One who gets wisdom loves his own soul; One who keeps understanding will find good.
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.
- BSB He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success.
- NKJV He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He 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 16:20He who heeds the Word finds prosperity. Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.
- Prov 8:35–36For whoever finds me, finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh.
- Prov 4:6Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
- Prov 3:18She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
- 1 Pet 3:10For, “He who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
- John 14:21One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.”
- Prov 2:1–9My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;
- Ps 19:11Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.
- Ezek 36:26I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
- Prov 4:21Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
- Prov 17:16Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?
- Prov 4:4He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
- Prov 22:18For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.
- Prov 3:21My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
- John 12:25He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.
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 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.