Proverbs 4:7

(7) Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.

New King James Version   Change your email Bible version

Among the characteristics of God that we are to strive for, wisdom has an extremely high value, as this verse attests. Pay attention to the word “principal” here. Spelled in this manner—ending in p-a-l, not p-l-e—the term, according to The American Heritage College Dictionary, means “first, highest, foremost in importance, rank, worth or degree; chief.” It does not mean “a broad general rule” but “a quality or characteristic of the highest order.” The verse is saying, then, that wisdom is of the highest rank among those qualities under consideration, “therefore get wisdom.” The New International Version (NIV) translates this phrase, “Wisdom is supreme.”

Further study on this verse reveals that it is in reality an expansion on verse 5: “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of My mouth.” Thus, verse 7 exhorts the reader to make every effort in life to pursue and obtain wisdom. It is as though there is nothing more important in life.

Whereas the world associates wisdom with a rather abstract, philosophical dimension of life, the Bible’s wisdom consists of a package of spiritual attributes that are deliberately shaped into a practical skill in living God’s way.

The use of the phrase “deliberately shaped” is purposeful. Wisdom does not just magically appear. It is thoughtfully developed and used in the practical circumstances of everyday life. Its elements consist of such qualities as knowledge of God, understanding, discernment, judgment, prudence, equity, the fear of God, and more. As these elements are blended, shaped, and used, they become a spiritual sagacity combined with practical, useful skills in applying the teachings of God’s way of life as exemplified by Jesus Christ.

— John W. Ritenbaugh