The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
KJV
Parallel translations
4 additional translations▾
Parallel translations
4 additional translationsASV
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; Butthe foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
WEB
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
YLT
Fear of Jehovah is a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
DBT
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.
About this book
Old Testament▾
About this book
Old TestamentProverbs — Gnomic wisdom — sayings, instructions, and the binary of wisdom vs. folly. Fear of the LORD as the integrative theme; the virtuous woman of Prov 31 as the book's closing portrait of wisdom embodied.
- Author
- Solomon principally (1:1; chs 10–22:16 and 25–29 explicitly); Agur (ch 30); Lemuel's mother (ch 31:1–9); editorial compilation by Hezekiah's men (25:1).
- Date
- Solomon's reign c. 970–930 BC; Hezekiah's editorial layer c. 715–687 BC.