“Thefear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Parallel translations
- WEB The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- KJV The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
- BSB The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- NASB The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- NLT Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
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
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and knowing the Holy One is understanding. True wisdom starts with reverent knowledge of God.
Overview
This restates the central theme of Proverbs: reverent awe of God is the foundation and starting point of all genuine wisdom (cf. 1:7). To know 'the Holy One' is to have real understanding, because all true insight flows from rightly relating to God. This knowledge of God is offered fully in Christ, in whom God is most clearly revealed (John 17:3; Colossians 2:3).
Cross-references & the web
Theme
- Wisdom"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 111:10The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Job 28:28To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
- Prov 1:7The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
- Eccl 12:13This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
- Prov 2:5then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.
- 1 Jn 5:20We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
- John 17:3This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
- 1 Chr 28:9You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Yahweh searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
- Prov 30:3I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
- Matt 11:27All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.
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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 9:10 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.