Proverbs 4:7 (YLT)

Passage

The first thing <FI>is<Fi> wisdom--get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

Proverbs 4:6 Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

Proverbs 4:7 The first thing <FI>is<Fi> wisdom--get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs 4:8 Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

Proverbs 4:9 She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "first", "wisdom--get", "getting", and "understanding". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "first" and "wisdom--get", 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 doth preserve..." into verse 8's "Exalt her and she doth lift thee...", so "first" and "wisdom--get" 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 "first" and "wisdom--get" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.