Proverbs 1:7

The dread of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; fools despise wisdom and teaching. (The fear of the Lord or Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; but fools despise wisdom and teaching.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

In Context

6He shall perceive a parable, and the expounding; the words of wise men, and the dark figurative speeches of them. (He shall understand a proverb, and its expounding, or its explanation; yea, the words of the wise, and their riddles.)

8My son, hear thou the teaching of thy father, and forsake thou not the law of thy mother; (My son, listen thou to thy father’s teaching; and do not thou abandon thy mother’s principles;)

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Cross References

Psalms 111:10the beginning of wisdom is the dread of the Lord. Good understanding is to all that do it; his praising dwelleth into the world of world. (the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord or the beginning of wisdom is to revere the Lord. All who obey his commandments grow in wisdom; praise shall be his forever.)

Proverbs 1:29For they hated teaching, and they took not the dread of the Lord, (For they hated instruction, and they chose not to fear the Lord, or and they chose not to have reverence for the Lord,)

Proverbs 9:10The beginning of wisdom is the dread of the Lord; and prudence is the knowing of saints. (The beginning of wisdom (is) the fear of the Lord; and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding./The beginning of wisdom (is) reverence for the Lord; and to know the Holy One is to have understanding.)

Proverbs 15:33The dread of the Lord is teaching of wisdom; and meekness goeth before glory. (The fear of the Lord or Reverence for the Lord is the teaching of wisdom; and humility goeth before honour.)

Ecclesiastes 12:13All we hear together the end of (the) speaking. Dread thou God, and keep his behests; that is (for) to know, every man. (Hear now the end, or the conclusion, of all this speaking. Fear God or Revere God, and obey his commands; that is for everyone to know.)

Romans 1:28And as they proved that they had not God in knowing, God betook them into a reprovable wit, that they do those things that be not covenable; (And as they proved that they did not have true knowledge of God, God delivered them unto their corrupted minds, or their corrupted way of thinking, so that they do those things that be not suitable;)

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 1:2-7

Proverbs We have now before us, I. A new author, or penman rather, or pen (if you will) made use of by the Holy Ghost for making known the mind of God to us, writing as moved by the finger of God (so the Spirit of God is called), and that is Solomon; through his hand came this book of Scripture and the two that follow it, Ecclesiastes and Canticles, a sermon and a song. Some think he wrote Canticles when he was very young, Proverbs in the midst of his days, and Ecclesiastes when he was old. In the title of his… Read the whole commentary →

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