Proverbs 24:3 — Word Study
WLCבְּ֭חָכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכּוֹנָֽן׃
BSABy wisdomchokmâh [through, with, skill, prudence, or good judgment] a housebayith [dwelling place, family, or temple] is builtbânâh▸ [constructed, established] and by understandingtâbûwn [through, with, insight, discretion, or intelligence] it is establishedkûwn▸ [set up, made strong, or secured]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּ֭חָכְמָה | by wisdom | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| יִבָּ֣נֶה | it is built | Verb, Niphal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| בָּ֑יִת | a house | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה | and by understanding | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| יִתְכּוֹנָֽן׃ | it is established | Verb, Hithpael, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; |
| KJV | Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: |
| ASV | Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established; |
| YLT | By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself. |
| WEB | Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established; |
| BBE | The building of a house is by wisdom, and by reason it is made strong: |
The translations agree on the essential meanings of wisdom and understanding in this verse.
The sentence contains two main clauses connected by 'and', each introducing a means by which the respective action is accomplished.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectבַּיִת
verbבָּנָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 24:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Value of Wisdom and Understandinggenerated
Proverbs 24:3 emphasizes the importance of wisdom and understanding in building a strong foundation for life. The surrounding verses highlight the contrast between wise actions and the chaos that arises from foolishness. This passage encourages readers to seek wisdom as a guiding principle in their lives, much like the foundational elements of a well-built house.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 9:1 | Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars. |
| 2 | Proverbs 14:1 | Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. |
| 3 | 1 Corinthians 3:9 | For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. |
| 4 | 2 Samuel 7:26 | so that Your name will be magnified forever when it is said, ‘The LORD of Hosts is God over Israel.’ And the house of Your servant David will be established before You. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 10:12 | The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חָכְמָה, Be.cha.khe.mahgenerated
The Hebrew word חָכְמָה (chokmah) means wisdom and encompasses various forms of skill, including prudence and good judgment. It is derived from the root word חָכַם (chakam), which indicates a depth of understanding in practical matters, such as administration and ethics.
In this verse, wisdom is portrayed as the foundational skill necessary for building a house, which can be understood as a family or community. This suggests that a life built on wisdom is likely to be stable and successful.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the meanings presented in the verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs in this verse are יִבָּ֣נֶה (it is built) and יִתְכּוֹנָֽן (it is established), with the nouns בָּ֑יִת (a house) and תְּבוּנָה (understanding) serving as subjects of these verbs. The structure emphasizes the dual role of wisdom and understanding in the process of building.
The sentence is constructed with a prepositional phrase introducing the means by which each action occurs, highlighting the interdependence of wisdom and understanding.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חָכְמָה as σοφίας (sophias), indicating a focus on skill and insight. This choice reflects a broader philosophical understanding of wisdom in the Greek context.
The use of οἰκοδομεῖται (oikodomeitai) for יִבָּ֣נֶה suggests a strong emphasis on the act of building, aligning with the Hebrew meaning but also resonating with Greek architectural metaphors.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 24:3 teaches that wisdom is essential for building a strong house, which can represent a family or community. Understanding is also crucial for establishing that house securely. This verse highlights the importance of both qualities in creating a stable and successful life.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Building a house by wisdom refers to creating a strong foundation for life, relationships, or community through skillful and prudent decisions.
Understanding helps to secure and strengthen a house, ensuring that it is not only built but also maintained and protected.
Yes, wisdom and understanding can apply to various aspects of life, including personal growth, career decisions, and spiritual matters.
Having both qualities ensures a well-rounded approach to life, enabling individuals to navigate challenges effectively and make informed choices.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to seek more wisdom and understanding?
- How can I apply the principles of wisdom and understanding to my relationships?
- What practical steps can I take to build a stronger foundation in my life?
- How can I encourage others to value wisdom and understanding in their own lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
John Chrysostom comments on this verse, interpreting the house as the church built by Christ, filled with precious riches.
[Solomon] calls Christ wisdom, intelligence and reason. The house is [Christ’s] church which he built and whose storerooms he filled with every kind of precious and splendid riches.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 24 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 24:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThrough wisdom is a house builded,.... A family is built up, furnished and supplied with the necessaries and conveniences of life, and brought into flourishing and prosperous circumstances, by wise
Read John Gill on Proverbs 24 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThrough wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: Through wisdom is an house builded.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 24 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThere is no need that thou shouldst raise thyself and family by ruining others, as the manner of wicked men is, which thou mayst more easily and effectually do by wisdom, and the fear of God.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 24 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 24:3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:Ver. 3. Through wisdom is an house builded.] q.d., I will show thee a better project; wouldst thou thrive and grow great? Exercise godliness, wish not wickedness.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 24 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXXIV (3) Through wisdom is an house builded.—See above on Proverbs 14:1.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 24 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. Through wisdom is a house blinded] That is, a family; household affairs. See Clarke on Proverbs 9:1, &c.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 24 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3. a house] literal or metaphorical, comp. Proverbs 14:1.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 24 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe “house” is figurative of the whole life, the “chambers” of all regions, inward and outward, of it.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 24 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;
By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
Tyndale line
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established;
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
Through wisdom is a house built; and by understanding it is established:
Through wisdome is an house builded, and with vnderstanding it is established.
