50+ Bible Verses about Wisdom

When graduation season hits, commencement speech highlights circle the internet. Everyone from pop stars to athletes to politicians are asked to share something meaningful with graduates. There are some really great tidbits for sure!

My questions always end up being something along the lines of, "Why are we listening to these particular people? Are they truly sharing wisdom with these graduates?"

Another question could be, "How does the wisdom of this world differ from the wisdom we find in the Bible?"

The Bible definitely has a lot to say about wisdom. The ESV shows 201 occurrences of the word. We have a whole collection of books that are often called the Wisdom books & most of the 201 references unsurprisingly are found there.

So, let's dive in & see what we find!

Deuteronomy 4:6 - Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

The first time we see the word "wisdom" show up in the ESV is here as Moses speaks to the Children of Israel. As Deuteronomy begins, Moses recollects some of the recent events in a speech. He's also using this time to exhort the people to obedient living. Their special covenant relationship with God would be their defining characteristic to the people that they would encounter. And their continued, devoted obedience to God's commands would lead to abundant blessings that would point to & glorify the One True God. As God's people, believers in Christ should also have this "wisdom" that marks us as belonging to Him.

Deuteronomy 34:9 - And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Moses has just died & the people have taken the time to mourn this great man. Now, he successor takes the stage, so to speak. Joshua had a monumental task ahead of him--finish the task that God had begun through Moses & lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. Oh, and defeat all of the people who are already living there. Oh, and establish borders & allotments for each tribe. Oh, and a nearly a million other tasks that we get to read about in Joshua. If anyone needed the "spirit of wisdom" on them, it was Joshua! Don't forget though--if you are trusting Jesus as your Savior, He has promised that His Spirit dwells in us. So, the same Spirit who imbued Joshua with supernatural wisdom, is the same Spirit who is right there to direct you in your daily tasks, even if they don't seem so grand as what Joshua did.

1 Kings 3:28 - And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

At the beginning of this chapter, Solomon prays for wisdom from God. Then, we see that prayer answered as Solomon settles a dispute between 2 women over who is the rightful mother of a baby. This episode points everyone to Solomon's God Who granted him such wisdom. We can see throughout Solomon's early years that his renown grew as long as he remained faithful to God.

Ezra 7:25 - “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach."

Here we have an unbelieving King of Persia acknowledging the wisdom of Ezra's God. Ezra is being sent to rebuild Jerusalem, and would be dependent on God's perfect wisdom to accomplish such a task.

Job 12:13, 16 - “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. With him are strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his."

Job is such a rich book, full of so much depth & insight into the character of God. Here, we see Job acknowledging God's wisdom.

Job 13:5 - "Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom!"

This is a continuation of Job's expression of awe at God's wisdom that he began above. He sees it all around him.

Job 28:12 - “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?"

Job repeats this phrase in verse 20. He is acknowledging that wicked people do suffer the consequences of their sin, just like his friends have been saying. However, he retains that he has been righteous before God. So, this chapter is Job's proposal that the wisdom of God is beyond our finite understanding. We cannot look around here on earth to find it out. In this life, we can never fully comprehend what He knows.

Job 28:18 - "No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls."

Godly wisdom is so precious, its value cannot compare to any of the earthly measures of wealth.

Job 28:28 - "And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

What a wonderfully-succinct way to pull these thoughts together. When we are confronted with the immensity of God's wisdom, our response must be awe & reverence for Him. And that will also involve a turning away from sin.

Job 38:36-37 - "Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind? Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,"

As the book of Job draws to a close, Job hears directly from God. God asks Job & his friends a series of rhetorical questions that highlight the infinite might & wisdom He possesses. The language here is lyrical & replete with pictures that give us just a glimpse into the indescribable majesty of our God.

Psalm 37:30 - The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

This is one of David's psalms & it is all about how God will not leave His people alone. He will help & guide. David presents many different contrasts/comparisons between the righteous & the wicked. Those who follow after righteousness will have speech marked with wisdom & justice. This idea is repeated in Psalm 49:3.

