My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; my yield than choice silver.
Parallel translations
- KJV My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
- BSB My fruit is better than gold, pure gold, and my harvest surpasses choice silver.
- NKJV My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.
- NASB “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold; And my yield better than choice silver.
- NLT My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver!
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's fruit is better than fine gold and her yield better than choice silver. What she produces surpasses the world's most precious wealth.
Overview
Returning to the comparison with gold and silver, wisdom stresses that her 'fruit'—the outcome of a life shaped by her—exceeds the finest earthly riches. The harvest of a wise, righteous life is more valuable and durable than any treasure. This anticipates the fruit of the Spirit and the eternal reward that godliness brings (Galatians 5:22-23).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Prov 10:20The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.
- Prov 3:14For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
- Prov 8:10Receive my instruction rather than silver; knowledge rather than choice gold.
- Eccl 7:12For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
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 8:19 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.