Strictly literal
Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;
By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
A house is built by wisdom, || And it establishes itself by understanding.
Through wisdom is a house built; and through understanding is it firmly established;
Through wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established.
From the Latin
By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.
Simplified
A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
The building of a house is by wisdom, and by reason it is made strong:
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Proverbs 24:3 states, 'By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established,' with the Hebrew reading: בְּ֭חָכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכּוֹנָֽן׃. The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning and content, matching all five words in a word-by-word correspondence, although the word order and articles differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide differing readings for this verse, thus affirming the consistency of the Masoretic Text in this instance.
בְּ֭חָכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכּוֹנָֽן׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 24:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חָכְמָה (chokmah) means wisdom and encompasses various forms of skill, including in war and administration, as well as shrewdness and ethical prudence. It is built from the root word for wisdom, חָכַם (chakam). The term appears in contexts related to both practical and religious matters.
חָכְמָה n.f. wisdom
skill in war
wisdom, in administration
shrewdness, wisdom
wisdom, prudence in religious affairs
wisdom, ethical and religious
base
H2451 חָכְמָה wisdom . skill in war
. wisdom, in administration
. shrewdness, wisdom
. wisdom, prudence in religious affairs
. wisdom, ethical and religious
2451 chokmah khok-maw'
from 2449; wisdom (in a good sense):--skilful, wisdom,
wisely, wit.
see HEBREW for 02449
חׇכְמָה (chokh.mah) — wisdom.
1) wisdom
1a) skill (in war)
1b) wisdom (in administration)
1c) shrewdness, wisdom
1d) wisdom, prudence (in religious affairs)
1e) wisdom (ethical and religious)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
wiz'-dum:
1. Linguistic
2. History
3. Religious Basis
4. Ideals
5. Teaching of Christ
6. Remainder of the New Testament
(1) James
(2) Paul
7. Hypostasis
LITERATURE
1. Linguistic:
In the Revised Version (British and American) the noun "wisdom" and its corresponding adjective and verb ("be wise," "act wisely," etc.) represent a variety of Hebrew words: bin (binah, and in the English Revised Version tebunah), sakhal (sekhel, sekhel), lebh (and in the English Revised Version labhabh), tushiyah (and in the English Revised Version Te`em, `ormah, piqqach. None of these, however, is of very frequent occurrence and by far the most common group is the verb chakham, with the adjective chakham, and the nouns chokhmah, chokhmoth, with something over 300 occurrences in the Old Testament (of which rather more than half are in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes). Cokhmah, accordingly, may be treated as the Hebrew…
The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.
בָּנָה 373 vb. build
Qal build
Niph.
be built
be rebuilt
(fig.) of restored exiles, = established
established, made permanent
base
H1129 בָּנָה build .build
.. . be built
. be rebuilt
. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established
. established, made permanent
1129 banah baw-naw'
a primitive root; to build (literally and
figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,
repair, set (up), X surely.
בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.
1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to build, rebuild
1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be built
1b2) to be rebuilt
1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)
1b4) established (made permanent)
1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)
Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVNi3ms
The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between
base
בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house
house
place
receptacle
of house as containing a family
household, family (592 t.)
house, including household affairs
lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards
מִבַּיִת
adv. on the inside
prep. within
base
H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house
1004 bayith bah'-yith
probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest
variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,
daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as
would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),
inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,
temple, web, + within(-out).
see HEBREW for 01129
בֵּית (bet) — place.
nm
place, origin, between
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.
: home/temple/building
nm
1) house
1a) house, dwelling habitation
1b) shelter or abode of animals
1c) human bodies (fig.)
1d) of Sheol
1e) of abode of light and darkness
1f) of land of Ephraim
2) place
3) receptacle
4) home, house as containing a family
5) household, family
5a) those belonging to the same household
5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body
6) household affairs
7) inwards (metaph.)
8) (TWOT) temple
adv
9) on the inside
prep
10) within
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
hous (bayith; oikos, in classical Greek generally "an estate," oikia, oikema (literally, "habitation"), in Ac 12:1, "prison"):
