Proverbs 24:4 — Word Study
WLCוּ֭בְדַעַת חֲדָרִ֣ים יִמָּלְא֑וּ כָּל־ ה֖וֹן יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים׃
BSAthrough knowledgedaʻath [true, spiritual, understanding] ◂its roomscheder [chambers, innermost parts] are filledmâlêʼ▸ [made complete, fulfilled] with everykôl [all, everything] preciousyâqâr [valuable, highly esteemed] and beautifulnâʻîym [pleasant, delightful] treasurehôwn [substance, wealth, riches]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּ֭בְדַעַת | and by knowledge | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| חֲדָרִ֣ים | rooms | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| יִמָּלְא֑וּ | they are filled | Verb, Niphal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| ה֖וֹן | wealth | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יָקָ֣ר | precious | Adj |
| וְנָעִֽים׃ | and pleasant | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure. |
| KJV | And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. |
| ASV | And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches. |
| YLT | And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth. |
| WEB | by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure. |
| BBE | And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things. |
Where they part company is יָקָר — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase that elaborates on the filling.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectחֶדֶר
verbמָלֵא
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 24:4
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 — Wisdom and Understanding in Proverbsgenerated
Proverbs 24:4 emphasizes the importance of knowledge in enriching life. This verse highlights how true knowledge fills the innermost parts of a person with valuable treasures, linking it to the preceding verses that discuss the foundational role of wisdom and understanding in building a life. The surrounding verses reinforce the theme that wisdom leads to strength and success, as seen in Proverbs 24:3 and Proverbs 24:5.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 15:6 | The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble. |
| 2 | Proverbs 20:15 | There is an abundance of gold and rubies, but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure. |
| 3 | Proverbs 21:20 | Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them. |
| 4 | Proverbs 27:23–27 | Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds; |
| 5 | 1 Kings 4:22–28 | Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — דַּעַת, U.ve.da.'atgenerated
The word דַּעַת (da`ath) is a feminine noun meaning knowledge or understanding. It encompasses not just factual knowledge but also skill and moral insight, often associated with wisdom literature. This reflects a deeper understanding that goes beyond mere information.
In this verse, דַּעַת indicates a kind of knowledge that leads to fulfillment and richness in life, aligning with the biblical view of knowledge as a divine gift that enhances one's experience and understanding of the world.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses knowledge to translate דַּעַת. Other translations like the KJV and ASV agree on this rendering, emphasizing the same concept.
Where translations differ is in the rendering of יָקָר. The BSB, KJV, and others use precious, while the FBV opts for valuable, showing a slight variation in nuance but not in overall meaning.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִמָּלְא֑וּ (yi.mal.'U), they are filled, governs the sentence, with a prepositional phrase and two noun phrases providing detail. The structure emphasizes the filling of the rooms as a central action.
The word order places the subject חֲדָרִ֣ים (cha.da.Rim), rooms, at the beginning, highlighting the importance of what is being filled, while the verb follows, indicating the action of filling.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates דַּעַת as αἰσθήσεως (aisthēseōs), which means 'perception' or 'sensation'. This choice broadens the meaning, suggesting that knowledge involves not just understanding but also sensory awareness.
This reflects a nuanced interpretation that connects knowledge with experiential understanding, which is significant in the context of wisdom literature.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 24:4 explains that knowledge fills the innermost parts of a person with valuable and beautiful treasures. This means that understanding and wisdom enrich life, making it full of worth and delight.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It suggests that understanding and wisdom bring richness and value to one's life, much like filling a house with treasures.
Knowledge refers to the accumulation of facts and understanding, while wisdom is the application of that knowledge in practical and moral ways.
These terms highlight the high value and desirability of the insights and truths gained through knowledge.
You can seek knowledge and understanding in your daily life, which can enrich your experiences and relationships, leading to a more fulfilling life.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced the enriching effects of knowledge in my own life?
- How can I seek to gain more understanding in areas that matter to me?
- What are some treasures of wisdom I can share with others?
- How does this verse encourage me to value knowledge and understanding?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Bede comments on this verse, noting that the storehouses refer to the hearts of the righteous, filled with virtues through wisdom.
In doctrine, the storehouses will be filled, etc. The storehouses are the hearts of the righteous, which will be filled with the gifts of virtues only by the doctrine of wisdom.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 24 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 24:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd by knowledge shalt the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Read John Gill on Proverbs 24 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. By knowledge - of God, and of our duty to Him, to our neighbour, and to ourselves.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 24 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleKnowledge; which in Scripture phrase includes the love and practice of that which we know.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 24 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 24:4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.Ver. 4. With all precious and pleasant riches.] Riches imply (1.) Plenty of that which is precious and pleasant. (2.) Propriety; they must be good things that are our own; and hereunto economical prudence much conduceth. God bestoweth abundance on the wicked ex largitate, only out of a general providence; but upon his people that are good husbands ex promisso, by virtue of this and the like promises.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 24 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) All precious and pleasant riches.—Not only earthly wealth, but the “true riches” (Luke 16:11), the knowledge and love of God. (Comp. note on Proverbs 23:23.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 24 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible4. By knowledge — By skill, intelligence in business, accompanied by a cultivated taste, which is tacitly included in the other term, a house is filled and a family supplied, not only with the
Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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
through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.
through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
by knowledge its rooms are filled with all kinds of precious and pleasing treasures.
Tyndale line
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches.
And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
And by knowledge shall the chambers bee filled with all precious, and pleasant riches.
Strictly literal
and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.
And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, || [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
And through knowledge are chambers filled with all manner of precious and pleasant wealth.
