Limitless Word

Proverbs 19:8

WEBKJVBSBESVNKJVNASBNLT
He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success.
Proverbs 19:8 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.
  • KJV He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
  • NKJV He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.
  • NASB One who gets wisdom loves his own soul; One who keeps understanding will find good.
  • NLT To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.

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

Gaining wisdom is an act of love toward oneself. To pursue understanding is to seek one's own true good.

Overview

This proverb teaches that the one who gets wisdom 'loves his own soul,' and that keeping understanding leads to finding good. Far from selfishness, this is the proper care for one's life that godly wisdom commends. Since the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10), to seek wisdom is to seek God Himself, supremely revealed in Christ, the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:30).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • Prov 16:20Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
  • Prov 8:35–36For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.
  • Prov 4:6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
  • Prov 3:18She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.
  • 1 Pet 3:10For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
  • John 14:21Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
  • Prov 2:1–9My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
  • Ps 19:11By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.
  • Ezek 36:26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
  • Prov 4:21Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
  • Prov 17:16Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
  • Prov 4:4he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
  • Prov 22:18for it is pleasing when you keep them within you and they are constantly on your lips.
  • Prov 3:21My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment.
  • John 12:25Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)
WISDOM

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Proverbs videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Proverbs 19:8YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ProverbsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 19:8 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.

He that gettethקָנָהwisdomלֵבlovethאָהַבhis own soulנֶפֶשׁhe that keepethשָׁמַרunderstandingתָּבוּןshall findמָצָאgoodטוֹב
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