A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
Parallel translations
- WEB Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
- KJV Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
- BSB Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
- ESV The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.
- NKJV The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
- NASB The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 wise woman builds up her household, but a foolish one tears it down. Wisdom or folly profoundly shapes the home.
Overview
This proverb personifies wisdom and folly through the image of women who either build or destroy their houses, highlighting the immense influence of wise living within the family. The 'house' includes both the physical home and the family's well-being and legacy. The wise builder echoes Christ's call to build one's life on the rock of His words (Matthew 7:24).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Prov 31:10–31Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above rubies.
- Prov 24:3–4Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;
- Prov 21:9It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman.
- Prov 21:19It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious and fretful woman.
- Ruth 4:11All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.
- Prov 9:13–15The foolish woman is loud, undisciplined, and knows nothing.
- Prov 19:13A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping.
- 1 Kgs 16:31As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.
- 2 Kgs 11:1Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring.
- 1 Kgs 21:24–25The dogs will eat he who dies of Ahab in the city; and the birds of the sky will eat he who dies in the field.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 14:1 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.