Buy truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom, instruction, and understanding. Proverbs 23:23 NASB Wisdom – A little etymological investigation shows us why “wisdom” is a subset of Truth: The main synonyms are bîn, bînâ, and tĕbûnâ. The verb bîn is used more widely to mean “consider,” “discern” “perceive,” but the nouns are close synonyms to ḥokmâ and are used especially in Prov and…
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in secret You will make wisdom known to me. Psalm 51:6 NASB Truth – What is “truth”? Aren’t you inclined to say something like “correspondence to the facts,” “certainty,” or “what is acknowledged as reality”? That’s typical of the Western world. We think of “true” as something that…
Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces; unregarded, they perish forever. Is their tent-cord not pulled out within them? They die, yet without wisdom. Job 4:20-21 NASB Without wisdom – Eliphaz is right about one thing. We die without wisdom. Not all the questions are answered. Perhaps not even a few. If ḥokmâ is the measure…
Afterwards she appeared on earth and lived with humankind. Baruch 3:37 NRSV She – It’s likely that you’ve never read Baruch (sometimes referred to as 1 Baruch). It’s a book in the Catholic and Greek orthodox Apocrypha, termed deuterocanonical, that is, considered canonical books of the Old Testament by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian, and others…
To know wisdom and reproof, to understand discerning maxims. To accept the reproof of insight, righteousness, justice, and uprightness. To give shrewdness to the simple, to a lad, knowledge and cunning, Let the wise man hear and gain learning, and the discerning acquire designs. Proverbs 1:2-5 Robert Alter Reproof – Reconsider the context of that…
And He said to man, Look, fear the Master, that is wisdom, and the shunning of evil is insight. Job 28:28 Robert Alter Look – Don’t overlook “Look”! If you do, you’ll miss something quite unusual. The NASB translates this verse, “And to mankind He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And…
You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception. Amidah (Ashkenazi version) Wisdom, intellect and knowledge – The Sephardic version of the Amidah reads as follows: You favor man with knowledge and teach mankind understanding. Grant us wisdom, intellect and…
You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception. Amidah (Ashkenazi version) Knowledge, understand and intellect – Let’s be consistent. That’s one of the fundamental requirements of good translation. The same word needs to be rendered as the same word. …
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Wisdom – “The Sages promulgated the principle ‘Not the study of but the performance of mitzvot is the essence of virtue.’ ‘One whose wisdom is more abundant than his deeds—to what is he compared? To a tree whose branches…
