Have you ever bought furniture in a box that came in hundreds of pieces?
Most of us instantly look for the instruction manual to see what tools are needed to assemble the furniture and reference its instructions throughout the process.
Others don't look for the instructions at all but would rather “figure it out” instead.
I’m sure you’d agree that there is wisdom in following the instructions. In doing so, you will likely put the furniture together faster and avoid double work or getting stuck, questioning what piece goes where.
Ultimately, you're more likely to get done, and all the pieces and parts fit. However, not following the instructions may leave you with leftover parts and a subpar furniture construction job.
The same goes for life. Through much trial and error, we can figure “some” things out independently, only to find we have wasted years of our lives away.
But we don't have to because the bible is our manual and guidebook, full of wisdom and instructions for life.
Following the bible's wisdom gives us hope that we will become whole, even when our lives are in pieces. Its instructions give us the knowledge and insight to reach the intended outcome of our manufacturer (God).
In the bible verses about wisdom and understanding, you will appreciate how they navigate you past certain situations that can bring you hardship and pain, something we all would rather not learn through personal experience.
Before we look at 37 practical Bible verses about wisdom and knowledge, we will first define the two. Then, we'll briefly discuss their differences and how they work together for our benefit.
What is Wisdom?
Wisdom is the quality of being wise. It is when you have experience and knowledge and then use it to make sound judgments.
If you drove down a highway, hit a large pothole in the left-hand lane, and damaged your car, wisdom would tell you not to put yourself in the same situation again. So, when traveling down the same path, you will do all you can to avoid the pothole. Therefore, life experience is a great way to obtain wisdom.
We can also gain wisdom in other ways, according to the bible. The first is through reading bible verses about wisdom. This is why many Christians consider the bible a manual for living life rather than just a book.
Then, we can also gain wisdom through prayer, God's Spirit, and wise Godly counselors (those who share their wisdom in a way that aligns with Godly values). Each contains guidance for the situations we may encounter because we simply don’t have the answers on our own.
Every solution we seek from them always points us back to faith in God and laying hold of His willingness to help us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
The Lord has great plans for us and our well-being, so His wisdom is available to guide us around disaster and on to the bright future He has planned.
To seek wisdom is acknowledging that we don't have all the answers. We tried to figure out how to fix situations, solve issues, or tap into various resources. Still, we fell short of the solutions we need. But God, who is all-knowing, will guide us the right way. You could say it is wise to seek God for wisdom.
Have you ever worked on a puzzle, and a piece looks like it will fit, yet it doesn't? You try to squeeze the pieces together, yet they don't match. Similarly, this is how we can feel when putting the puzzle pieces of our lives together into one cohesive unit.
We can make sense of those pieces by finding practical bible verses about wisdom to help us. It's like using the box top of a puzzle to see what it should look like in the end as we put the pieces together.
Wisdom from God exceeds knowledge. It shows us how to use the information we have so we can see the outcome we desire.
What is Knowledge?
Knowledge is awareness about a situation. It’s information and facts. Like wisdom, knowledge can come from skills gained through experience. We can also gain it through training and education. Additionally, knowledge is the practical and theoretical understanding of a subject.
Some people thirst for knowledge, so they research heavily to learn as much information as possible. And that information may even tell them how to do a thing.
However, knowledge differs from wisdom because knowledge is based more on the facts or information you have gained. It can even cover how to do something. But wisdom deals with the specific application and timing in which you should do a thing.
My friend Dan was still immature when he married for the first time (in the late 90s). He bought a high-end remote-controlled stereo and had excellent knowledge about using it and all its features.
However, he didn’t use wisdom and would play loud music while his wife was in bed at night trying to sleep. This and other issues always caused massive fights between the two.
Knowledge and wisdom should go hand in hand as we go through life. Though Dan had vast knowledge of the operation of his stereo, he lacked wisdom about when it was best to use it and maintain a peaceful marriage.
Similarly, we have tons of information easily accessible to us and our children. So, we need biblical knowledge and wisdom concerning life to best use that information.
It will help us create a biblical set of values, forming healthy boundaries to serve as guardrails to keep us walking in the way of the wise despite everything going on in our environment.
Here are 37 practical Bible verses about wisdom and knowledge that can guide you throughout your life.
37 Practical Bible Verses about Wisdom and Knowledge
1. Proverbs 4:7
“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].”
2. Psalms 139:4
“Even before there is a word on my tongue [still unspoken], Behold, O Lord, You know it all.”
3. Psalms 147:4-5
“He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. Great is our [majestic and mighty] Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is inexhaustible [infinite, boundless].”
4. 1st John 3:20
“…God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things [nothing is hidden from Him because we are in His hands].”
