Proverbs 1:5
New International Version
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—

New Living Translation
Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance

English Standard Version
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Berean Standard Bible
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

King James Bible
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

New King James Version
A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,

New American Standard Bible
A wise person will hear and increase in learning, And a person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

NASB 1995
A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

NASB 1977
A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

Legacy Standard Bible
Let the wise man hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire guidance,

Amplified Bible
The wise will hear and increase their learning, And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

Christian Standard Bible
let a wise person listen and increase learning, and let a discerning person obtain guidance —

Holman Christian Standard Bible
a wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance—

American Standard Version
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:

Contemporary English Version
If you are already wise, you will become even wiser. And if you are smart, you will learn to understand

English Revised Version
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; and that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
a wise person will listen and continue to learn, and an understanding person will gain direction-

Good News Translation
These proverbs can even add to the knowledge of the wise and give guidance to the educated,

International Standard Version
Let the wise listen and increase their learning; let the person of understanding receive guidance

Majority Standard Bible
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

NET Bible
(Let the wise also hear and gain instruction, and let the discerning acquire guidance!)

New Heart English Bible
A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will attain to sound counsel.

Webster's Bible Translation
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:

World English Bible
that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
(The wise hear and increase learning, "" And the intelligent obtain counsels.)

Young's Literal Translation
(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)

Smith's Literal Translation
The wise one will hear and he will add learning: and he understanding, shall obtain guidance:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser: and he that understandeth, shall possess governments.

Catholic Public Domain Version
By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments.

New American Bible
The wise by hearing them will advance in learning, the intelligent will gain sound guidance,

New Revised Standard Version
let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
A wise man will listen and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to leadership;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A wise man will listen and will add to his wisdom and the intelligent will gain leadership
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, And the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Beginning of Knowledge
4To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young, 5let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel 6by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.…

Cross References
James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Proverbs 9:9
Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.

Proverbs 19:20
Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.

Ecclesiastes 7:5
It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.

Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Proverbs 13:10
Arrogance leads only to strife, but wisdom is with the well-advised.

Proverbs 11:14
For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with many counselors comes deliverance.

Proverbs 18:15
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out.

Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.

2 Timothy 3:15-17
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. / All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, / so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

Colossians 1:9-10
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, / so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Ephesians 5:15-17
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, / redeeming the time, because the days are evil. / Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Psalm 119:98-100
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me. / I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. / I discern more than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.

1 Corinthians 2:6-7
Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. / No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.


Treasury of Scripture

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:

wise

Proverbs 9:9
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

Proverbs 12:1
Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

Job 34:10,16,34
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity…

a man

1 Samuel 25:32,33
And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: …

2 Chronicles 25:16
And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

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Proverbs 1
1. The use of the proverbs
7. An exhortation to fear God, and believe his word
10. to avoid the enticing of sinners
20. Wisdom complains of her contempt
24. She threatens her contemners














let the wise listen
The Hebrew word for "wise" here is "חָכָם" (chakam), which refers to someone who is skillful, experienced, and knowledgeable. In the context of Proverbs, wisdom is not merely intellectual but deeply spiritual, rooted in the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). The call to "listen" implies an active, intentional effort to hear and understand. Listening is a humble acknowledgment that one does not know everything and is open to learning. This is a timeless principle, emphasizing that wisdom is not static but dynamic, requiring continuous growth and openness to God's guidance.

and gain instruction
The phrase "gain instruction" uses the Hebrew word "לָקַח" (laqach), which means to take, receive, or acquire. Instruction here is more than just receiving information; it involves internalizing and applying it to one's life. The wise person is encouraged to actively seek out and embrace instruction, which often comes through discipline and correction. This reflects a heart posture that values growth and transformation, aligning with the biblical principle that God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6).

and the discerning
The term "discerning" is translated from the Hebrew "בִּין" (bin), which means to understand, perceive, or consider. Discernment involves the ability to see beyond the surface, to grasp the deeper meaning or truth in a situation. It is a gift that allows individuals to make sound judgments and decisions. In a biblical context, discernment is closely tied to spiritual maturity and the ability to distinguish between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).

acquire wise counsel—
The phrase "acquire wise counsel" uses the Hebrew "תַּחְבֻּלוֹת" (tachbulot), which can be translated as guidance or strategy. This suggests that wisdom involves seeking advice and learning from others, particularly those who are godly and experienced. The idea of acquiring counsel underscores the importance of community and the collective wisdom found within the body of Christ. It is a reminder that no one is an island, and that seeking counsel is a sign of strength, not weakness. This aligns with the biblical teaching that plans succeed through a multitude of counselors (Proverbs 15:22).

(5) A wise man will hear.--That is, if he listen to these proverbs. (Comp. Proverbs 9:9.) It is not the young only who will derive profit from them.

A man of understanding.--Or rather, of discernment.

Wise counsels.--Literally, arts of seamanship: i.e., guiding himself and others aright through the "waves of this troublesome world."

Verse 5. - A wise man will hear, and will increase learning. The change of construction in the original is reproduced in the Authorized Version, but has been rendered variously. Thus Umbreit and Elster, regarding the verb יִשְׁמַע (yish'ma) as conditional, translate, "if the wise man hear;" on the other hand, Delitzsch and Zockler take it as voluntative," let the wise man hear," ete. The principle here enunciated is again stated in Proverbs 9:9, "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser," and finds expression under the gospel economy in the words of our Lord, "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance" (Matthew 13:12; cf. 25:29; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18 and Mark 14:26). Learning; Hebrew, לֶקַח (lekakh), in the sense of being transmitted or received (Gesenius, Delitzsch, Dunn). A man of understanding (LXX., ὁ νοήμων; Vulgate, intelligens) is a person of intelligence who lays himself open to be instructed. Wise counsels; Hebrew, תַּחְבֻּלות (takh'buloth). This word is derived from חֹבֶל (khevel), a ship rope, a denominative of חֹבֵל (khovel), and only occurs in the plural. It signifies those maxims of prudence by which a man may direct his course aright through life (cf. regimen, Arabic). The imagery is taken from the management of a vessel, and is reproduced in the LXX. κυβέρνησις, and the Vulgate gubernatio. "Navigationi vitam comparat" (Mariana). The word is almost exclusively confined to the Proverbs, and occurs in Proverbs 11:14; Proverbs 12:5; Proverbs 20:18; and Proverbs 24:6, usually in a good sense, though it has the meaning of "stratagem" in Proverbs 12:5. In the only other passage where it is found it is used of God's power in turning about the clouds; cf. Job 37:12, "And it [i.e. the bright cloud] is turned round about by his counsels (בְּתַחְבּוּל תָוּ, b'thakh'bulothau)." It is the practical correlative of "learning," in the first part of the verse.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
{let} the wise
חָ֭כָם (ḥā·ḵām)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2450: Wise

listen
יִשְׁמַ֣ע (yiš·ma‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

and gain
וְי֣וֹסֶף (wə·yō·w·sep̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3254: To add, augment

instruction,
לֶ֑קַח (le·qaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3948: Something received, instruction, inveiglement

and the discerning
וְ֝נָב֗וֹן (wə·nā·ḇō·wn)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand

acquire
יִקְנֶֽה׃ (yiq·neh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own

wise counsel—
תַּחְבֻּל֥וֹת (taḥ·bu·lō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8458: Steerage, guidance, a plan


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 1:5 That the wise man may hear (Prov. Pro Pr)
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