The wise will govern themselves by what the Lord himself declares, and will not set their own finite and often-mistaken understanding against his. OneвЂ™s вЂњunderstandingвЂќ in Proverbs is his perception of the right course of action.

вЂњDo not lean on your own understandingвЂќ further explains trusting in the Lord. вЂњWith all your heartвЂќ indicates that trust goes beyond intellectual assent to a deep reliance on the Lord, a settled confidence in his care and his faithfulness to his word. Trust in the LORD is necessary for fulfilling any of the wise ways of life taught in Proverbs trusting the Lord is closely connected to вЂњfearingвЂќ him (cf. Subordinating oneвЂ™s own understanding to the Lord is in keeping with the major thesis of Proverbs, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.* Read More Read the Commentary Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. This contrast dominates the entire book, as the way of wisdom, righteousness, and the fear of the Lord is set against the way of folly, evil, and scoffing. In addition, the verse asserts that fools despise wisdom and instruction, thus setting up the alternative between the two ways of wisdom and folly. By using the covenant name вЂњthe LORDвЂќ in preference to the more generic вЂњGod,вЂќ this verse makes the point that truth is found through IsraelвЂ™s God. Thus it affirms a kind of вЂњcreational revelation,вЂќ the idea that one can find moral and theological truth through observing the world.ДЄt the same time, it distinguishes the biblical pursuit of knowledge and wisdom from those of the surrounding cultures, for it asserts that submission to the Lord is foundational to the attainment of real understanding (cf. The idea of a quest for knowledge sets biblical wisdom in the broad context of the ancient Near Eastern quest for truth, and this verse also validates such a quest as legitimate and good. The reason that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom is that the moral life begins with reverence and humility before the Maker and Redeemer.

On the fear of the Lord, see notes on Acts 5:5 9:31 Rom. вЂњKnowledgeвЂќ and вЂњwisdomвЂќ are closely tied together in Proverbs: вЂњknowledgeвЂќ tends to focus on correct understanding of the world and oneself as creatures of the magnificent and loving God, while вЂњwisdomвЂќ is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, or вЂњskill in the art of godly livingвЂќ. 111:10, вЂњThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdomвЂќ). This is the core maxim of the book: the quest for wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (cf. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge fools despise wisdom and instruction. This article is part of the Key Bible Verses series.

Biblical teaching on wisdom pdf