Bible Verses For Wisdom
Wisdom is something Scripture says can simply be asked for. These verses are a starting point for decisions large and small.
Wisdom in Scripture is something to actively seek, not simply possess — it starts with reverence for God and shows up in how a person actually lives. Below is a collection of verified King James Version verses about wisdom, for decisions large and small.
Bible Verses For Wisdom
Every verse below is drawn from a verified King James Version text.
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Titus 2:3
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Luke 11:31
The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Proverbs 3:35
My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
Proverbs 3:21
The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Psalms 119:130
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Proverbs 23:23
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
Proverbs 10:5
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Psalms 51:6
The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
Proverbs 10:8
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luke 17:28
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Luke 6:31
And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
Job 11:6
Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?
Deuteronomy 32:6
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Ephesians 4:18
The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
Proverbs 3:19
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Proverbs 23:4
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Proverbs 23:19
Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Romans 12:16
Thus saith the LORD: Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.
Nahum 1:12
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Proverbs 8:11
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:19
Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.
Psalms 119:169
Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
2 Timothy 2:7
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Proverbs 23:9
The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
Proverbs 10:21
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
Proverbs 10:1
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
1 Kings 4:29
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
Proverbs 23:24
And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.
1 Chronicles 29:24
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Ephesians 5:15
Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Psalms 32:9
Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
Psalms 119:98
And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
1 Kings 4:30
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1 Corinthians 3:10
Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
1 Samuel 25:3
And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
1 Corinthians 3:20
Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
Numbers 6:23
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1 Corinthians 3:18
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Hebrews 4:4
Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
Psalms 147:5
It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
Proverbs 10:23
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
1 John 5:20
And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
Luke 5:33
O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
Deuteronomy 32:29
For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Hebrews 9:17
For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.
Job 11:12
And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
Psalms 64:9
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Proverbs 3:13
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:37
The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.
Isaiah 30:24
But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Luke 7:35
The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.
Proverbs 10:31
Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Proverbs 8:33
Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Psalms 119:34
In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
Proverbs 10:13
Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
Proverbs 8:1
And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
John 6:11
Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Psalms 107:43
For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.
Deuteronomy 32:28
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
2 Corinthians 1:12
Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
Psalms 94:8
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
Proverbs 8:14
And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Mark 6:2
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:7
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
Psalms 119:99
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
Luke 18:17
I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.
Psalms 119:125
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:17
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1 Peter 4:1
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Proverbs 10:19
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Proverbs 3:4
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
James 2:25
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalms 19:7
Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
Psalms 119:73
O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
Proverbs 8:5
In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
Luke 17:31
Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luke 11:49
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Romans 10:6
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Psalms 37:8
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
Proverbs 31:26
And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
Mark 12:21
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
Psalms 37:30
The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.
Psalms 119:144
Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Psalms 119:104
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1 Corinthians 3:19
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Proverbs 23:15
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
Isaiah 40:14
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
1 Peter 3:7
And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
Luke 5:36
And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Mark 12:33
Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
Proverbs 10:14
Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
Acts 3:24
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
Proverbs 8:12
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Luke 17:10
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
1 Peter 3:1
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2 Peter 3:15
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
Isaiah 40:28
Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Titus 2:6
All verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV), a public-domain translation.
Understanding Wisdom Through Scripture
Proverbs 9:10 grounds wisdom in something relational before intellectual: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” This is not fear in the sense of terror, but a right-sized reverence that shapes how everything else is understood.
Proverbs 3:5-6’s instruction to trust the Lord rather than lean on your own understanding sits at the center of biblical wisdom — not anti-intellectual, but suspicious of self-reliance as the final authority.
This reverence-first framing changes what pursuing wisdom actually looks like. It is not primarily about accumulating clever insights or life hacks; it starts with a right posture toward God, and the practical skill for living follows from that posture rather than preceding it.
What the Bible Teaches About Wisdom
Wisdom for Daily Decisions
Wisdom in Everyday Speech
A large portion of Proverbs concerns something as ordinary as how a person speaks — when to stay quiet, how to answer gently, the damage careless words can do. Proverbs 15:1’s observation that “a soft answer turneth away wrath” is about as practical as biblical instruction gets, and it is offered without qualification or exception.
