Proverbs 18:15 · King James Version

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
Proverbs 18:15 in the King James Version reads: “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.”. Read it in the full context of Proverbs 18, or compare how other translations render it below.

Proverbs 18:15 in Other Translations

KJV The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
WEB The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
ASV The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
YLT The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
WBT The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
DBY The heart of an intelligent [man] getteth knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Commentary on Proverbs 18:15

Expositions from classic Bible commentators.

Matthew Henry · Proverbs 18:15

Note, 1. Those that are prudent will seek knowledge, and apply their ear and heart to the pursuit of it, their ear to attend to the means of knowledge and their heart to mix faith with what they hear and make a good improvement of it. Those that are prudent do not think they have prudence enough, but still see they have need of more; and the more prudent a man is the more inquisitive will he be after knowledge, the knowledge of God and his duty, and the way to heaven, for that is the best knowledge. 2. Those that prudently seek knowledge shall certainly get knowledge, for God never said to such, Seek in vain, but, Seek and you shall find. If the ear seeks it, the heart gets it, and keeps it, and is enriched by it. We must get knowledge, not only into our heads, but into our hearts, get the savour and relish of it, apply what we know to ourselves and experience the power and influence of it.

Read Matthew Henry's full commentary on Proverbs 18 →

John Gill · Proverbs 18:15

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge,.... More knowledge; for he must have some, and a considerable share, to be denominated "prudent", whether in things natural, civil, or spiritual: and such will be heartily desirous of more, and make use of all means to attain it, by which they do come at a large share of it;

and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge; a wise man seeks to get it by hearing; he listens to what others say, and especially such that are wiser and more knowing than himself: so such as are wise to salvation, as they desire to know more of Christ and of divine things, and make use of all means for that purpose; among the rest, hearken to what Christians, of a superior class to themselves, drop in private conversation; and particularly they constantly attend to the ministry of the word; and thus seeking it, they find an increase of it.

Read John Gill's full commentary on Proverbs 18 →

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Proverbs 18:15

(Compare Pro 1:5, Pro 1:15, Pro 1:31).

Read Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's full commentary on Proverbs 18 →

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Cross References for Proverbs 18:15

Related passages, ranked by how often readers connect them. Cross-reference data from openbible.info (CC-BY).

Questions about Proverbs 18:15

What does Proverbs 18:15 say?

Proverbs 18:15 in the King James Version reads: “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” Read it in the full context of Proverbs 18, alongside the classic commentary on this page.

Where is Proverbs 18:15 found in the Bible?

Proverbs 18:15 is in the book of Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 15, in the Old Testament.

What Bible translation is Proverbs 18:15 shown in?

This is the King James Version (KJV), a public-domain translation. You can compare how other translations render Proverbs 18:15 in the table on this page.

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