5. James 1:5-7
“If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord,”
If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord,” – James 1:5-7
6. Proverbs 3:5
“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.”
7. Mark 6:52
“Because they had not understood [the miracle of] the loaves [how it revealed the power and deity of Jesus]; but [in fact] their heart was hardened [being oblivious and indifferent to His amazing works].”
8. James 3:17
“But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].”
9. Joshua 1:8
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.”
10. Proverbs 19:20
“Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come.”
11. 1st Kings 3:7, 9-13
“So now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David, my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king]. So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge and rule this great people of Yours?” Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice, behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind), so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both wealth and honor, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days.”
12. Acts 6:9-10
“However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, rose up and questioned and argued with Stephen. But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.”
13. Proverbs 13:18
“Poverty and shame will come to him who refuses instruction and discipline, but he who accepts and learns from reproof or censure is honored.”
14. Proverbs 9:9
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will become even wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.”
15. Proverbs 4:10-12
“Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have instructed you in the way of [skillful and godly] wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open]; and when you run, you will not stumble.”
Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have instructed you in the way of [skillful and godly] wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open]; and when you run, you will not stumble.” – Proverbs 4:10-12
16. Proverbs 4:26-27
“Consider well and watch carefully the path of your feet, And all your ways will be steadfast and sure. Do not turn away to the right nor to the left [where evil may lurk]; Turn your foot from [the path of] evil.”
17. Proverbs 1:7
“The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.”
18. Proverbs 2:6
“For the Lord gives [skillful and godly] wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
19. 1st Corinthians 3:18
“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [discarding his worldly pretensions and acknowledging his lack of wisdom] so that he may become [truly] wise.”
20. Proverbs 19:8
“He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul; he who keeps understanding will find good and prosper.”
21. Proverbs 17:28
“Even a [callous, arrogant] fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is regarded as sensible (prudent, discreet) and a man of understanding.”
22. Proverbs 16:16
“How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.”
23. Proverbs 13:10
“Through pride and presumption come nothing but strife, but [skillful and godly] wisdom is with those who welcome [well-advised] counsel.”
24. Romans 11:33
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions, and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways!”
25. Ephesians 5:15-16
“Therefore, see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.”
Therefore, see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.” – Ephesians 5:15-16
26. Proverbs 13:20
“He who walks [as a companion] with wise men will be wise, but the companions of [conceited, dull-witted] fools [are fools themselves and] will experience harm.”
27. Isaiah 28:29
“This also comes from the Lord of hosts, who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.”
28. Colossians 4:5-6
“Conduct yourself with wisdom in your interactions with outsiders (non-believers), make the most of each opportunity [treating it as something precious]. Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].”
29. Proverbs 15:33
“The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the instruction for wisdom [its starting point and its essence]; and before honor comes humility.”
30. Isaiah 55:8
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.”
31. Proverbs 18:2
“A [closed-minded] fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his personal opinions [unwittingly displaying his self-indulgence and his stupidity].”
32. Psalms 90:2
“So, teach us to number our days, that we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom.”
33. Ecclesiastes 10:12
“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious and win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him.”
34. Proverbs 4:5
“Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.”
Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” – Proverbs 4:5
35. Matthew 7:24
“So, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock.”
36. Proverbs 10:8
“The wise in heart [are willing to learn so they] will accept and obey commands (instruction), but the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.”
37. Proverbs 24:14
“Know that [skillful and godly] wisdom is [so very good] for your life and soul; if you find wisdom, then there will be a future and a reward, and your hope and expectation will not be cut off.”
Final Thoughts on Bible Verses about Wisdom
We often seek peace, love, joy, identity, a sense of belonging, and purpose from many sources. We look to find it in people, places, things, and ideas… but it is truly found in God and His ways and precepts.
We often want answers based on our own perception and outlook of what life should be for us. But sadly, our thoughts and ideas alone fall short of God’s best intention for us.
However, God is able and willing to give us wisdom. Proverbs 3:13 says, “Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom, and the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences].”
If we look back over our lives, we will see that there were some “not so good” decisions we made and experiences we could have avoided had we followed the wisdom of God. So, it would be wise to take advantage of His generosity.
Micah 4:12 says, “But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel…” Without God's wisdom, things will happen, and we won’t understand the significance of how or why they happened.
But as you can see through these practical bible verses about wisdom and knowledge, there is help available for everyone.
So, if you desire to live in peace with God in your homes, jobs, and hearts, continue to study and apply these bible verses. And see, won't it begin to make you a happier and wiser human.
And if you're looking for more Bible verses to help you get through tough times, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 25 Bible Verses About Dealing with Sadness or Depression
- 55 Bible Verses About Gratitude to Be More Thankful in Life
- 21 Bible Verses About Having Self-Control in Your Life
