Proverbs 4:7 (DRB)

Passage

The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.

Proverbs 4:7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.

Proverbs 4:8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.

Proverbs 4:9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beginning", "wisdom", "possession", "purchase", and "prudence". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beginning" and "wisdom", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "Forsake her not and she shall keep..." into verse 8's "Take hold on her and she shall...", so "beginning" and "wisdom" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "beginning" and "wisdom" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.