What is Wisdom?

a. Definitions:

• “Wisdom is the art of living skillfully in whatever actual conditions we find ourselves.”—Eugene Peterson

• “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.”—Charles Spurgeon

• “[Wisdom] is practical know-how in the hard realities of living with others before God in the world He has created.”—John Kitchen

b. Proverbs teaches us wisdom by piling up synonyms about how we learn wisdom. The following definitions are adapted from Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary by John Kitchen:

• Instruction: Can also be translated “discipline”—the idea is education through correction. Receiving instruction about what we got wrong.


• Discernment: The ability to look at two things and see what God sees, to tell the difference between what is good and what is evil. 


• Understanding: Implies not only discernment but the ability to understand why one option is God’s preference. 


• Prudence: A Spirit-born cleverness that understands the trend of events and inherent dangers, and avoids the pitfalls of life. 


• Knowledge: More than possessing information, it is a knowing that is deeply personal and experiential.


• Discretion: Avoiding harm brought on by foolishly proceeding with ill-advised plans.

HT: Joshua Harris