Proverbs 8:25
New International Version
before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,

New Living Translation
Before the mountains were formed, before the hills, I was born—

English Standard Version
Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,

Berean Standard Bible
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,

King James Bible
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

New King James Version
Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;

New American Standard Bible
“Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was born;

NASB 1995
“Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;

NASB 1977
“Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;

Legacy Standard Bible
Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;

Amplified Bible
“Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was born;

Christian Standard Bible
Before the mountains were established, prior to the hills, I was given birth —

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I was delivered before the mountains and hills were established,

American Standard Version
Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;

Contemporary English Version
My birth was before mountains were formed or hills were put in place.

English Revised Version
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I was born before the mountains were settled in their places and before the hills,

Good News Translation
I was born before the mountains, before the hills were set in place,

International Standard Version
Before the mountains were shaped, before there were hills, I was bringing them to birth.

Majority Standard Bible
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,

NET Bible
before the mountains were set in place--before the hills--I was born,

New Heart English Bible
Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was brought forth;

Webster's Bible Translation
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.

World English Bible
Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Before mountains were sunk, "" Before heights, I was brought forth.

Young's Literal Translation
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.

Smith's Literal Translation
Before the mountains were settled; before the hills I had a beginning:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth:

Catholic Public Domain Version
The mountains, with their great mass, had not yet been established. Before the hills, I was brought forth.

New American Bible
Before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth;

New Revised Standard Version
Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth—
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills were formed was I conceived;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And before the mountains would be established, and before the hills, I was formed in the womb.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, he begets me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Excellence of Wisdom
24When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when no springs were overflowing with water. 25Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth, 26before He made the land or fields, or any of the dust of the earth.…

Cross References
John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

Colossians 1:15-17
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. / For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. / He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Hebrews 1:2-3
But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. / The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Revelation 3:14
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation.

Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

John 17:5
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.

1 Corinthians 1:24
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Psalm 102:25-27
In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. / They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on. / But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

Isaiah 44:24
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

John 14:9-10
Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? / Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.

Isaiah 48:12-13
Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the first, and I am the last. / Surely My own hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they stand up together.


Treasury of Scripture

Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

Job 15:7,8
Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? …

Job 38:4-11
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding…

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Psalm 102:25-28
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands…

Hebrews 1:10
And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

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Proverbs 8
1. the fame
6. and evidence of wisdom
10. The excellence
12. the nature
15. the power
18. the riches
22. and the eternity of wisdom
32. Wisdom is to be desired for the blessedness it brings














Before the mountains were settled in place
This phrase speaks to the ancient and foundational nature of wisdom. The Hebrew word for "before" (טֶרֶם, terem) indicates a time preceding the creation of the earth's most enduring features. The "mountains" symbolize stability and permanence, often seen as the oldest and most unchanging parts of the earth. In the biblical context, mountains are frequently associated with divine encounters and revelations, such as Mount Sinai. The imagery here suggests that wisdom is even more ancient and foundational than these mighty structures, emphasizing its eternal and divine origin.

before the hills
The repetition of "before" underscores the preexistence of wisdom. Hills, like mountains, are symbols of strength and endurance. The Hebrew word for "hills" (גִּבְעוֹת, gib'ot) can also imply smaller elevations, suggesting that wisdom predates even the lesser, yet still significant, features of creation. This further reinforces the idea that wisdom is not a human invention but a divine attribute that existed before the physical world was formed.

I was brought forth
The phrase "I was brought forth" (חוֹלָלְתִּי, cholalti) is rich with meaning. The verb used here can mean to be born or brought into existence, but it also carries connotations of being fashioned or formed with purpose. This suggests that wisdom is not only ancient but also intentionally created by God. In the broader scriptural context, this aligns with the portrayal of wisdom as a master craftsman or artisan in creation, as seen in Proverbs 8:30. Wisdom is depicted as an active participant in the creation process, highlighting its integral role in the divine order.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Before
בְּטֶ֣רֶם (bə·ṭe·rem)
Preposition-b | Adverb
Strong's 2962: Non-occurrence, not yet, before

the mountains
הָרִ֣ים (hā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

were settled,
הָטְבָּ֑עוּ (hā·ṭə·bā·‘ū)
Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2883: To sink, sink down

before
לִפְנֵ֖י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the hills,
גְבָע֣וֹת (ḡə·ḇā·‘ō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1389: A hillock

I was brought forth,
חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃ (ḥō·w·lā·lə·tî)
Verb - Pual - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2342: To twist, whirl, to dance, to writhe in pain, fear, to wait, to pervert


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 8:25 Before the mountains were settled in place (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 8:24
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