'Wise' in the Bible

Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?”since it is not wise of you to ask this.

Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Wisdom makes the wise man strongerthan ten rulers of a city.

I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.

Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.

The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.

I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: the righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands.People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them.

Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them.

Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

The calm words of the wise are heededmore than the shouts of a ruler over fools.

A wise man’s heart goes to the right,but a fool’s heart to the left.

The words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious,but the lips of a fool consume him.

In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs.

The sayings of the wise are like goads, and those from masters of collections are like firmly embedded nails. The sayings are given by one Shepherd.

Woe to those who are wise in their own opinionand clever in their own sight.

The princes of Zoan are complete fools;Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice!How can you say to Pharaoh,“I am one of the wise,a student of eastern kings”?

Where then are your wise men?Let them tell you and revealwhat the Lord of Hosts has planned against Egypt.

therefore I will again confound these peoplewith wonder after wonder.The wisdom of their wise men will vanish,and the understanding of the perceptive will be hidden.

But He also is wise and brings disaster.He does not go back on what He says;He will rise up against the house of wicked menand against the allies of evildoers.

who destroys the omens of the false prophetsand makes fools of diviners;who confounds the wiseand makes their knowledge foolishness;

“How can you claim, ‘We are wise;the law of the Lord is with us’?In fact, the lying pen of scribeshas produced falsehood.

The wise will be put to shame;they will be dismayed and snared.They have rejected the word of the Lord,so what wisdom do they really have?

Who is the man wise enough to understand this? Who has the Lord spoken to, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a wilderness, so no one can pass through?

This is what the Lord says:The wise man must not boast in his wisdom;the strong man must not boast in his strength;the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth.

Who should not fear You,King of the nations?It is what You deserve.For among all the wise people of the nationsand among all their kingdoms,there is no one like You.

Then certain ones said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah, for instruction will never be lost from the priest, or counsel from the wise, or an oracle from the prophet. Come, let’s denounce him and pay no attention to all his words.”

The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvadwere your rowers.Your wise men were within you, Tyre;they were your captains.

The elders of Gebal and its wise menwere within you, repairing your leaks.All the ships of the sea and their sailorscame to you to barter for your goods.

Because of this, the king became violently angry and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them.

Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon.

urging them to ask the God of heaven for mercy concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.

He changes the times and seasons;He removes kings and establishes kings.He gives wisdom to the wiseand knowledge to thosewho have understanding.

Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had assigned to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He came and said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”

Daniel answered the king: “No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about.

Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

So I issued a decree to bring all the wise men of Babylon to me in order that they might make the dream’s interpretation known to me.

This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can make the interpretation known to me. But you can, because you have the spirit of the holy gods.”

The king called out to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.”

So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him.

Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation.

Those who are wise among the people will give understanding to many, yet they will die by sword and flame, and be captured and plundered for a time.

Some of the wise will fall so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

Those who are wise will shinelike the bright expanse of the heavens,and those who lead many to righteousness,like the stars forever and ever.

Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; none of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.

Labor pains come on him.He is not a wise son;when the time comes,he will not be born.

Let whoever is wise understand these things,and whoever is insightful recognize them.For the ways of the Lord are right,and the righteous walk in them,but the rebellious stumble in them.

Therefore, the wise person will keep silentat such a time,for the days are evil.

In that day—this is the Lord’s declaration—will I not eliminate the wise ones of Edomand those who understandfrom the hill country of Esau?

The voice of Yahweh calls out to the city(and it is wise to fear Your name):“Pay attention to the rodand the One who ordained it.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,

Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.

In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.

I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools

Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil.

to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever! Amen.

For it is written:I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.

Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.

Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

No one should deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he can become wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written: He catches the wise in their craftiness;

and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are meaningless.

We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!

I say this to your shame! Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between his brothers?

I am speaking as to wise people. Judge for yourselves what I say.

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—

Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness.