Wisdom, Understanding & Knowledge
by Pastor Shannon Pinto
Throughout the Scriptures we find that there are three key words that are often linked together. Those words are wisdom, understanding and knowledge. They are necessary words for us to understand if we are going to faithfully serve the Lord here on earth.
It is helpful to note that there is a natural wisdom, understanding and knowledge (from the world), and there is a spiritual wisdom, understanding and knowledge (from above). This message is focusing on the spiritual application of the words, for it is the spiritual aspect of these words that will make all the difference in our lives.
At first glance, it seems that the authors of the Bible use the words “wisdom,” “knowledge,” and a third term, “understanding,” almost interchangeably. A closer examination shows a difference in the way the three terms are used. This difference is very important for us.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Let’s break into these words to gain a sound Biblical understanding:
• Knowledge – the facts (Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 18:15, Colossians 2:8, 1 Timothy 2:4).
The word “knowledge” is translated from the Hebrew word “daath,”
Those with knowledge are able to collect, remember, and access information. But, it is possible to have knowledge and still lack in understanding and wisdom. Someone might have the facts, but not know what they mean or what to do next.
• Understanding – ability to translate meaning from the facts (Psalm 119:130, Proverbs 3:5-7, 18:2, Philippians 1:9-10).
The word “understanding” is translated from the Hebrew word “tebunah,” meaning “to discern, to mark, to understand, all which depend on the power of separating, distinguishing, discriminating;
Those with understanding are able to extract the meaning out of information. They “see through” the facts to the dynamics of what, how, and why. Understanding is a lens which brings the facts into crisp focus and produces principles.
• Wisdom – knowing what to do next, given an understanding of the facts and circumstances (Ecclesiastes 8:1, James 3:17).
Those with wisdom know which principle to apply in a given context. Which principle to use depends on the context. Those with wisdom know what actions to take next. They do the right thing in the given situation. In contrast, there are many who have great knowledge and understanding but who consistently do the wrong thing.
Charles Spurgeon once wrote,
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.
The following table may help you visualize the difference between these three terms:
Knowledge
Understanding
Wisdom
Facts
Meaning
What to Do Next
Information
Principles
Application
Memory
Reason
Action
Scholars
Teachers
Practitioners
With each of these three words there is a “cross-over” of meanings; they tend to blend into one another. They all have to do with perceiving and discerning in order to act wisely, with understanding and in genuine knowledge that glorifies God. It is about learning to know what to do with what we know through wisdom, understanding and knowledge.
But it all begins with and grows with the attitude of “teachability”. The New Testament word “disciple” literally means “a learner.” Christians are called to a careful study of the Bible. This will help us acquire the knowledge that we need in order to do what God has call us to do. The Lord wills to take from knowledge, to understanding to wisdom. Jesus said,
If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31–32).
R.C. Sproul writes in one daily devotional that,
Our Lord calls for a continued application of the mind to His Word. A disciple does not dabble in learning. He makes the pursuit of an understanding of God’s Word a chief business of his life.
It is clear that Christians are to study God’s word to learn his revealed knowledge (wisdom and understanding can also be learned from Scripture, too).
THERE IS A CLEAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL WISDOM:
What is the differentiator between natural and spiritual wisdom?
The quality or manner of your life – James 3: 13 - 17
“Who is a wise (“sophos” = “skill” – Young’s) man and endued with knowledge (“epistemon” = “understanding, intelligent” – Young’s; “to fix one’s mind upon, i.e. to understand, to know how to do anything, to know well, to have knowledge” – Bullinger’s) among you? (KJV) Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom (“sophia”). But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure (“hagnos” = “clean, chaste, pure” – Strong’s; “not contaminated, pure from every defilement” – Bullinger’s), then peaceable (“eirenikos” = “relating to peace, peaceful, disposed to peace; healthful, wholesome” – Bullinger’s), gentle (“epieikes” = “appropriate, mild, moderate, patient” – Strong’s), willing to yield (“easy to be intreated” – KJV; “eupeithes” = “easily persuaded” – Young’s), full of mercy (“eleos” = “active compassion” – Bullinger’s), and good fruits (“karpos” = “fruit”), without partiality (“adiakritos” = “not judging diversely, impartial” – Young’s) and without hypocrisy (“anupokritos” = “the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one’s real character or behaviour, especially the pretence of virtue or piety” – Collins)” (James 3:13-18 ).
Notice in these verses from James 3 that wisdom from God has character and graces. It is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
So, I acquire knowledge and understanding by learning BUT NOT WISDOM. I saw this difference in scripture personally as to how wisdom is given. Yes, true wisdom CANNOT be acquired.
HOW DO I RECEIVE WISDOM?
Wisdom in a Biblical sense is so very much more than wisdom as defined in our English language. To us wisdom is simply knowledge, information and understanding. Yet, to the writers of the Bible wisdom was a relationship word.
There are three words for wisdom in Hebrew.
1ST: The most common word that used for wisdom is chakemah and is not only found in the Bible but is a reoccurring word within extra Biblical literature. Solomon uses the word chakemah in Proverbs 8:1 and puts it in the feminine form.