Psalm 51:6 - Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

This Psalm is David's confession after his sin(s) against Bathsheba. Nathan confronts him & he finally breaks down in repentance over his sin. There is similar wording in the Job 38 verses we looked at above. David acknowledges his sinfulness & his own responsibility in the whole terrible ordeal. Here, David is recognizing that God delights in showing us the truth! He directly shares His perfect wisdom with us.

Psalm 90:12 - So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Moses wrote this psalm & it is such a beautiful prayer. When we mediate on God's infinite power & presence, we run smack into the fact that we are the exact opposite. We are finite & weak. These truths compel us to spend our time that God has given us with wisdom.

Psalm 104:24 - O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

I'm constantly amazed when I learn a new science fact. They point to intelligent design. They point to an all-wise, only-good Creator.

Psalm 111:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Here's this idea that we saw in Job & we're going to see it again. It seems really upside down to our modern mind, but God's Kingdom operates in this way--a humble acknowledgement of the holy character of God is where we must begin.

Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

See? I told you we'd see this phrase again. This verse sums up the introductory section of Proverbs. It serves as a kind of "theme verse" for the book. We're going to spend quite a bit of time in this book, tracing the vein of wisdom vs. foolishness.

Proverbs 1:20 - Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;

Wisdom gets personified here as a woman selling her wares in the marketplace. This picture continues for quite a few verses. Wisdom calls out warnings to the simple, the scoffers, the fools.

Proverbs 2:1-2 - My Son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;

This passage focuses on the value of wisdom. You can read the verses that follow these & see that wisdom comes from God & that He blesses those who seek after His wisdom. We also get to see another repeated idea that Proverbs will echo over & over--the wonderful treasure that wisdom is. You can find it for yourself in chapters 4, 8, 16, etc.

Proverbs 3:19 - The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;

God's creation reflects His wisdom. The seasons, the geography, the design of the human body--all of it shouts about the wisdom of our God.

Proverbs 7:4 - Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend,

The opening verses give a warning against sin, an admonition to make wisdom a close & treasured companion. The chapter goes on to tell the story of a simple person who is easily lured into the house of the adulteress. This illustration shows the end of the person who disregards the instruction of his parents & despises Godly wisdom.

Proverbs 9:1 - Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.

Just as we see folly personified in the simple man & the adulterous woman, we do also see wisdom personified as this wise woman here & other places in Proverbs. If you get a chance to read through this chapter, you will find in the second half Folly pictured as a woman. It's helpful to read & study the contrast between these 2 women. Oh, and the number 7 is significant as it signifies perfection or completion.

Proverbs 9:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Sensing a theme here...

Proverbs 10:13 - On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.

While many use the second part of this verse as a proof text for corporal punishment, let's focus more on that first part. We all know people whose speech is characterized by wisdom. We can see here that it grows from an inner root of understanding. (Another verse that touches on this is 29:15.)

Proverbs 10:23 - Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.

I remember reading this as a high schooler & thinking (in my arrogance) it was an apt description of some of my classmates. Believe me--I can see the irony quite clearly now. It's memories like those that ignite my gratitude for God's incredible grace in my life. I hope that I am now finding more & more pleasure in wisdom than in sinfulness.

Proverbs 11:2 - When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Just one of those simple proverbs that we can take into account when our pride threatens to overtake the Christ-like humility that the Spirit is growing within us.

Proverbs 13:10 - By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.

Proverbs likes to do these poetical contrasts. We probably don't use the word insolence so much these days, but I think we can all pinpoint a person who is rude & egotistical. And we can notice the division & unrest that comes from that behavior. The contrasting behavior is this attitude of teachability.(Similar ideas repeated in 19:20.)

Proverbs 14:6 - A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.

The scoffer is pretty much like the insolent person we just talked about. He is so convinced of his own way of doing things that he has no room for any other opinion. He is not teachable. If you've spent any time in Proverbs (I hope this word study encourages you to do so!), you know that the scoffer is another character that shows up throughout the book.

Proverbs 15:33 - The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

We see our theme again here with a slightly varied wording. We also see an echo of another recurring idea--humility coming before honor. Now, does this mean that all those who are given honor are also humble. Not always. The nature of Proverbs is that many of these seem so different than what we see in our sin-filled world. Here's where study Bibles, faithful commentaries, and the wisdom of other believers can be really helpful in studying any part of Scripture!

