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…
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. Psalm 119:98 NASB Than – We need to pay close attention to the Hebrew text here. מֵאֹֽיְבַי תְּחַכְּמֵ֣נִי מִצְוֹתֶ֑ךָ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם הִיא־לִֽי The opening word is from the root ʾāyab (to be an enemy), but it is the preposition (the prefixed min) that…
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; 1 Corinthians 3:19 NASB Foolishness – Pay attention to Richard Lim’s insight: “Christians, in particular, bore the brunt of such polemical assaults because they lacked the protective armor of…
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NASB Became flesh – Suppose for just a moment that John is thoroughly Jewish. Suppose he is operating in the typical way Jews handled the Tanakh in the first century. Suppose he’s writing…
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…
I, Wisdom, dwell in shrewdness, and cunning knowledge I find. Fear of the LORD is hating evil. Proverbs 8:12-13a Robert Alter Shrewdness/ Cunning – Perhaps you’re more familiar with the typical English translations of this verse, like the NASB, “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.” Unfortunately, such translations miss an…
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…
