'Wise' in the Bible

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.

Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.

Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.’

So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and appointed them heads over you, leaders of thousands and of hundreds, of fifties and of tens, and officers for your tribes.

So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

“Would that they were wise, that they understood this,That they would discern their future!

“Her wise princesses would answer her,Indeed she repeats her words to herself,

So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days;

in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.”

Then a wise woman called from the city, “Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, ‘Come here that I may speak with you.’”

Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.”

behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.

When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.”

Then Huram continued, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a house for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times—for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice

Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.”

“He captures the wise by their own shrewdness,And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.

“Wise in heart and mighty in strength,Who has defied Him without harm?

“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledgeAnd fill himself with the east wind?

What wise men have told,And have not concealed from their fathers,

“But come again all of you now,For I do not find a wise man among you.

“Can a vigorous man be of use to God,Or a wise man be useful to himself?

“The abundant in years may not be wise,Nor may elders understand justice.

“Hear my words, you wise men,And listen to me, you who know.

“Men of understanding will say to me,And a wise man who hears me,

“Therefore men fear Him;He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others.

Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things,And consider the lovingkindnesses of the Lord.

To receive instruction in wise behavior,Righteousness, justice and equity;

A wise man will hear and increase in learning,And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

To understand a proverb and a figure,The words of the wise and their riddles.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

The wise will inherit honor,But fools display dishonor.

Go to the ant, O sluggard,Observe her ways and be wise,

“Heed instruction and be wise,And do not neglect it.

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The proverbs of Solomon.A wise son makes a father glad,But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

The wise of heart will receive commands,But a babbling fool will be ruined.

Wise men store up knowledge,But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,But he who restrains his lips is wise.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,And he who is wise wins souls.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

A wise son accepts his father’s discipline,But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,To turn aside from the snares of death.

He who walks with wise men will be wise,But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

The wise woman builds her house,But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,But the lips of the wise will protect them.

A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,But a fool is arrogant and careless.

The crown of the wise is their riches,But the folly of fools is foolishness.

The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,But the mouth of fools spouts folly.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge,But the hearts of fools are not so.

A scoffer does not love one who reproves him,He will not go to the wise.

A wise son makes a father glad,But a foolish man despises his mother.

The path of life leads upward for the wiseThat he may keep away from Sheol below.

He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproofWill dwell among the wise.

The fury of a king is like messengers of death,But a wise man will appease it.

The wise in heart will be called understanding,And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

The heart of the wise instructs his mouthAnd adds persuasiveness to his lips.

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge,And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Listen to counsel and accept discipline,That you may be wise the rest of your days.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.

Prepare plans by consultation,And make war by wise guidance.

A wise king winnows the wicked,And drives the threshing wheel over them.

When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise;But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise,But a foolish man swallows it up.

A wise man scales the city of the mightyAnd brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,And apply your mind to my knowledge;

My son, if your heart is wise,My own heart also will be glad;

Listen, my son, and be wise,And direct your heart in the way.

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

A wise man is strong,And a man of knowledge increases power.

For by wise guidance you will wage war,And in abundance of counselors there is victory.

These also are sayings of the wise.To show partiality in judgment is not good.

Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine goldIs a wise reprover to a listening ear.

Answer a fool as his folly deserves,That he not be wise in his own eyes.

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,That I may reply to him who reproaches me.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes,But the poor who has understanding sees through him.

Scorners set a city aflame,But wise men turn away anger.

When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man,The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.

A fool always loses his temper,But a wise man holds it back.

Four things are small on the earth,But they are exceedingly wise:

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.”

For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.

For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?

The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise manThan for one to listen to the song of fools.