Verse collection
Bible verses about wisdom
Thirteen verses on wisdom, shortest first. Most are from Proverbs, where wisdom is a skill for living, and two are from James, who says to ask for it.
Print: verse cards · take-home slips · copywork sheets · all printables
Wisdom in the Bible is not the same as intelligence. It is closer to skill at living before God: knowing what matters, whom to listen to, and what to do with what you have heard. Proverbs says it begins with the fear of the LORD, and James says it is given generously to anyone who asks, which means it is available to a person who does not feel clever. Every verse below is quoted from the Berean Standard Bible with a line of context. These sit well beside Bible verses about faith, since Proverbs treats trust in the LORD as the root of wisdom. Pick a short one and learn it in about five days.
When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.
A proverb that pairs pride with disgrace and humility with wisdom. The link is practical: a humble person can still be taught.
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Early in Proverbs, the source is named before the search begins. Wisdom is given, not only gained, which is why the book keeps telling you to ask.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
A father to his son, and he puts it first: get wisdom, whatever else you get. In a book full of advice, this is the priority list.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
One verse after the famous trust in the LORD with all your heart. Being wise in your own eyes is named as the opposite of wisdom, not a version of it.
So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.
The one psalm attributed to Moses, and it asks God to teach us to count. A heart of wisdom begins with knowing that the days are numbered.
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
From the collection headed as Solomon's, a man who had both gold and wisdom and ranks them. A good check on what you spend your effort acquiring.
Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.
Wisdom for the rest of your days comes from two habits that are cheap and unpleasant: listening to counsel and accepting discipline.
He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
Wisdom is caught as much as taught. The verse is about company, and it is one of the most useful lines in the book for a young person choosing friends.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The thesis of Proverbs, stated at the end of its opening section. Wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD, reverence rather than dread, and grows from knowing Him.
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Paul to the church at Ephesus, treating wisdom as a way of walking. Redeeming the time is the wise person's daily task; the days are not neutral.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The last picture in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus defines the wise man not by what he knows but by what he does with what he heard.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
James contrasts two kinds of wisdom, and this is the one from above. The list is a portrait, and the first word in it is pure, not clever.
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
The Bible's plainest instruction on getting wisdom: ask. The verse also says how God gives it, generously and without finding fault, so there is no reason to hesitate.
Word counts use this site's counting rule in the Berean Standard Bible. Each reference links to the verse in its chapter, because a verse understood in context lands better than a verse alone.
Wisdom in your pocket
A proverb is built to be remembered: two halves, one contrast, often under fifteen words. The five-step method takes a few minutes a day: hear the verse aloud, say it while more and more words hide themselves, and finish by reciting it from just the reference. Start with Proverbs 11:2 or Proverbs 2:6; either is yours in a few days, and a proverb known by heart tends to surface exactly when it applies.
Questions
What does the Bible say about wisdom?
The Bible says wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 9:10), that the LORD gives it (Proverbs 2:6), and that anyone who lacks it should ask, because God gives generously without finding fault (James 1:5). Wisdom is worth more than gold (Proverbs 16:16), is caught from wise company (Proverbs 13:20), and is shown by acting on what Jesus said rather than only hearing it (Matthew 7:24). James 3:17 describes the wisdom from above as first of all pure, then peace-loving.
How do I ask God for wisdom?
James 1:5 is the direct answer: if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Solomon's own request in 1 Kings 3:9 is a good model, an understanding heart to discern between good and evil, and Psalm 90:12 is a one-line prayer many people use: teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.
What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom in the Bible?
Knowledge is having the facts; wisdom is knowing what to do with them. Proverbs 2:6 lists wisdom, knowledge and understanding together as gifts from the LORD, and Matthew 7:24 draws the line clearly: the wise man is the one who hears the words and acts on them. Proverbs 3:7 adds a warning that being wise in your own eyes is the opposite of wisdom, not a form of it.
Half remember a different verse?
The words don't need to match exactly, just type what you remember.