Proverbs Wisdom Quotes & Sayings

Proverbs may be said to be the abridgment of wisdom. — Joseph Joubert

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him. — Anonymous

How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver (Proverbs 16:16 NKJV). — T.D. Jakes

Philosophy has been described as thinking about thinking, and all Christians should do that. The term comes from two Greek words, philia ("love") and sophia ("wisdom"), thus "loving wisdom." Nothing anti-Christian appears in that definition. Problems arise if we seek wisdom apart from God, or elevate human reason above Him, but according to Proverbs 4:5-7, God's people should love and seek wisdom.
Formal philosophy is divided into three major areas-incidentally, all core Christian issues: (1) Metaphysics,
which asks questions about the nature of reality: "What is real?" "Is the basic essence of the world matter, or spirit, or something else?" (2) Epistemology, which addresses issues concerning truth and knowledge: "What do we know?" "How do we know it?" "Why do we think it's true?" (3) Ethics, which considers moral problems: "What is right and wrong?" "Are moral values absolute or relative?" "What is the good life, and how do we achieve it? — Rick Cornish

Proverbs 15:33 33 Fear of the LORD teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. — Anonymous

Proverbs, and the wisdom literature in general, counter the idea that being spiritual means handing all decisions over to the leading of the Lord. The opposite is true. Proverbs reveals that God does not make all people's decisions for them, but rather expects them to use his gift of reason to interpret the circumstances and events of life within the framework of revelation that he has given. Yet when they have exercised their responsibility in decision-making, they can look back and see that the sovereign God has guided. — Graeme Goldsworthy

Lady Wisdom will be your close friend; and Brother Knowledge will be your pleasant companion. — Anonymous

If everyone helps to hold up the sky, then one person does not become tired. — Askhari Johnson Hodari

People carry on whole conversations in proverbs. But they are not LIVING the proverbs. — Idries Shah

It is by now proverbial that every proverb has its opposite. For every Time is money there is a Stop and smell the roses. When someone says You never stand in the same river twice someone else has already replied There is nothing new under the sun. In the mind's arithmetic, 1 plus -1 equals 2. Truths are not quantities but scripts: Become for a moment the mind in which this is true. — James Richardson

Cry is a sound in woman's ear; it is a volcano in man's heart. — Kamaran Ihsan Salih

Music-hall songs provide the dull with wit, just as proverbs provide them with wisdom. — W. Somerset Maugham

Proverbs 23:9 9Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words. — John F. MacArthur Jr.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. — Bible KJV

Do not put everybody's foot into your old shoe; it might not be suitable for everyone. — Kamaran Ihsan Salih

The most dangerous enemy is that enemy when your ally becomes enemy — Kamaran Ihsan Salih

Proverbs were anterior to boots, and formed the wisdom of the vulgar, and in the earliest ages were the unwritten laws of morality. — Benjamin Disraeli

The wisdom of nations lies in their proverbs, which are brief and pithy. Collect and learn them; they are notable measures of directions for human life; you have much in little; they save time in speaking; and upon occasion may be the fullest and safest answer. — William Penn

An intelligent enemy,' he would say, stroking his beard as if it were a bristly pet, 'rather than a foolish friend.' Or, 'He learnt the language of pigeons, and forgot his own.' Or, the favourite of Jan Fishan Khan: 'Nothing is what it seems. — Tahir Shah

Proverbs 19:8-9 8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed. — Anonymous

A lesson in folly is worth two in wisdom. — Tom Stoppard

The idea that Wisdom could be a divine hypostasis - an aspect of God that is a distinct being from God that nonetheless is itself God - is rooted in a fascinating passage of the Hebrew Bible, Proverbs 8. ... God made all things in his wisdom, so much so that Wisdom is seen as a co-creator of sorts. — Bart D. Ehrman

Nay, let us walk from fire unto fire,
From passionate pain to deadlier delight,
I am too young to live without desire,
Too young art thou to waste this summer night
Asking those idle questions which of old
Man sought of seer and oracle, and no reply was told.
For, sweet, to feel is better than to know,
And wisdom is a childless heritage,
One pulse of passion
youth's first fiery glow,
Are worth the hoarded proverbs of the sage:
Vex not soul with dead philosophy,
Have we not lips to kiss with, hearts to love and eyes to see! — Oscar Wilde

Proverbs save us the trouble of thinking. What we call folk wisdom is often no more than a kind of expedient stupidity. — Edward Abbey

Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Only Fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:7 NLT — Eddie Johnson

We have been counseled to "seek ... out of the best books words of wisdom." It is pointed out in Proverbs, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom." (Proverbs 4:7.) But in getting wisdom and getting knowledge, above all we should "get understanding." It is important to learn a profession, learn a trade. That applies not only to the young men, but it applies to you young women as well. You girls should place yourselves in a position to be self-supporting and independent in the event that tragedy or an emergency comes, for emergencies have come and will continue to come. — Henry D. Taylor

If you read proverbs, you will find answers to every puzzle. — Lailah Gifty Akita

Spiritual mentors or peers who are mature in their relationship with God and whose present walk with God we trust can seek God with us and provide us with a sort of "safety net." If we feel the Spirit is leading us to do something but recognize that much is at stake if we are wrong, we may do well to talk the matter over with other mature Christians. Proverbs advised rulers that wisdom rests in a multitude of counselors, and that advice remains valid for us as well. In the end, we may not always settle on the counsel others give us - like us, they too are fallible - but if they are diligent students of the Scriptures and persons of prayer, we should humbly consider their counsel. — Craig Keener

The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father. - Proverbs 29:3 — Gary Chapman

PROVERBS 1:7-9 ENGAGE 1:7 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but foolsa despise wisdom and instruction. 8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. 9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. — Anonymous

Haste is from the Devil. — Idries Shah

Proverbs 28:26
Those who trust in their own reasoning are fools, but those who walk in Wisdom will be kept safe. — Anonymous

The precious gems are hidden, it is not easy to find them. — Kamaran Ihsan Salih

Some cats are angry at being called cats. To achieve peace with them, never call them by their real name — Bangambiki Habyarimana

It is lack of contentment that leads to corruption. — Lailah Gifty Akita

I would fain coin wisdom, - mould it, I mean, into maxims, proverbs, sentences, that can easily be retained and transmitted. Would that I could denounce and banish from the language of men - as base money - the words by which they cheat and are cheated! — Joseph Joubert

Proudness is from ignorance, humbleness is from wisdom — Kamaran Ihsan Salih

Proverbs are potted wisdom. — Charles Buxton

Proverbs contradict each other. That is the wisdom of a nation. — Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

Proverbs 16:31 says, "The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness," and Proverbs 20:29 adds, "The splendor of old men is their gray head." Unfortunately, in today's world, white hair represents feeble health and declining strength. But not so with God. It is an emblem of wisdom, glory, and antiquity, and it will be a crown of glory to those who follow Christ. — Kenneth Cox

I always think it is kind of funny when it comes to wisdom, and I say God has a sense of humor, because my middle name is Solomon, and I love the Book of Proverbs which is written by Solomon, and I have read from the Book of Proverbs to start and end every day since I was 14. — Benjamin Carson

No matter how big a hen's hut is, it must bow to enter — Ikechukwu Joseph

Proverbs 1:20-23 20 Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. 21 She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate: 22 How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? 23 Come and listen to my counsel. I'll share my heart with you and make you wise. — Anonymous

It is not how much you are paid that matters. But how much you get done that is most important. — Lailah Gifty Akita

In Proverbs, a wisdom book of the Hebrew Scriptures, a cat would find a few "wisdom" passages as noxious as the Garden of Eden passages. Again the symbology of fruit being eaten — Leviak B. Kelly

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. — Anonymous

Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool's eyes roam to the ends of the earth. Proverbs 17:24 — Beth Moore

Never sell the bear's skin before one has killed the beast. — Jean De La Fontaine

Wisdom - the wisdom of God - is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom (Proverbs 4:7). — Chris Oyakhilome

I hate wise men because they are lazy, cowardly, and prudent. To the philosophers' equanimity, which makes them indifferent to both pleasure and pain, I prefer devouring passions. The sage knows neither the tragedy of passion, nor the fear of death, nor risk and enthusiasm, nor barbaric, grotesque, or sublime heroism. He talks in proverbs and gives advice. He does not live, feel, desire, wait for anything. He levels down all the incongruities of life and then suffers the consequences. So much more complex is the man who suffers from limitless anxiety. The wise man's life is empty and sterile, for it is free from contradiction and despair. An existence full of irreconcilable contradictions is so much richer and creative. The wise man's resignation springs from inner void, not inner fire. I would rather die of fire than of void. — Emil Cioran

