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Read the Bible

King James Version

Proverbs 8:5

O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ignorance;   Jesus Continued;   Salvation;   Wisdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Simple, the;   Wisdom-Folly;   The Topic Concordance - Frowardness;   Knowledge;   Perversion;   Righteousness;   Understanding;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fools;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wisdom;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hearing the Word of God;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ethics;   Proverbs, Book of;   Simplicity;   Trinity;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Wisdom;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Proverbs book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Simple;   Subtil;   Wisdom;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for February 29;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;develop common sense, you who are foolish.
Hebrew Names Version
You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.
English Standard Version
O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.
New Century Version
You who are uneducated, seek wisdom. You who are foolish, get understanding.
New English Translation
You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!
Amplified Bible
"O you naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], understand prudence and seek astute common sense; And, O you [closed-minded, self-confident] fools, understand wisdom [seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living].
New American Standard Bible
"You naive ones, understand prudence; And, you fools, understand wisdom!
World English Bible
You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.
Geneva Bible (1587)
O ye foolish men, vnderstand wisedome, and ye, O fooles, be wise in heart.
Legacy Standard Bible
O simple ones, understand prudence;And, O fools, understand a heart of wisdom.
Berean Standard Bible
O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding.
Contemporary English Version
Good sense and sound judgment can be yours.
Complete Jewish Bible
You who don't direct your lives, understand caution; as for you, you fools, get some common sense!
Darby Translation
O ye simple, understand prudence; and ye foolish, understand sense.
Easy-to-Read Version
You who are ignorant, learn to be wise. You who are foolish, get some common sense.
George Lamsa Translation
So that the simple ones may understand prudence and the fools understand in their heart.
Good News Translation
Are you immature? Learn to be mature. Are you foolish? Learn to have sense.
Lexham English Bible
Learn prudence, O simple ones; fools, learn intelligence.
Literal Translation
Understand wisdom, simple ones; and fools, be of an understanding heart.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Take hede vnto knowlege o ye ignoraut, be wyse in herte o ye fooles.
American Standard Version
O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.
Bible in Basic English
Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
O ye thoughtless, understand prudence, and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
King James Version (1611)
O yee simple, vnderstand wisedome: and yee fooles, be yee of an vnderstanding heart.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Take heede vnto knowledge O ye ignoraunt, be ye wise in heart O ye fooles.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
O ye simple, understand subtlety, and ye that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.
English Revised Version
O ye simple, understand subtilty; and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
Update Bible Version
O you simple, understand prudence; And, you fools, be of an understanding heart.
Webster's Bible Translation
O ye simple, understand wisdom: and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
New King James Version
O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
New Living Translation
You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding.
New Life Bible
O child-like ones, learn to use wisdom. O fools, make your mind understand.
New Revised Standard
O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Understand, ye simple ones, shrewdness, and, ye dullards understand sense;
Douay-Rheims Bible
O little ones understand subtlety, and ye unwise, take notice.
Revised Standard Version
O simple ones, learn prudence; O foolish men, pay attention.
Young's Literal Translation
Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom.

Contextual Overview

1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. 4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. 9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 1:22, Proverbs 9:4, Psalms 19:7, Psalms 94:8, Isaiah 42:13, Isaiah 55:1-3, Acts 26:18, 1 Corinthians 1:28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Revelation 3:17, Revelation 3:18

Reciprocal: Job 5:2 - the foolish Job 28:28 - unto man Job 33:33 - I Job 36:10 - commandeth Psalms 5:5 - The Psalms 14:2 - any Psalms 75:4 - I said Proverbs 1:4 - subtlety Proverbs 2:6 - out Proverbs 4:5 - Get wisdom Proverbs 7:7 - the simple Proverbs 17:16 - a price Mark 7:14 - and understand Luke 11:40 - fools Romans 1:14 - to the unwise Romans 16:18 - the simple 1 Corinthians 1:30 - wisdom Colossians 1:28 - in all Titus 3:3 - foolish

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

O ye simple, understand wisdom,.... The Gospel, the wisdom of God in a mystery, particularly the doctrine of salvation by Christ; it is the highest wisdom to know Christ and him crucified: and they are "the simple" who are weak and easy to be imposed upon, who are here called unto; and generally speaking such are they to whom the mysteries of grace are made known, while they are hid from the wise and prudent;

and ye fools, be of an understanding heart; or "cause the heart to understand"; or "get an understanding heart" t; make use of all means to get spiritual wisdom and understanding; all men, let them be what they will in other respects, are fools as to a spiritual and experimental knowledge of divine things; and that man can only be said to have truly an understanding heart that knows his own folly, the plague of his heart, his need of Christ, the worth of him; and has an understanding given him to know him and his interest in him.

t הבינו לב "facite cor intelligere", Baynus, Mercerus; "facite ut cor vestrum intelligat", so some in Vatablus; "acquirite animum sapientem", Gejerus.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 8:5. O ye simple — פתאים pethaim, ye that are deceived, and with flattering words and fair speeches deluded and drawn away.

Ye fools — כסילים kesilim, ye stupid, stiffnecked, senseless people. That preaching is never likely to do much good, that is not pointed; specifying and describing vices, and charging them home on the consciences of transgressors. Where this is not done, the congregation is unconcerned; no man supposes he has any thing to do in the business, especially if the preacher takes care to tell them, "These were the crimes of Jews, Romans, Greeks, of the people at Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Laodicea, and of heathens in general; but I hope better things of you, who have been born in a Christian land, and baptized in the Christian faith." Thus he arms their consciences in double brass against the good effects of his own teaching.


 
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