'Understanding' in the Bible

So now let Pharaoh [prepare ahead and] look for a man discerning and clear-headed and wise, and set him [in charge] over the land of Egypt [as governor under Pharaoh].

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since [your] God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and clear-headed and wise as you are.

God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice [of them] and was concerned about them [knowing all, understanding all, remembering all].

I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and skill, in understanding and intelligence, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,

Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways so that I may know You [becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, recognizing and understanding Your ways more clearly] and that I may find grace and favor in Your sight. And consider also, that this nation is Your people.”

and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom and skill, with intelligence and understanding, and with knowledge in all [areas of] craftsmanship,

“Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skilled person in whom the Lord has put ability and understanding to know how to do all the work in the construction of the sanctuary, shall work according to all that the Lord has commanded.”

Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, experienced, and respected men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as heads (leaders) over you.’

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.’

“For they are a nation devoid of counsel,And there is no understanding in them.

(now the man’s name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings; he was a Calebite).

So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge and rule this great people of Yours?”

God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice,

Now God gave Solomon [exceptional] wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand of the seashore.

He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze. Hiram was filled with wisdom, understanding, and skill for doing any [kind of] work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and did all his [bronze] work.

Of the tribe of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, two hundred chiefs; and all their relatives were at their command;

Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.

Hiram said also, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who 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.

“Now I am sending a skilled man, endowed with understanding, Huram-abi,

Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good understanding in the things of the Lord. So the people ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their fathers.

And as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a man of understanding (insight) from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, named Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers (relatives), 18 men;

So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.

Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding—

And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom!For sound wisdom has two sides.Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.

“But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you;I am not inferior to you.Who does not know such things as these [of God’s wisdom and might]?

“With the aged [you say] is wisdom,And with long life is understanding.

“But [only] with Him are [perfect] wisdom and might;He [alone] has [true] counsel and understanding.

“He removes intelligence and understanding from the leaders of the people of the earthAnd makes them wander and move blindly in a pathless waste.

“But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding,Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me].

“I have heard the reproof which insults me,But the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.

“He stirred up the sea by His power,And by His understanding He smashed [proud] Rahab.

“But where can wisdom be found?And where is the place of understanding?

“From where then does wisdom come?And where is the place of understanding?

“But to man He said, ‘Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is wisdom;And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

“But there is [a vital force and] a spirit [of intelligence] in man,And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

“Therefore hear me, you men of understanding.Far be it from God that He would do wickedness,And from the Almighty to do wrong.

“If you now have understanding, hear this;Listen to the sound of my words.

“Men of understanding will tell me,Indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],

“Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone [nor regard any as trivial];He is mighty in the strength and power of understanding.

“Men therefore fear Him;He does not regard nor respect any who are wise in heart [in their own understanding and conceit].”

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.

“Who has put wisdom in the innermost being [of man, or in the layers of clouds]Or given understanding to the mind [of man, or to the heavenly display]?

For God has made her forget wisdom,And has not given her a share of understanding.

Do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding,Whose trappings include bridle and rein to hold them in check,Otherwise they will not come near to you.

For God is the King of all the earth;Sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding.

My mouth will speak wisdom,And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

Have workers of wickedness no knowledge or no understanding?They eat up My people as though they ate breadAnd have not called upon God.

The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom;A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord;His praise endures forever.

Give me understanding [a teachable heart and the ability to learn], that I may keep Your law;And observe it with all my heart.

Yodh.Your hands have made me and established me;Give me understanding and a teachable heart, that I may learn Your commandments.

I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers [because of Your word],For Your testimonies are my meditation.

From Your precepts I get understanding;Therefore I hate every false way.

I am Your servant; give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart]That I may know Your testimonies.

The unfolding of Your [glorious] words give light;Their unfolding gives understanding to the simple (childlike).

Your righteous testimonies are everlasting;Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] that I may live.

Tav.Let my [mournful] cry come before You, O Lord;Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] according to Your word [of promise].

To Him who made the heavens with skill,For His lovingkindness endures forever;

Great is our [majestic and mighty] Lord and abundant in strength;His understanding is inexhaustible [infinite, boundless].

To know [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction;To discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

The wise will hear and increase their learning,And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

So that your ear is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom,And apply your heart to understanding [seeking it conscientiously and striving for it eagerly];

Yes, if you cry out for insight,And lift up your voice for understanding;

For the Lord gives [skillful and godly] wisdom;From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Discretion will watch over you,Understanding and discernment will guard you,

To keep you from the immoral woman;From the seductress with her flattering words,

So find favor and high esteemIn the sight of God and man.

Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heartAnd do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom,And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences],

The Lord by His wisdom has founded the earth;By His understanding He has established the heavens.

“Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]!Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

“The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]!And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].

My son, be attentive to my wisdom [godly wisdom learned by costly experience],Incline your ear to my understanding;

But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks common sense and sound judgment and an understanding [of moral principles];He who would destroy his soul does it.

Say to [skillful and godly] wisdom, “You are my sister,”And regard understanding and intelligent insight as your intimate friends;

Does not wisdom call,And understanding lift up her voice?

“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].

“Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;I am understanding, power and strength are mine.

“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”As for him who lacks understanding, she says,

“Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live,And walk in the way of insight and understanding.”

The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence],And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.

“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”And to him who lacks understanding (common sense), she says,

On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found,But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.

The lips of the righteous feed and guide many,But fools [who reject God and His wisdom] die for lack of understanding.

Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin],But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense,But a man of understanding keeps silent.

He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,But he who follows worthless things lacks common sense and good judgment.

Good understanding wins favor [from others],But the way of the unfaithful is hard [like barren, dry soil].

He who is slow to anger has great understanding [and profits from his self-control],But he who is quick-tempered exposes and exalts his foolishness [for all to see].

Wisdom rests [silently] in the heart of one who has understanding,But what is in the heart of [shortsighted] fools is made known.

The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly inquires after it,But the mouth of the [stubborn] fool feeds on foolishness.

Foolishness is joy to him who is without heart and lacks [intelligent, common] sense,But a man of understanding walks uprightly [making his course straight].

He who neglects and ignores instruction and discipline despises himself,But he who learns from rebuke acquires understanding [and grows in wisdom].

How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

The wise in heart will be called understanding,And sweet speech increases persuasiveness and learning [in both speaker and listener].

Understanding (spiritual insight) is a [refreshing and boundless] wellspring of life to those who have it,But to give instruction and correction to fools is foolishness.

A reprimand goes deeper into one who has understanding and a teachable spiritThan a hundred lashes into a fool.

Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,When he has no common sense or even a heart for it?

[Skillful and godly] wisdom is in the presence of a person of understanding [and he recognizes it],But the eyes of a [thickheaded] fool are on the ends of the earth.

He who has knowledge restrains and is careful with his words,And a man of understanding and wisdom has a cool spirit (self-control, an even temper).

Even a [callous, arrogant] fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;When he closes his lips he is regarded as sensible (prudent, discreet) and a man of understanding.