Why is wisdom considered feminine? You can speculate as well as I can. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that women are considered more spiritual or wiser than men. Or maybe it has to do with the fact that a woman is the one who gives birth to a new life and it is wisdom that gives birth to new ideas and insights in the spirit realm. Yet, many rabbis feel that it is because this is a wisdom that comes from an intimacy and knowing one’s heart as a wife is intimate with her husband and in that intimacy, she knows and understand his heart as he does her heart.
2ND: Then we have the word for as found in Genesis 3:6 which speak of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In the Book of Enoch it is called the tree of wisdom. So, what was so bad about learning wisdom. The word used here in the Book of Enoch is the Aramaic word that is equivalent to the Hebrew word for another type of wisdom and is the word used in Genesis 3:6 when Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was desirable to make one wise. This is the second word for wisdom which is shacal. Both chakemah and shacal mean wisdom and if you look them up in the lexicon it will tell you it means wisdom (business wisdom). However, they are both spelled differently. Chakem is spelled Cheth, Kap and Final Mem. This is a wisdom that comes from joining yourself with God and allowing Him to fill you with his hidden knowledge. This is the wisdom that Solomon asked for, the hidden knowledge of God. However, he asked for more than just the hidden knowledge of God, he wanted to gain this knowledge through an intimacy with God.
3RD: In Matthew 7:22 Jesus tells us that many will say: “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out devils in your name, done great and mighty things in your name and he will say depart from me, I never knew you.” This is our third word in Hebrew and Aramaic for wisdom. It is the word ginosko in Greek for knowing. This is the same word Mary used when she said was told she would have a child and asked how could that be as she knew no man. In other words, she had no intimate relationship with a man. The Aramaic word used here is yida like the Hebrew word yada which is to gain knowledge by knowing someone intimately. This is usually a wisdom or knowledge that comes from a love relationship as well as a business relationship. It may be one or the other or both. Sometimes you see a married couple and wonder if they are really in love or just married for convenience sake. You don’t know if it is a shacal relationship or a chakam relationship, so you give it the benefit of the doubt and call it a yida relationship, it may be one or the other but we will assume it is both.
Yida or yada in the Hebrew differ from chakem as chakem means a knowledge gained through an intimacy filled with love where yida means that but it also carries the idea of shacal as well. Let’s put it this way a man can have a business partner who shares many of the intimate details of the business with him but she does not share the intimate details of his heart. That is shacal the wisdom Eve sought in the garden. Now when a man shares an intimate relationship with his wife out of love, she will share the intimate details of her heart with him and he with her. That is chakam, which is the wisdom Solomon sought and the wisdom he speaks about in Proverbs like in Proverbs 8:1.
Now let’s say that this wife not only shares in a love relationship with her husband and has a chakem or knowledge of his heart, but she is also his business partner. They run a business together and she also shares the intimate details of that business as well, she shares a shacal with him. However, in that case she is not only sharing the intimate secrets of her husband’s heart, but the secrets of his business as well. Here we would use the word yada. So, when Jesus said many will say Lord Lord and he tells them to depart that he never knew them He is saying that they never knew his heart nor the secrets of his kingdom. There was no intimacy with Him either in love or in the business of running the kingdom.
Yes, even today as in Jesus day, many are taking of the fruit of wisdom but have no relationship with God, their wisdom is shacal. Just because someone performs signs and wonders, great miracles and cast out devils and prophesied does not mean they have a chakam intimate relationship with God. In fact, if they do signs and wonders without that relationship, they are taking of forbidden fruit, or knowledge that should only be shared through a loving relationship with God. So now that does not have yida, wisdom of God’s heart or His business affairs.
EXAMPLES OF THESE WORDS IN THE BIBLE:
BEZALEL:
God spoke these words concerning Bezalel: “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom (Hebrew word is “chokmah”), in understanding (“tebunah”), in knowledge (“daath”), and in all manner of workmanship . . .”
the Israelites:
In Deuteronomy 4:1-6 the Israelites were instructed to “listen to the statutes and the judgments of the Lord,” because they were the keys or secrets to their gaining wisdom, understanding and knowledge: “Therefore be careful to observe them; for this 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.’” Those statutes and judgments were to be observed or kept (“shamar” = “to keep, to watch, to guard; to keep safe, to protect, to preserve; to retain, to reserve; to observe; to regard; keep diligently” – Wilson’s).
Joshua:
In Deuteronomy 34:9 we read of Joshua receiving an impartation of wisdom when Moses laid his hands on him: “Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom (“chokmah”), for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.” This teaches us that some wisdom for leadership responsibilities can be imparted. The people recognized the significance of what Moses did, for they then transferred their allegiance to Joshua’s leadership as a result of that impartation of wisdom from the hands of Moses!
SOLOMON:
Solomon prayed for wisdom and knowledge (1 Kings 3:5-15 ; 2 Chronicles 1:7-12 ). God was pleased with his request and granted it. Immediately Solomon became known for the wisdom he spoke concerning two women and a dead baby. The people saw the wisdom (“chokmah”) of God was in him to administer justice (1 Kings 3:16-28 ).
