Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. New Living Translation Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. English Standard Version The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Berean Standard Bible Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. King James Bible Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. New King James Version Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. New American Standard Bible “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your possessions, acquire understanding. NASB 1995 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. NASB 1977 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. Legacy Standard Bible The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, acquire understanding. Amplified Bible “The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]. Christian Standard Bible Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding. Holman Christian Standard Bible Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding. American Standard Version Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Wisdom is the summit; get wisdom, and with all your possessions purchase understanding. Contemporary English Version The best thing about Wisdom is Wisdom herself; good sense is more important than anything else. Douay-Rheims Bible The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence. English Revised Version Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: yea, with all thou hast gotten get understanding. GOD'S WORD® Translation The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding with all that you have. Good News Translation Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight. International Standard Version Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom, and with all your effort work to acquire understanding. JPS Tanakh 1917 The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding. Literal Standard Version The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, | And with all your getting get understanding. Majority Standard Bible Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. New American Bible The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom; whatever else you get, get understanding. NET Bible Wisdom is supreme--so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding! New Revised Standard Version The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight. New Heart English Bible Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. Webster's Bible Translation Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. World English Bible Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. Young's Literal Translation The first thing is wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context A Father's Instruction…6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you. 7Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. 8Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.… Cross References Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them. Proverbs 8:23 From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began. Proverbs 23:23 Invest in truth and never sell it--in wisdom and instruction and understanding. Treasury of Scripture Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding. wisdom is Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Ecclesiastes 9:16-18 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard… Matthew 13:44-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field… with Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! Proverbs 21:6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. Psalm 49:16-20 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; … get understanding Psalm 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Jump to Previous Acquire Acquiring Beginning Cost Costs First Getting Insight Intelligence Possessions Principal Sign Supreme True. Understanding Whatever WisdomJump to Next Acquire Acquiring Beginning Cost Costs First Getting Insight Intelligence Possessions Principal Sign Supreme True. Understanding Whatever WisdomProverbs 4 1. persuades to wisdom14. and to show wickedness 20. He exhorts to sanctification (7) Wisdom is the principal thing . . .--This may also be translated, The beginning of wisdom is Get (or, to get, comp. Proverbs 16:16) wisdom: and with (i.e., at the price of) all thou hast gotten (thy possessions) get understanding.Verse 7. - Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. The older versions, such as the Alexandrian LXX. (the verse is omitted by the Vatican LXX.), Targum, and Syriac, agree in rendering this verse, "The beginning of wisdom is get wisdom," which is equivalent to saying that the beginning of wisdom consists in the acquisition of wisdom, or, as Umbreit explains, "in the resolution to get wisdom." That this rendering, which is adopted by Luther, Delitzsch, and Umbreit, may be correct appears from Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10, where we have the same construction, only in inverted order. Seneca's aphorism is conceived in much the same spirit: "Magna pars boni est velle fieri bonum" - "A large part of good is the wish to become good;" i.e. that the beginning of being good depends to a large extent upon the wish to become so. The objections to this rendering are: (1) That it is difficult to see how the beginning of wisdom can be the acquisition of it. (2) That elsewhere, as in Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10, the beginning of wisdom is represented as the fear of the Lord. (3) That it does not fall in well with the context or with the aim of the father's teaching, which is to hold up wisdom as pre-eminently a blessing, as the most excellent and highest thing attainable. On the other hand, Hitzig, De Dieu, Doderlein, Zockler, render as in the Authorized Version, "Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom;" i.e. wisdom is the highest good, and therefore ought to be obtained. The word reshith is found with this signification in ch. 24:20; 1 Samuel 2:29; Job 40:19; Jeremiah 49:35; Amos 6:1-6. And with all thy getting get understanding. This does not mean, as the Authorized Version seems to imply, that while you are acquiring other things, you are to acquire wisdom, but that wisdom is to be purchased with all you have acquired or gotten. "Getting" (kin'yon) is the purchase money. No price is too high to be paid for her, no sacrifice too great; cf. the parables of the hidden treasure and goodly pearl (Matthew 13:44: Luke 10:42), in both of which the man sold "all that he had" to obtain the prize. There is a play upon the words in the original (kin'yan'ki k'neh), which is preserved in our translation. Hebrew Wisdomחָ֭כְמָה (ḥāḵ·māh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 2451: Wisdom is supreme; רֵאשִׁ֣ית (rê·šîṯ) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 7225: The first, in place, time, order, rank therefore acquire קְנֵ֣ה (qə·nêh) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own wisdom. חָכְמָ֑ה (ḥāḵ·māh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 2451: Wisdom And whatever וּבְכָל־ (ū·ḇə·ḵāl) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every else you obtain, קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ (qin·yā·nə·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 7075: Creation, creatures, acquisition, purchase, wealth gain קְנֵ֣ה (qə·nêh) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own understanding. בִינָֽה׃ (ḇî·nāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 998: An understanding Links Proverbs 4:7 NIVProverbs 4:7 NLT Proverbs 4:7 ESV Proverbs 4:7 NASB Proverbs 4:7 KJV Proverbs 4:7 BibleApps.com Proverbs 4:7 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 4:7 Chinese Bible Proverbs 4:7 French Bible Proverbs 4:7 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is supreme (Prov. 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