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Monday, October 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Proverbs 16:16

How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold; to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Wisdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Silver;   The Topic Concordance - Understanding;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Silver;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Proverbs;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Gold;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Silver;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Gold;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gold;   Silver;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!
Update Bible Version
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver.
New Century Version
It is better to get wisdom than gold, and to choose understanding rather than silver!
Webster's Bible Translation
How much better [is it] to get wisdom than gold? and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver?
World English Bible
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
Amplified Bible
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
English Standard Version
How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Welde thou wisdom, for it is betere than gold; and gete thou prudence, for it is precyousere than siluer.
English Revised Version
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver.
Berean Standard Bible
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold; to gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
Contemporary English Version
It's much better to be wise and sensible than to be rich.
American Standard Version
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! Yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver.
Bible in Basic English
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! and to get knowledge is more to be desired than silver.
Complete Jewish Bible
How much better than gold it is to gain wisdom! Yes, rather than money, choose to gain understanding.
Darby Translation
How much better is it to get wisdom than fine gold, and the getting of intelligence to be preferred to silver!
Easy-to-Read Version
Wisdom is worth much more than gold. Understanding is worth much more than silver.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver.
King James Version (1611)
How much better is it to get wisedome, then gold? and to get vnderstanding, rather to be chosen then siluer?
New Life Bible
To get wisdom is much better than getting gold. To get understanding should be chosen instead of silver.
New Revised Standard
How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Howe much better is it to get wisedome then golde? and to get vnderstanding, is more to be desired then siluer.
George Lamsa Translation
To get wisdom is much better than gold; and to get understanding is better than silver.
Good News Translation
It is better—much better—to have wisdom and knowledge than gold and silver.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
To acquire wisdom, how much better than gold! and, to get hold of understanding, more choice than silver!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Get wisdom, because it is better than gold: and purchase prudence, for it is more precious than silver.
Revised Standard Version
To get wisdom is better than gold; to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
To haue wisdome in possession, is better then to haue golde: and to get vnderstandyng, is rather to be chosen then to haue siluer.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The brood of wisdom is more to be chosen than gold, and the brood of prudence more to be chosen than silver.
Christian Standard Bible®
Get wisdom—how much better it is than gold!And get understanding—it is preferable to silver.
Hebrew Names Version
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
King James Version
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Lexham English Bible
Getting wisdom: how much better than gold! And getting understanding: it is chosen over silver.
Literal Translation
How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
Young's Literal Translation
To get wisdom -- how much better than gold, And to get understanding to be chosen than silver!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
To haue wy?dome in possession is better then golde, and to get vnderstondynge, is more worth then syluer.
THE MESSAGE
Get wisdom—it's worth more than money; choose insight over income every time.
New American Standard Bible
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
New King James Version
How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
Legacy Standard Bible
How much better it is to acquire wisdom than fine gold!And to acquire understanding is to be chosen above silver.

Contextual Overview

16 How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold; to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 3:15-18, Proverbs 4:7, Proverbs 8:10, Proverbs 8:11, Proverbs 8:19, Job 28:13-28, Psalms 119:127, Ecclesiastes 7:12, Matthew 16:26, Luke 12:21

Reciprocal: Exodus 9:20 - General 1 Kings 3:9 - Give therefore Job 28:15 - It cannot be gotten for gold Psalms 19:10 - than gold Psalms 34:14 - Depart Psalms 90:12 - that Psalms 119:72 - better Proverbs 1:2 - General Proverbs 2:4 - thou Proverbs 3:14 - General Proverbs 20:15 - but Proverbs 23:23 - Buy Ecclesiastes 2:13 - I saw Matthew 6:19 - General Matthew 13:44 - like Mark 10:30 - an hundredfold Luke 12:15 - for 1 Corinthians 3:12 - gold 2 Corinthians 6:10 - and 1 Peter 1:7 - precious

Gill's Notes on the Bible

How much better [is it] to get wisdom than gold?.... To obtain and possess Christ, the fountain of wisdom, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which treasures are infinitely preferable to thousands of gold and silver; to gain the knowledge of him, and of God in him, with which eternal life is connected, and in comparison of which all things are loss and dung; to have wisdom in the hidden part, or grace in the heart, which is much more precious than gold that perisheth; to have a spiritual experimental knowledge of the Gospel, and the truths of it, which are more to be desired than gold, yea, than fine gold; all which are to be got by diligent search and inquiry, by prayer and asking for, and to be had or bought without money and without price; and the getting of them is above all other gettings; such wisdom is more valuable in itself, has a greater intrinsic worth in it than gold; it is more profitable and useful, more solid and satisfying; it is not only better, but it is abundantly better, it is inexpressibly so; it cannot be well said how much better it is, and therefore it is put by way of question and admiration; see Proverbs 3:13;

and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver? the same thing is designed as before, expressed in different words; a spiritual understanding of Christ and the Gospel, and an experience of the grace of God; though some, as Gersom, think that wisdom is something better than understanding, as gold, to which it is preferred, is better than silver. The Septuagint render it,

"nests of wisdom, and nests of understanding;''

and the Arabic version,

"buds of wisdom, and buds of understanding.''

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 16:16. How much better - to get wisdom than gold? — Who believes this, though spoken by the wisest of men, under Divine inspiration?


 
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