecclesiastes 1:13 - I gave Romans 2:10 - glory
Cross-References
Then God said to the woman, "I will cause you to have much trouble when you are pregnant. And when you give birth to children, you will have much pain. You will want your husband very much, but he will rule over you."
The Lord asked Cain, "Why are you angry? Why does your face look sad?
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." So they went to the field. Then Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Later, the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain answered, "I don't know. Is it my job to watch over my brother?"
Then the Lord said, "What have you done? You killed your brother and the ground opened up to take his blood from your hands. Now his blood is shouting to me from the ground. So you will be cursed from this ground.
Now when you work the soil, the ground will not help your plants grow. You will not have a home in this land. You will wander from place to place."
Then Cain said to the Lord , "This punishment is more than I can bear!
The angel said to Lot, "Very well, I'll let you do that. I will not destroy that town.
But if you don't do these things, you will be sinning against the Lord . And know for sure that you will be punished for your sin.
O King, I give everything to you!" Araunah also said to the king, "May the Lord your God be pleased with you."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Wisdom [is] the principal thing,.... Or principal, one; the principal of persons and things; the principal of persons, angels or men: Christ is superior to angels, having a more excellent name and nature than they; he is the God, the Creator, and head of them, and is above them in the human nature; he is superior to men, to the greatest of men, he is King of kings and Lord of lords, and to the best of men the saints. Are they kings? he is their King: are they priests? he is the great High Priest: are any of them prophets, teachers, shepherds? he is the great Prophet in Israel; a Teacher, that never any taught or spoke like him; the chief Shepherd and Bishop of souls: is the church a family? he is the Master of it: is it a body? he is the Head: is it a building? he is the Foundation and Corner Stone; yea, the chief Master Builder. He is the beginning and chief of all God's ways, and the chief in them; in election, in the council of peace, and covenant of grace; in redemption and salvation, in grace and glory; he is all in all. Or the words may be rendered, "Wisdom [is] the beginning" q; so Christ is called, Colossians 1:18; a phrase expressive of his eternity, and of his being the first cause and author of all things, both in the old and new creation. Or thus, that which is "the beginning of wisdom get" r, c. which is the fear of the Lord see Proverbs 1:7;
[therefore] get wisdom; not an interest in Christ, but a knowledge of it; and make use of all means to obtain a greater knowledge of him, and of interest in him, which is what the apostle calls "winning" Christ; by which he means, not getting an interest in him, that he had already, but gaining a greater degree of knowledge of him, as the context shows, Philippians 3:8; or, "buy wisdom" s; that is, without money and without price; so Christ advises to buy gold and white raiment of him, his grace and righteousness, Revelation 3:18;
and with all thy getting get understanding; another name for Christ; see Proverbs 8:14; Or, "along with all thy getting" t, or "above all"; let not Christ be wanting; he is the one thing needful, the good and better part and portion, which, if missing, all other substance signifies little: or part with all for this pearl of great price, Wisdom, and prefer it to all worldly substance; look upon all but dross in comparison of Christ and the knowledge of him: all other gettings or substance are only for the body, this for the soul, and the eternal welfare of it; they are only for a time, this for eternity; they are not satisfying, but, having this, a soul has enough, has all things; Christ being his, all things are his; he possesses all things, and all other things are not blessings without him.
q ר×ש×ת ×××× "principium sapientiae", Montanus, Mercerus, Gejerus. r "Principium sapientiae est hoc, comparas sapientiam", Michaelis; "quae est caput sapientiae eam acquire", c. Junius & Tremellius. s ×§× × ×××× "eme sapientiam", Pagninus, Cocceius. t ××× ×§× ×× × "in omne possessione tua", V. L. "in omne acquisitione tua", Montanus "prae universis quae possides", Tigurine version, Vatablus.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The counsel which has come to him, in substance, from his father. Compare it with 2 Samuel 23:2 etc.; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 1 Chronicles 29:17; Psalms 15:1-5; Psalms 24:1-10; Psalms 37:0.
Proverbs 4:7
Or, âThe beginning of wisdom is - get wisdom.â To seek is to find, to desire is to obtain.
Proverbs 4:12
The ever-recurring parable of the journey of life. In the way of wisdom the path is clear and open, obstacles disappear; in the quickest activity (âwhen thou runnestâ) there is no risk of falling.
Proverbs 4:13
She is thy life - Another parallel between personified Wisdom in this book and the Incarnate Wisdom in John 1:4.
Proverbs 4:16
A fearful stage of debasement. Sin is the condition without which there can be no repose.
Proverbs 4:17
i. e., Bread and wine gained by unjust deeds. Compare Amos 2:8. A less probable interpretation is, âThey eat wickedness as bread, and drink violence as wine.â Compare Job 15:16; Job 34:7.
Proverbs 4:18
Shining ... shineth - The two Hebrew words are different; the first having the sense of bright or clear. The beauty of a cloudless sunshine growing on, shining as it goes, to the full and perfect day, is chosen as the fittest figure of the ever increasing brightness of the good manâs life. Compare the marginal reference.
Proverbs 4:19
Compare our Lordâs teaching John 11:10; John 12:35.
Proverbs 4:20
The teacher speaks again in his own person.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is the principal thing — ר×ש×ת ×××× reshith chochmah, "wisdom is the principle." It is the punctum saliens in all religion to know the true God, and what he requires of man, and for what he has made man; and to this must be added, under the Christian dispensation, to know Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, and for what end HE was sent, the necessity of his being sent, and the nature of that salvation which he has bought by his own blood.
Get wisdom — Consider this as thy chief gain; that in reference to which all thy wisdom, knowledge, and endeavours should be directed.
And with all thy getting — Let this be thy chief property. While thou art passing through things temporal, do not lose those things which are eternal; and, while diligent in business, be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.
Get understanding. — Do not be contented with the lessons of wisdom merely; do not be satisfied with having a sound religious creed; devils believe and tremble; but see that thou properly comprehend all that thou hast learnt; and see that thou rightly apply all that thou hast been taught.
Wisdom prescribes the best end, and the means best calculated for its attainment. Understanding directs to the ways, times, places, and opportunities of practicing the lessons of wisdom. Wisdom points out the thing requisite; understanding sees to the accomplishment and attainment. Wisdom sees; but understanding feels. One discovers, the other possesses.
Coverdale translates this whole verse in a very remarkable manner: "The chefe poynte of wyssdome is, that thou be wyllynge to opteyne wyssdome; and before all thy goodes to get the understandynge." This is paraphrase, not translation. In this version paraphrase abounds.
The translation in my old MS. Bible is very simple: Begynnynge of wisdam, welle thou wisdam; in al thi wisdam, and in al thi possioun, purchas prudence. He is already wise who seeks wisdom; and he is wise who knows its value, seeks to possess it. The whole of this verse is wanting in the Arabic, and in the best copies of the Septuagint.
Instead of ×§× × ×××× keneh chochmah, get wisdom, the Complutensian Polyglot has ×§× × ××× × keneh binah, get understanding; so that in it the verse stands, "Wisdom is the principle, get understanding; and in all this getting, get understanding." This is not an error either of the scribe, or of the press, for it is supported by seven of the MSS. of Kennicott and De Rossi.
The Complutensian, Antwerp, and Paris Polyglots have the seventh verse in the Greek text; but the two latter, in general, copy the former.
