She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her.
Parallel translations
- WEB She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
- KJV She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
- NKJV She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
- NASB She is more precious than jewels, And nothing you desire compares with her.
- NLT Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.
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
Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares to her. It matters because it ranks wisdom above every other object of desire.
Overview
Heightening the comparison of verse 14, wisdom outshines costly jewels and exceeds all that one might want. Nothing in this world rivals her worth. The believer rightly treasures wisdom above all, and supremely Christ, the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:46).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Prov 8:11For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her.
- Prov 31:10A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
- Job 28:18Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
- Rom 8:18I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
- Ps 73:25–26Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You.
- Ps 63:3Because Your loving devotion is better than life, my lips will glorify You.
- Prov 20:15There is an abundance of gold and rubies, but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure.
- Matt 13:44–46The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 3:15 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.