American Standard Version
Proverbs 1:7
7The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge;Butthe foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
- New International Version (NIV)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Context of Proverbs 1:7
5That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels: 6To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; Butthe foolish despise wisdom and instruction. 8My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: 9For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.
Read all of Proverbs 1Proverbs 1:7 word by word
יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חָכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃ פRead the interlinear
Cross-references for Proverbs 1:7
- Proverbs 9:10The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Job 28:28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.
- Psalms 111:10The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that dohis commandments: His praise endureth for ever.
- Psalms 112:1Praise ye Jehovah. Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah, That delighteth greatly in his commandments.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13This isthe end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
- Proverbs 1:22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
- Proverbs 5:12And say, How have I hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof;
- Proverbs 15:5A fool despiseth his father’s correction; But he that regardeth reproof getteth prudence.
- Proverbs 18:2A fool hath no delight in understanding, But only that his heart may reveal itself.
- John 3:18He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.
- Romans 1:28And even as they refused to have God intheirknowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
Commentaries on Proverbs 1:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The fear of the Lord - In the preceding verses Solomon shows the advantage of acting according to the dictates of wisdom; in the following verses he shows the danger of acting contrary to them. The fear of the Lord signifies that religious reverence which every intelligent being owes to his Creator; and is often used to express the whole of religion, as we have frequently had occasion to remark in different places. But what is religion? The love of God…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7The beginning of wisdom is found in the temper of reverence and awe. The fear of the finite in the presence of the Infinite, of the sinful in the presence of the Holy (compare Job 42:5-6), this for the Israelite was the starting-point of all true wisdom. In the Book of Job 28:28 it appears as an oracle accompanied by the noblest poetry. In Psalm 111:10 it comes as the choral close of a temple hymn. Here it is the watchword of a true ethical education…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-9Verses 7-9 Fools are persons who have no true wisdom, who follow their own devices, without regard to reason, or reverence for God. Children are reasonable creatures, and when we tell them what they must do, we must tell them why. But they are corrupt and wilful, therefore with the instruction there is need of a law. Let Divine truths and commands be to us most honourable; let us value them, and then they shall be so to us.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Fear of the Lord means relying completely on God for everything, including knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). It is not just a way of thinking; it involves serving, loving, and obeying God’s laws (see Deuteronomy 10:12–13). Fear of the Lord is the basis of all knowledge. How can we understand life without knowing its most basic truth—that God created it?Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. The fear of the Lord--the principle of true piety (compare Pr 2:5; 14:26, 27; Job 28:28; Psa 34:11; 111:10; Ac 9:31). beginning--first part, foundation. fools--the stupid and indifferent to God's character and government; hence the wicked.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 1:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries