The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Parallel translations
- WEB The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
- BSB The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- NKJV The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
- NASB ¶The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
- NLT Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
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
Proverbs' motto: real knowledge begins with the fear of the LORD — reverent awe of God is the foundation everything else is built on.
Overview
This verse is the thesis of Proverbs. "The fear of the LORD" is not terror but a reverence that takes God seriously enough to reshape one's life. The contrast — "fools despise wisdom and instruction" — frames wisdom as fundamentally a matter of the heart's posture toward God, not mere intelligence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Job 28:28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
- Ps 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
- Eccl 12:13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
- Prov 9:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
- Prov 15:33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
- Prov 18:2A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
- Prov 1:29–30For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
- Rom 1:28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
- Prov 1:22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
- Prov 15:5A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.
- John 3:18–21He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
- Prov 5:12–13And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Pastoral
Henry on the fear of the LORD and the purpose of Proverbs.
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 1:7 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.