This is worth sitting with: a significant share of what Scripture calls wisdom is not abstract philosophy, but the discipline of choosing words carefully in ordinary conversation.
The Difference Between Wisdom and Knowledge
1 Corinthians 1 draws a sharp distinction between worldly wisdom and God’s wisdom, noting that what looks foolish by human standards can carry real weight in God’s. Biblical wisdom is not simply accumulated information; it includes discernment about how to actually live.
Asking God for Wisdom
Wisdom for Relationships
Much of Proverbs applies wisdom directly to relationships — choosing companions carefully, guarding speech, avoiding quarrels that do not need to be picked. Proverbs 13:20’s observation that “he that walketh with wise men shall be wise” suggests wisdom is, in part, contagious — shaped by who a person spends the most time around.
A Few More Verses Worth Knowing
Proverbs 4:7’s instruction to get wisdom “though it cost all thou hast” ranks it above nearly every other pursuit. Ecclesiastes 7:12 credits wisdom with giving “life to them that have it,” and Colossians 2:3 locates the fullest wisdom in Christ himself, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Wisdom Learned Through Experience
Much of Proverbs reads like advice from someone who has already made the mistakes being warned against. Ecclesiastes, traditionally attributed to Solomon later in life, is even more direct — a record of pursuing wealth, pleasure, and achievement, and concluding most of it was “vanity.” Biblical wisdom is not exclusively theoretical; a significant portion of it was clearly earned through firsthand disappointment.
Wisdom for Difficult Decisions
James 1:5’s promise that wisdom is given to “any of you” who ask, without being held back for a select few, is particularly relevant when facing a decision with no obvious right answer. Practically, this suggests prayer for wisdom is not a last resort after other options have failed, but a legitimate first step for any genuinely difficult choice.
Wisdom Versus Cleverness
1 Corinthians 3:19’s statement that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” draws a sharp line between wisdom and mere cleverness or cultural sophistication. A person can be highly intelligent by conventional standards and still lack the kind of wisdom Scripture describes — rooted in character and right relationship with God, not intellectual capacity alone.
A Few More Verses Worth Knowing
Proverbs 2:6 credits the source directly: “the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” Job 28:28’s conclusion after an extended search for wisdom — “the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom” — and Daniel 2:21’s acknowledgment that God “giveth wisdom unto the wise” all return to the same starting point this collection opened with.
Wisdom and Patience
Proverbs 19:2 observes that “he that hasteth with his feet sinneth,” tying wisdom to a willingness to slow down before acting. Many regrettable decisions trace back less to a lack of information and more to a refusal to wait long enough to think clearly. Wisdom, in this light, is sometimes less about knowing the right answer and more about resisting the urge to decide too quickly.
Wisdom in Leadership
Solomon’s famous judgment between two women claiming the same child, in 1 Kings 3, remains one of Scripture’s clearest illustrations of applied wisdom — not abstract knowledge, but a practical solution that revealed the truth of a genuinely difficult situation. Anyone in a position of leading or deciding for others carries a particular need for this kind of wisdom, since the cost of poor judgment there extends beyond one person.
Wisdom Is Available Regardless of Age or Status
Job 32’s account of a younger man, Elihu, offering wisdom that Job’s older friends had not managed, pushes back against the assumption that wisdom always correlates with age or seniority. James 1:5’s promise that wisdom is given to “any” who ask reinforces the same point — it is not gated behind status, education, or years lived.
Wisdom That Shapes Character, Not Just Choices
It is worth ending by noting that biblical wisdom is not only about making the correct decision in a given moment — it is about the kind of person that decision-making process gradually shapes you into. Someone who consistently seeks wisdom, asks honestly, and holds their own understanding loosely tends to become a genuinely different kind of person over time than someone who never does, regardless of how any single decision turns out.
Wisdom and Time
Ecclesiastes 3’s reflection on “a time for every purpose” suggests part of wisdom is simply recognizing what season you are actually in — not forcing a decision meant for a later season, and not delaying one that the current moment actually calls for. Discerning timing, not only content, is its own form of wisdom Scripture takes seriously.