Proverbs 17:16 - Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?

This one makes me think of the stories you hear of incredibly wealthy people who make terrible (& even bizarre) life choices. If someone doesn't value wisdom as she is meant to be valued, that person can pay for all the advisors & education but never truly be a wise person.

Proverbs 17:24 - The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

That phrase reminds me of the description of Jesus when the Gospel write said that "He set His face to go to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51) It speaks of determination & focus on a specific purpose. A fool, in contrast, is said to have attention that is constantly going in different directions.

Proverbs 18:4 - The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

Wisdom is an unsearchable, unending supply. We will never reach the end of it.

Proverbs 21:30 - No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.

We see a different angle in this verse, speaking about earthly wisdom. It cannot avail against the truth of God. This is a comforting verse when we see lies being accepted as truth more & more in our society.

Proverbs 24:3 - By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;

I love this picture (it continues for a few verses) of a house that wisdom builds & furnishes & supplies.

Proverbs 24:7 - Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.

This verse follows & contrast the idea in the above verse. "The gate" was the place where the wise men would discuss & debate their ideas. A fool can't even speak in that space. He is distinctly out of place.

Proverbs 24:14 - Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

If you read the verse before, it really helps understand what such is referring to. Honey. The sweetness of honey & the goodness & overabundance as it flows from the comb. That is how we should view wisdom. It is sweet. It is medicinal, nutritious. It is abundantly provided by our Creator (through those busy little bees). The future & hope of the wise is secure.

Proverbs 28:26 - Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

This verse begins a short section that goes through 29:2 & talks about how societies work when the wise rule versus when the foolish & wicked are in power. It's a glimpse into how things should have always been.

Proverbs 29:3 - He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

The second part is pretty self explanatory, right? That first part, though. What a beautiful picture! It makes me think of a recent conversation I had where the father excitedly shared the wisdom his son was showing in his work. He recognized that his son was working hard, being teachable, and being ethically strong. It was a perfect example of this proverb!

Proverbs 30:3 - I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

This proverb is unique. The name of the author is given here as Agur. Nowhere else in the Bible do we find this name, but here we read this man's words. If Agur is trying to make his case for why you should listen to his proverb, he goes about it in a seemingly poor way by calling himself "stupid." (v. 2) However, we see here the type of wisdom that we've been finding throughout this study. Wisdom that recognizes its source as from God.

Proverbs 31:26 - She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

Oh that Proverbs 31 woman! She seems to be an unattainable ideal, but she is actually practical & down-to-earth. Instead of reading this proverb like a checklist, maybe we should read it as a prayer. I know so many women who open their mouths with wisdom & kindness is always on their tongue. Those ladies have been beautiful Gospel pictures to me, & I pray that I will be more like them!

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

I know this post is getting quite lengthy, so if you've stuck with it thus far, we have made it to a book where the tone changes significantly. The author is the wise King Solomon, but he has made it to an age where he is looking back over his life. He sees that all that we do "under the sun" (v. 14) amounts to nothing. Earthly wisdom & earthly pleasure is not worth striving after, and Solomon should know! He had it all & yet we come to this book & find a rather cynical, frustrated man. I won't go into all of the verses that mention wisdom in Ecclesiastes to save time, but it is so worth your study!

Isaiah 11:2 - And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Isaiah has lots to say about God's promised Messiah. Here, we see that one of His distinguishing character traits will be that Spirit anointing. And we also see the Spirit called by a variety of names or distinctions, including wisdom. Jesus lived out perfect wisdom while he dwelt among men. As believers, we have this same Spirit indwelling us.

Jeremiah 10:12 - It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

Jeremiah shows the great contrast between the wisdom of God & the wisdom of man. (He will echo this later in chapter 51.) In chapter 9, the Lord warns men against boasting in their own wisdom. in this passage we see an awe-inspiring example of why. He is so great & we are so small.

Ezekiel 28:17 - Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.

