What is the Price of Wisdom?

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posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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#21
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" so that is the cost of wisdom.
the fool has the fear of the LORD in his hand?

or is that what he would put the price toward, if only he had the heart?
 

Deade

Called of God
Dec 17, 2017
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yeshuaofisrael.org
#22
I have tracked down the quote I paraphrased earlier. The cost of wisdom if you want it:

Ecclesiastes 1:18

18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Though of course anyone that is really wise probably doesn't need the Bible quote for this. It is just manifestly obvious that the wiser you become the more sorrowful you will be because you will start to see just how evil the world and the multitude of people in it are. Fools don't really give any thought to anything other than their own pleasure and their feelings, they are ruled by their emotions and their carnal pleasures.

Where is the heart of the wise and where is the heart of the fools?

Ecclesiastes 7:4

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
The lesson in chapter 1 of Ecclesiastes is that one can have too much wisdom. All through this book, it speaks of balance. Other verses to go with this are:

Ecc. 7:16,17 "Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?" Balance is the message.

Down in chapter 7 we are looking at how our house, or general attitude, will be while living in a world system at odds with our lifestyles. Should we not be mournful over this world's condition?

Matt. 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." :cry:
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,417
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#23
A wise person derives the most benefit from knowledge.. (y)

You can fill up an unwise person with knowledge and they will either waste it or use it to increase evil.. :devilish:

Growing in wisdom will cause one sadness when one looks at this world.. :cry:

But wisdom will cause one to have joy when one looks upon the world to come. :D
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,417
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#24
Oh and it is great wisdom for us to know we are unwise.. (y)

Because it is when we understand our lack of wisdom that causes us to seek wisdom from God.. :love:
 

Grandpa

Senior Member
Jun 24, 2011
11,551
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#26
the fool has the fear of the LORD in his hand?

or is that what he would put the price toward, if only he had the heart?
Isn't the heart also the price?

Seeing that it is changed as wisdom increases.
 

ArtsieSteph

Senior Member
Apr 1, 2014
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Arizona
#27
To be literal, I think the cost of wisdom is not having the excuse for oneself that "I didn't know" anymore. You have to be more responsible for your foolish actions, because at that point you knew full well what you should've done.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
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#28
Proverbs 31: 10 comes to mind.

who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
 

UnoiAmarah

Junior Member
Jul 28, 2017
740
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#29
There are a couple of Proverbs that seem to contradict each other until you meditate about them:

Pro. 26:4 "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him." This is telling us not to give a meaningful answer to a fool because he won't be open to the useful response.

Pro. 26:5 "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit." On the other hand, we can give a silly response to a silly question. Yes, it is even encouraged.
I agree that they might appear to contradict each other but in regards to when to answer, I would simply aver to
1 Peter 3:15.
 

UnoiAmarah

Junior Member
Jul 28, 2017
740
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#30
It is essentially asking; Why do the fools try to buy wisdom when they don't have the heart for it?
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Prov 23:23

The NT clarifies the meaning of the passage as receiving the Word, that is if one believes the truth, wisdom, instruction and understanding is the Word that comes from the LORD. Is it not of great value? For where your treasure is there shall you heart be also.

If LORD reveals unto you a truth, or wisdom, instruction or understanding what do you do with it, bury in the ground which is saying that you keep it to yourself. But then again he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. Do you know what those great riches or treasure is? [See Isaiah 33:6]

So do you think there is an offering in the hand of fool to receive the word of God?

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
1 Thess 2:13
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,530
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#31
Buy the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.
(Proverbs 23:23)
at a price
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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#32
Proverbs 31: 10 comes to mind.

who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

For wisdom is better than rubies,
and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
(Proverbs 8:11)
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,530
13,094
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#33
So do you think there is an offering in the hand of fool

the scripture says so, right here:

Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom?
(Proverbs 17:16)

do you think the scripture is wrong?
 

UnoiAmarah

Junior Member
Jul 28, 2017
740
128
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#34
So do you think there is an offering in the hand of fool to receive the word of God?
the scripture says so, right here:

Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom?
(Proverbs 17:16)
do you think the scripture is wrong?
Why would a fool believe wisdom could be purchased for a price?

this is posing a question: why does a fool have what is necessary to get wisdom, yet have no heart?
If you believe wisdom can be purchased with a price then instead of trying to interpret Proverbs 17:16 maybe you should consider the principle in the following verse:

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Acts 8:20

For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Prov 2:6

A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. John 3:27

Who can get wisdom?
Only the wise?
Seems hopeless, if that's the case - I don't know anyone who seeks wisdom because they already have it, rather, because they know that they lack it.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. Prov 9:9

Ipso facto.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,530
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#35
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom,
seeing he hath no heart to it?
(Proverbs 17:16 KJV)
italicized words are not part of the Hebrew; they are added by the translators in attempt to clarify awkward literal translation.
so let's remove them:


Wherefore a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom,
seeing no heart?
(Proverbs 17:16 KJV)
now we're closer to being literal:

Why is this -- a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,
and a heart there is none?
(Proverbs 17:16 YLT)
this is posing a question: why does a fool have what is necessary to get wisdom, yet have no heart?
this begs a question, that i'd like to get your insight on -- what is the cost of wisdom?


seems to me, this is saying fools have it, but for lack of heart, it is not 'spent' i.e. wisdom isn't acquired even though they have ability.
so what is the price?
something even a fool has ((every fool?)) -- something that without heart, isn't profitable.
what is it?

some said Solomon was wrong, wisdom has no price, or that if it does certainly the fool does not have that price.
some said the price is sorrow, because we know the wise have much grief -- tho no one linked this to being in the hand of a fool.

no one was able to point me to these passages, but i heard them yesterday; instead of any man or woman, God led me to them, and they explain the riddle i had been asking about --


But where can wisdom be found, and where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.
The deep says, ‘It is not in me’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
It cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
(Job 28:12-19)
says here man does not know the price.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,530
13,094
113
#36
But where can wisdom be found, and where is the place of understanding?Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.The deep says, ‘It is not in me’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’It cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price.It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, for the price of wisdom is above rubies.The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
(Job 28:12-19)


says here man does not know the price.


From where then does wisdom come, and where is the place of understanding?
It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’
God understands its way, and He knows its place.
For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens,
to establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the waters by measure.
When He made a law for the rain, and a path for the thunderbolt,
then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.
And to man He said,
‘Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’
(Job 28:20-28)
God knows it, and has prepared it, and has hidden it from all, that through Him it should be found.
therein is its price.

so as Solomon asks us --- what is this, why is the price of wisdom in the hand of fools, seeing that they do not have heart?
maybe now having the key to what this is, which is in the hand of a fool, we can search out why?


why has the LORD made it so?