Wisdom Shared in Community
Proverbs 15:22 observes that “in the multitude of counsellors there is safety,” pushing against the idea that wisdom is best pursued entirely alone. Seeking out a few trusted people to think through a hard decision with — not to hand the decision over to them, but to test your own thinking against theirs — is a genuinely biblical approach to gaining wisdom.
Wisdom and Contentment
Philippians 4:11-12’s account of learning to be content “in whatsoever state” is itself a form of wisdom rarely listed alongside decision-making skill, but arguably more valuable. Wisdom, in this sense, includes recognizing when a circumstance does not need to be fixed or escaped, only accepted with grace — a genuinely difficult and underrated form of understanding.
Wisdom That Admits What It Doesn't Know
Job’s eventual encounter with God does not answer his questions directly — instead, it reveals how much he did not know or understand about the world’s workings in the first place. True wisdom, paradoxically, often includes an honest recognition of its own limits, rather than the confident certainty people sometimes assume it requires.
Wisdom for the Next Step, Not the Whole Path
Psalm 119:105’s image of God’s word as “a lamp unto my feet” is deliberately modest — a lamp illuminates the next few steps, not the entire road ahead. Wisdom often works the same way: enough clarity for what is directly in front of you, rather than a complete map of everything still to come.
Wisdom Practiced, Not Just Known
James 1:22’s instruction to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” applies directly to wisdom. Reading these verses is a starting point, not an ending point — the wisdom described here becomes real only as it is actually applied to the next decision, the next conversation, the next hard choice you face.
One Final Word on Wisdom
Wisdom, gathered from this entire collection, is consistently described as available — not reserved for the naturally gifted, the highly educated, or the very old. It begins with reverence, grows through honest experience, and is freely given to anyone who simply asks. Whatever decision brought you here, ask, and trust you will be answered.
Wisdom That Takes Time to Develop
None of the wise figures in Scripture arrived at wisdom overnight. Solomon’s reign, Job’s long trial, the years Moses spent in the wilderness before leading Israel — wisdom in each case developed gradually, often through circumstances no one would have chosen. If wisdom feels slow to develop in your own life, that pace may be more normal, and more biblical, than it feels.
Wisdom in an Age of Constant Information
Access to information has never been easier, yet Scripture’s definition of wisdom was never primarily about access to facts. Proverbs 2:6’s attribution of wisdom directly to God suggests that no amount of searching or reading substitutes for the reverence and honest asking wisdom actually requires. More information, without that posture, tends to produce noise rather than clarity.
Wisdom in Financial Decisions
Proverbs devotes significant attention to money — saving, generosity, avoiding debt, resisting the lure of quick riches. Proverbs 21:5’s observation that “the thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness” while haste leads to want offers plain, practical wisdom for financial decisions that remains just as applicable now as it was when first written.
Wisdom in Handling Criticism
Proverbs 15:31-32 treats the willingness to receive correction as itself a mark of wisdom — “he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” Defensiveness in the face of feedback, however uncomfortable it feels in the moment, tends to close off exactly the kind of growth wisdom depends on.
One Final Word on Wisdom
A Simple Prayer for Wisdom
This collection draws on the King James Version, a public-domain translation available in full at Blue Letter Bible, for anyone who wants to study the wider context of any verse above.
If this speaks to your current situation, you may also want to read Bible Verses For Hope or Bible Verses For Calling, both of which touch on related ground.
Every verse on this page is drawn from the King James Version, a public-domain translation available in full at Blue Letter Bible for anyone who wants to study the wider context.
For related reading, you may also find Bible Verses About Protection from Enemies and Bible Verses About Sin and Forgiveness helpful.
Some readers also return to Bible Verses About Faith During Trials or Bible Verses About Broken Relationships alongside this page.
If you are exploring related themes, Bible Verses About Emotional Healing and Bible Verses About God's Protection are worth a look.
If you want to compare these verses across other translations, Bible Gateway offers a free side-by-side reading tool.
Final Thoughts
If this resonates, you may also want to read Bible Verses For Difficult Times or Bible Verses For Strength, both of which touch on similar ground from a different angle.