In 1 Kings 4:29-34 we read where “God gave Solomon wisdom (“chokmah”) and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled (“rab” = “abounded, multiplied in quantity” – Strong’s) the wisdom of all the men of the East, and all the wisdom of Egypt . . . And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.”
“So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him . . .” (1 Kings 5:12 ). What amazing wisdom God gave to Solomon! The fact that God gave Solomon that tremendous wisdom that far exceeded any others of his day, it did not mean that it was an “automatic” supply for him from thereon until the end of his life. For if we read on (1 Kings 11 ), we do see that Solomon in later life made some very unwise decisions that were to cost him dearly. He allowed himself to become entangled with ~ and then he married ~ some wrong women who turned his heart and principles away from that which God had given him.
HURAM “was filled with wisdom (“chokmah”) and understanding (“tebunah”) and skill (“daath” = “cunning knowledge”) in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work” (1 Kings 7:13-14 ). These three key words made Huram a very gifted person with his natural hands.
The Psalmist:
declared: “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom” (“chokmah”) (Psalm 37:30 ). “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply (“bo” = “to cause to come in” – Young’s; “1. to put to practical use; utilize; employ. 2. to be relevant, useful, or appropriate. 5. to devote oneself, or one’s efforts, with diligence. 6. to bring into operation or use” – Collins) our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 ). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments” (Psalm 111 ;10; see also Proverbs 9:10 ; Proverbs 15:33 ).
THE BOOK OF PROVERBS:
The Book of Proverbs has much to say on wisdom, understanding and knowledge. The opening verses of the book reveal to us the message it is conveying:
“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive (“to understand, to know, be acquainted with, to discern, to see, to find, discover, to observe thoroughly with the mind”) the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence (“ormah” = “craftiness, subtilty” – Young’s; “discretion, prudence, wisdom” – Strong’s) to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion – a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:1-7 ). Please try and make some time to work your way through this amazing book. Observe these Chapters and Verses: Proverbs 2:1-11 ; 3:13-23; 4:1-13; 5:1-2; 7:1-5; 8:1,5, 8-14; 9:8-12; 10:13-14, 23; 14:6-8, 33; 16:16; 17:24; 23:23; and 24:3-6.
THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE RESTED ON JESUS ~ see Isaiah 11:1-2 .
We are to glory in the fact of understanding and knowing that GOD IS THE LORD! ~ Jeremiah 9:23-24 .
DANIEL AND HIS ASSOCIATES
were “gifted in all wisdom (“chokmah”), possessing knowledge and quick to understand . . .” (Daniel 1:4 , 17-20; see also Daniel 5:11-14 ). God gives “wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things . . .” (Daniel 2:21-22 ).
THE APOSTLE PAUL’S PRAYER FOR THE CHRISTIANS:
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom(“sophia”) and revelation (“apokalupsis” = “unveiling, uncovering”) in the knowledge (“epignosis” = “full knowledge” – Young’s; “clear and exact knowledge; it expresses a more thorough participation on the part of the knower, with the object of knowledge; a knowledge that has a powerful influence on the knower” – Bullinger’s) of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power . . .” (Ephesians 1:15-23 ).
The Greek word used for wisdom here is “sophia” meaning “cleverness, skill; a right application of knowledge” (Bullinger’s); the ability or result of an ability to think and act utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight” (Collins).
The Gift of the Word of Wisdom in 1 Corinthians 12:8 is also translated from “sophia.”
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled (“pleroo” = “literally to cram, accomplish, complete, fill up, fulfil” – Strong’s; “to fill, make full, to be complete” – Bullinger’s) with the knowledge (“epignosis”) of His will in all wisdom (“sophia”) and spiritual (“pneumatikos” = “belonging to the Spirit; determined, influenced and proceeding from the Spirit” – Bullinger’s) understanding (“sunesis” = “intelligence, insight into anything, understanding, cleverness as shown in quickness of apprehension; acuteness . . . wisdom of productive thought” – Bullinger’s); that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing(“auxano” = “to increase, grow” – Young’s; “grow up” – Bullinger’s) in the knowledge (“epignosis”) of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” (Colossians 1:9-11 ).
“ . . . that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding (“sunesis”), to the knowledge of the mystery (“musterion” = “that which is known only to the initiated” – Young’s) of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures (“thesauros” = “anything laid up in store; hence, treasure, wealth” – Bullinger’s) of wisdom and knowledge (“gnosis” = “knowing, or recognition, the knowledge or understanding of a thing, the insight which manifests itself in the thorough understanding of the subjects with which it meets and in the conduct determined thereby” – Bullinger’s)” (Colossians 2:2-3 ).
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5 ). We are to ask in faith!
What a challenge these three words present to us ~ wisdom, understanding and knowledge! May we be found seeking to know and walk in the true meaning of these words, so others will see and know the handiwork of God in our lives! May we be a perceptive and discerning people in these times when many are losing their way in God. Let the truth of God’s Word fill you with faith, courage and revelation as you seek to know the outworking of these words more and more in your life. God bless you.