The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Parallel translations
- WEB The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility.
- KJV The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
- NKJV The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.
- NASB The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
- NLT Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.
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
Reverence for God is the school of wisdom, and humility precedes honor. It matters because true wisdom and lasting honor begin with humble fear of the Lord.
Overview
This capstone proverb restates the book's foundational theme that the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10), pairing it with humility as the path to honor. Pride exalts itself and falls; humility waits on God and is lifted up. This pattern is perfectly displayed in Christ, who humbled Himself and was therefore exalted (Philippians 2:8-9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Pet 5:5Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Prov 18:12Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.
- Prov 1:7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- Ps 34:11Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
- Jas 4:10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
- Ps 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Prov 29:23A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
- Prov 25:6–7Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men;
- Job 28:28And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Phil 2:5–11Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
- Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Prov 8:13To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 15:33 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.