Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
Parallel translations
- WEB Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
- KJV Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
- NKJV Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!
- NASB Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!
- NLT What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A woe falls on those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. It condemns the self-reliant pride that rejects God's wisdom.
Overview
Trusting one's own insight above God's revelation is the root of much sin, the opposite of the fear of the Lord that begins true wisdom (Proverbs 3:7). Such self-conceit makes people deaf to correction and prophetic warning. The verse exposes the arrogance underlying Judah's refusal to repent.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Cor 3:18–20Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- Prov 3:7Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
- Rom 12:16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.
- Prov 26:12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- Prov 26:16The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.
- Rom 1:22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
- John 9:41“If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
- Job 11:12But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!
- Rom 11:25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 5:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.