I. CAVE DWELLINGS
II. STONE-BUILT AND MUD/BRICK-BUILT HOUSES
1. Details of Plan and Construction
(1) Corner-Stone
(2) Floor
(3) Gutter
(4) Door
(5) Hinge
(6) Lock and Key
(7) Threshold
(8) Hearth
(9) Window
(10) Roof
2. Houses of More than One Story
(1) Upper Chambers and Stairs
(2) Palaces and Castles
3. Internal Appearance
III. OTHER MEANINGS
LITERATURE
I. Cave Dwellings.
The earliest permanent habitations of the prehistoric inhabitants of Palestine were the natural caves which abound throughout the country. As the people increased and grouped themselves into communities, these abodes were supplemented by systems of artificial caves which, in some cases, developed into extensive burrowings of many adjoining compartments, having…
House
Till their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews dwelt in tents. They then for the first time inhabited cities (Gen. 47:3; Ex. 12:7; Heb. 11:9). From the earliest times the Assyrians and the Canaanites were builders of cities. The Hebrews after the Conquest took possession of the captured cities, and seem to have followed the methods of building that had been pursued by the Canaanites. Reference is made to the stone (1 Kings 7:9; Isa. 9:10) and marble (1 Chr. 29:2) used in building, and to the internal wood-work of the houses (
The houses of the rural poor in Egypt, as well as in most parts of Syria, Arabia and Persia, are generally mere huts of mud or sunburnt bricks. In some parts of Palestine and Arabia stone is used, and in certain districts caves in the rocks are used as dwellings. (Amos 5:11) The houses are usually of one story only, viz., the ground floor, and often contain only one apartment. Sometimes a small court for the cattle is attached; and in some cases the cattle are housed in the same building, or the live in a raised platform, and, the cattle round them on the ground. (1 Samuel 28:24) The windows are small apertures high up in the walls, sometimes grated with wood. The roofs are commonly but not always flat, and are usually formed of plaster of mud and straw laid upon boughs or…
Is often put for dwelling, residence; and hence the temple, and even the tabernacle, are called the house of God.
The universal mode of building houses in the East, is in the form of a hollow square, with an open court or yard in the center; which is thus entirely shut in by the walls of the house around it. Into this court all the windows open, there being usually no windows towards the street. Some houses of large size require several courts, and these usually communicate with each other. These courts are commonly paved; and in many large houses parts of them are planted with shrubs and trees, Ps 84:3 128:3; they have also, when possible, a fountain in them, often with a jet d’ eau, 2Sa 17:18. It is customary in many houses to extend an awning over the whole court in hot…
תְּבוּנָה (tebunah) means understanding and encompasses intelligence, skill, and insight. It can refer to both the act of understanding and the faculty itself, as well as the object of knowledge. The term is personified as a teacher in some contexts.
תְּבוּנָה n.f. understanding
the act
the faculty
the object of knowledge
personified as teacher.
base
H8394 תְּבוּנָה understanding
8394 tabuwn taw-boon'
and (feminine) tbuwnah {teb-oo-naw'}; or towbunah
{to-boo-naw'}; from 995; intelligence; by implication, an
argument; by extension, caprice:--discretion, reason,
skilfulness, understanding, wisdom.
see HEBREW for 0995
תְּבוּנָה (ta.vu.nah) — understanding.
1) understanding, intelligence
1a) the act of understanding
1a1) skill
1b) the faculty of understanding
1b1) intelligence, understanding, insight
1c) the object of knowledge
1d) teacher (personification)
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/R/Ncfsa
כּוּן (kuwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to establish or prepare. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to be firm, to fix, to direct, and to be ready, with applications in both literal and figurative contexts. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, such as Niph'al (to be established) and Hiph'il (to establish), but there is a note on a noun form, נָכוֹן (nakhon), meaning 'blow'.
[כּוּן] 218 vb. prob. be firm, only in der. conj.
Niph.
be set up, established, fixed
in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways
prepare, be ready
pass. be prepared, of judgments
Hiph.
establish, set up
fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift
provide for, provide, furnish
direct one's face toward
arrange, order
Hoph.
be established, of throne
be prepared for
Po‛lēl.
set up, establish
constitute, make, a man (in womb)
fix, so as to be ready
direct
Po‛lal. be established
Hithpo‛l. be established
base
נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow Jb 12:5
ref
H3559a כּוּן prob. be firm, only in der. conj. . . be set up, established, fixed
. in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways
. prepare, be ready
. pass. be prepared, of judgments
. . establish, set up
. . fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift
. provide for, provide, furnish
. direct one's face toward
. arrange, order
. . be established, of throne
. be prepared for
. . set up, establish
. constitute, make, a man (in womb)
. fix, so as to be ready
. direct
. be established
. be established
H3559b נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow
3559 kuwn koon
a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand
perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great
variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix,
prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper
or prosperous):--certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness,
fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet,
ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self),
provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright,
fast, forth), be stable, (e-)stablish, stand, tarry, X very
deed.
כּוּן (kun) — to establish: prepare.
: prepare/direct
1) to be firm, be stable, be established
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed
1a1a) to be firmly established
1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring
1a1c) to be fixed, be securely determined
1a2) to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (moral sense)
1a3) to prepare, be ready
1a4) to be prepared, be arranged, be settled
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm
1b2) to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish
1b3) to direct toward (moral sense)
1b4) to arrange, order
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be established, be fastened
1c2) to be prepared, be ready
1d) (Polel)
1d1) to set up, establish
1d2) to constitute, make
1d3) to fix
1d4) to direct
1e) (Pulal) to be established, be prepared
1f) (Hithpolel) to be established, be restored
נָכוֹן (na.khon) — blow.
V-r-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person masculine singularHVti3ms