The prophecy of Ezekiel reflects much of what Jeremiah's message said. Man is easily pleased with himself. We are so impressed with our own beauty & wisdom. Yet, God knows that all the knowledge in the world & all of the applause cannot compare to the infinite pleasure of knowing & loving Him. This is why sometimes, a humbling must take place. To turn us back to Him.

Daniel 2:21 - He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;

The book of Daniel speaks much of the sovereignty of God over even the most powerful earthly kings & rulers. He uses them to fulfill His promise of consequences for the idolatry of Israel. He sends the great Babylonian king out to live as an animal for a period of time. He brings seemingly-invincible Babylon to an end.

Matthew 13:54 - and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

The people of Nazareth reject Jesus. Despite His indisputable wisdom & works, the people who knew Him best could not see Him as anyone other than the carpenter's son. Isaiah's prophecy about the Messiah's wisdom is seen here, too. (This story is also told in Mark 6. And we see Jesus' wisdom from childhood referred to in Luke 2.)

Acts 6:3 - Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

The Greek-speaking widows' needs were falling through the cracks, so the early church needed to appoint men who would be responsible to ensure that they were cared for properly. It's not surprising then that one of the qualifications for these men needed to exhibit was wisdom.

Acts 6:10 - But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

This verse just a little bit after the one above is referring to Stephen. He is one of the men chosen for the task in verse 5. Here, we get to see what his ministry looked like. It was powerful & bold, but the religious leaders couldn't stand it. He us then seized to be brought to trial before the high priest.

Romans 11:33 - Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

In the first 11 chapters of the book of Romans, Paul sets out to explain in as much detail as possible God's incredibly gracious plan of salvation. In this verse, Paul pauses for a praise break. Maybe he had just read over what he'd written under the Holy Spirit's guidance & now the Spirit prompts him to record this worshipful moment. When we read the story of Scripture, we too will be struck with God's wisdom!

1 Corinthians 1:30 - And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

The Corinthian church is in great turmoil. They are fighting, allowing sin to go unchecked. Paul stops here in this first chapter before going any further to discuss the wisdom of God personified in Jesus. God's wisdom seems foolish to unbelievers. But God chooses those of no account to shame the wise. His kingdom looks nothing like a worldly kingdom.

Ephesians 1:7-8 - In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

My pastor is currently preach through this book, so I am thinking back to a few months ago when we were in this passage. This first chapter of Ephesians is so deep. When we read over these blessings that are lavished on us & meditate on how they affect our life, we cannot help but worship our God for His wisdom & sovereignty! (It's OK--you can stop reading this & go read Ephesians 1 instead. Like, you probably definitely should!)

Ephesians 1:17 - that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

This is part of Paul's prayer for the believers in Ephesus. "The Spirit of wisdom." Please God, give us this spirit & give it to our loved ones as they live for you today. (Paul has a similar prayer for the Colossians 1:9.)

Colossians 2:3 - in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The whom Paul refers to here is Christ. In Jesus are the treasures of wisdom & knowledge. Paul desires that this church be deeply rooted in the knowledge of Him. And that will lead to growth & unity & maturity.

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Here we see a continuation of what Paul was talking about in chapter 2.

James 3:17 - But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

James has some good stuff to say about wisdom, but I'll just share this one. It contrasts with the preceding verses that share what this world's wisdom leads to. (This would be a great verse to memorize!)

Revelation 5:12 - saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” & Revelation 7:12 - saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Putting these 2 together due to their similarities, but they are 2 distinct scenes. The first is a song of praise to the Lamb who is the only One worthy to open the scroll. The second is a scene when a the multitude from every tribe & nation stand before the lamb. It is important that these 2 refrains are so similar & that they both exult in the wisdom of God's wisdom. This last book of the Bible is often hard to understand, but it is also full of God's wise plan for redemption coming to completion.

I obviously had to winnow out quite a few verses, but I attempted to only do that on parallel verses. All of Scripture is given to us for a reason, so I hope that if this topic really interests you, please take the time to read more fully than I have had the time to share here.

I appreciate your stamina on blog posts like this! Even if you didn't read each one, I encourage you to come back when you're in the midst of a word study of your own & it will be like we're getting to study together, which is what I'd really love to do!

I have lots more posts like this one. You can find the collection here.

I am cheering you on!