1570 verses about Understanding

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

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.” as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment, but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.

Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.

The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.

It is a fool’s pleasure to do wickedness, but wisdom is a man of understanding’s pleasure.

One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace.

Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.

Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

A man shall be commended according to his wisdom, but he who has a warped mind shall be despised.

He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread, but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.

A prudent man keeps his knowledge, but the hearts of fools proclaim foolishness.

Good understanding wins favor; but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

Every prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposes folly.

A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.

A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.

The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of fools gush out folly.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so with the heart of fools.

The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

Folly is joy to one who is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding keeps his way straight.

Where there is no counsel, plans fail; but in a multitude of counselors they are established.

He who refuses correction despises his own soul, but he who listens to reproof gets understanding.

The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.

How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

The wise in heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.

Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools is their folly.

A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.

Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?

A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.

Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.

An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.

A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.

He who gives answer before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.

The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.

He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.

It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge; nor being hasty with one’s feet and missing the way.

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.

Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end.

Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Yahweh has made even both of them.

There is gold and abundance of rubies; but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.

Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!

A man’s steps are from Yahweh; how then can man understand his way?

The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp, searching all his innermost parts.

The man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall rest in the assembly of the departed spirits.

A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings down the strength of its confidence.

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh.

A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.

For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;

by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.

A wise man has great power; and a knowledgeable man increases strength;

for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors.

Wisdom is too high for a fool: he doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Like the legs of the lame that hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.

Evil men don’t understand justice; but those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor who has understanding sees through him.

A servant can’t be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond.

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.

I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:

Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new?” It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.

I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.

Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”

For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.

For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?