Wisdom is a mother;
proverbs are her offspring. — Matshona Dhliwayo

The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge" (Proverbs 18:15). We see again this theme of seriously pursuing knowledge and wisdom. Prudence is a heart attitude, not an IQ level. It is not lazy, but is studying God's Word for more knowledge. I hope you have noticed how often these virtues are connected with knowledge and learning. A wise woman is acquiring knowledge, seeking knowledge, and increasing in learning. She is not intellectually lazy. "When — Nancy Wilson

But my personal favorite words of wisdom came from Gulley during the last thirty minutes of the trip, when she broke up a backseat scuffle by declaring, 'When you lick the person sitting next to you, there's a good chance you're going to get punched.'
I believe the only reason that gem is missing from the book of Proverbs is because Solomon must never have traveled with three kids in the back of his chariot. — Melanie Shankle

Pay attention to proverbs. — Lailah Gifty Akita

PROVERBS 2 u My son, v if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice w for understanding, 4 if you seek it like x silver and search for it as for y hidden treasures, 5 then z you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. — Anonymous

We aren't going to choose paths of wisdom if we don't trust the One who has marked out those paths for us. Fear of the Lord is trust in the Lord — Lydia Brownback

Clear skies do not promise rain. — Matshona Dhliwayo

Proverbs 21:30 (NIV). There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD ... — Anonymous

My favorite book in the Bible is always Proverbs because it's where you can find wisdom for no matter what you're going through. It hits me every time I read it. I've always read Proverbs regularly because it helps me deal with what's happening every day in real life. — Torii Hunter

The strength of Ray Ortlund's study of Proverbs is its Christ-centeredness. The wisdom of Proverbs loses none of its practical value, but rather is given its ultimate fulfillment as an expression of the wisdom of Christ. — Graeme Goldsworthy

Feed a squirrel and he'll leave you alone every day. — Brian Spellman

It is unwise to trust your own judgment. "He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who lives by wisdom will escape" (CJB, Proverbs 28:26). Many people have made bad financial investments because they based their decisions on their own judgment and pride. The Tanakh warns, "Pride goes before destruction, and arrogance before failure" (CJB, Proverbs 16:18). "Before being ruined, a person's heart is proud" (CJB, Proverbs 18:12). The — H.W. Charles

The best aphorisms are ... portable wisdom, the quintessential extracts of thought and feeling. They furnish the largest amount of intellectual stimulus and nutriment in the smallest compass. About every weak point in human nature, or vicious spot in human life, there is deposited a crystallization of warning and protective proverbs. — William Rounseville Alger

How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! — Anonymous

Psalm PSALM - NOTE ON 37. This can be called a wisdom psalm because it reflects on themes normally dealt with in the Bible's Wisdom Literature, particularly in Proverbs. It addresses the issue of why godless people often prosper. It shows that it really is better to stay loyal to the Lord - a loyalty expressed in contentment, honesty, and generosity. In his own good time, the Lord will make a clear distinction between the godless and the faithful. Meanwhile, the faithful must wait patiently. — Anonymous

It was not curiosity that killed the goose who laid the golden egg, but an insatiable greed that devoured common sense. — E.A. Bucchianeri

The hope of the world is that wisdom can arrest conflict between brothers. I believe that war is the deadly harvest of arrogant and unreasoning minds. And I find grounds for this belief in the wisdom literature of Proverbs. It says in effect this: Panic strikes like a storm and calamity comes like a whirlwind to those who hate knowledge and ignore their God. — Dwight D. Eisenhower

Proverbs and truisms are for this reason dangerous, because they produce blindness or non-thought. — Idries Shah

I like the old wisdom
puns, riddles, spells, proverbs. — Mason Cooley

Spring is the sacred soul of fertility. — Lailah Gifty Akita

Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding. PROVERBS 23:23 — Joel Osteen

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. — Anonymous

My grandfather used to wear a black hat and coat. You are my children. You are my jewels. We old ones invest our future in you. — Diane Samuels

It hardly needs explaining at length, I think, how much authority or beauty is added to style by the timely use of proverbs. In the first place who does not see what dignity they confer on style by their antiquity alone? ... And so to interweave adages deftly and appropriately is to make the language as a whole glitter with sparkles from Antiquity, please us with the colours of the art of rhetoric, gleam with jewel-like words of wisdom, and charm us with titbits of wit and humour. — Desiderius Erasmus