By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
From the Latin
By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.
Simplified
Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things.
Word by word, the decisions they made
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 and the Septuagint largely agree, with six of the seven Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the verse's meaning across these texts.
וּ֭בְדַעַת חֲדָרִ֣ים יִמָּלְא֑וּ כָּל־ ה֖וֹן יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים׃
6 of the 7 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 24:4
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.
דַּ֫עַת (da`ath) means knowledge, encompassing perception, skill, and moral understanding. It is associated with prophetic knowledge and is noted for its divine aspect, particularly in the context of wisdom literature. The entries highlight its use in various forms of knowledge, including discernment and understanding.
דַּ֫עַת n.f. knowledge
knowledge, perception
= skill (in workmanship)
of proph. knowledge
esp. knowledge with moral quality
knowledge possessed by God
esp. in Wisd Lt = discernment, understanding, wisdom
base
H1847 דַּ֫עַת knowledge . . knowledge, perception
. = skill (in workmanship)
. of proph. knowledge
. esp. knowledge with moral quality
. knowledge possessed by God
. esp. in Wisd Lt = discernment, understanding, wisdom
1847 da`ath dah'-ath
from 3045; knowledge:--cunning, (ig-)norantly, know(-ledge),
(un-)awares (wittingly).
see HEBREW for 03045
דַּ֫עַת (da.at) — knowledge.
1) knowledge
1a) knowledge, perception, skill
1b) discernment, understanding, wisdom
Conj | Prep | N-fs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/R/Ncfsa
חֶ֫דֶר (cheder) refers to a chamber or room, often indicating an inner or innermost space. It is derived from a related term and encompasses meanings like parlour and inward part. The entries consistently highlight its literal use in contexts referring to physical spaces.
חֶ֫דֶר n.m. chamber, room
base
H2315 חֶ֫דֶר chamber, room
2315 cheder kheh'-der
from 2314; an apartment (usually literal):--((bed)
inner)chamber, innermost(-ward) part, parlour, + south, X
within.
see HEBREW for 02314
חֶ֫דֶר (che.der) — chamber.
chamber, room, parlour, innermost or inward part, within
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
מָלֵא (male') means 'to fill' or 'be full,' with applications ranging from literal filling to figurative uses like accomplishing or completing something. It appears in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances such as being satisfied or confirming. Notably, it can also refer to massing against someone.
מָלֵא 249 vb. be full, fill
Qal 99
be full, usu. c. acc. material
trans. fill
Niph.
be filled
be accomplished, ended
Pi.
fill
special uses are:
fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day
Pu. filled
Hithp. mass themselves against me
base
H4390 מָלֵא be full, fill .. be full, usu. c. acc. material
. trans. fill
. . be filled
. be accomplished, ended
. . fill
. special uses are:
. fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day
. filled
. mass themselves against me
4390 male' maw-lay'
or malae (Esth. 7:5) {maw-law'}; a primitive root, to fill or
(intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally
and figuratively):--accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at
an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X
draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-)flow,
fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume,
replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-)full, + have
wholly.
מָלֵא (ma.le) — to fill.
1) to fill, be full
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be full
1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle)
1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended
1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied
1b2) to be accomplished, be ended
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to fill
1c2) to satisfy
1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete
1c4) to confirm
1d) (Pual) to be filled
1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against
Aramaic equivalent: me.la (מְלָא "to fill" H4391)
V-Niphal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVNi3mp
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
הוֹן (hown) refers to wealth, riches, or substance, and can also imply sufficiency or enough. It is primarily found in poetic contexts, particularly in Wisdom Literature like Proverbs. The term is derived from a related root that conveys the idea of wealth and value.
הוֹן n.m. wealth, sufficiency (poet., almost wholly WisdLt, especially Pr)
base
H1952 הוֹן wealth, sufficiency (poet., almost wholly WisdLt, especially Pr)
1952 hown hone
from the same as 1951 in the sense of 202; wealth; by
implication, enough:--enough, + for nought, riches, substance,
wealth.
see HEBREW for 01951
see HEBREW for 0202
הוֹן (hon) — substance.
1) wealth, riches, substance
1a) wealth
1b) price, high value
interj
2) enough!, sufficiency
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
→ See RICHES
יָקָר (yaqar) means precious, rare, or splendid, and can refer to something valuable or weighty. It encompasses meanings like costly, excellent, and glorious, often used to describe precious stones or jewels. The word is built from a root that implies value, and it appears in contexts highlighting worth or reputation.
יָקָר adj. precious, rare, splendid, weighty
base
H3368 יָקָר precious, rare, splendid, weighty
3368 yaqar yaw-kawr'
from 3365; valuable (obj. or subj.): -brightness, clear,
costly, excellent, fat, honourable women, precious,
reputation.
see HEBREW for 03365
יָקָר (ya.qar) — precious.
1) valuable, prized, weighty, precious, rare, splendid
1a) precious
1a1) costly
1a2) precious, highly valued
1a3) precious stones or jewels
1b) rare
1c) glorious, splendid
1d) weighty, influential
Adj — AdjHAamsa
presh'-us (stands for 17 different words, chief of which are yaqar; timios):
(1) Generally in the literal sense, "of great price," "costly," "expensive," of material things (e.g. Pr 1:13; Jer 20:5; Mr 14:3 the King James Version), especially of precious stones (2Sa 12:30; 2Ch 3:6; 1Co 3:12 the King James Version, etc.).
(2) Sometimes "of great moral (non-material) value." "Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of his saints" (Ps 116:15); "his precious and exceeding great promises" (
נָעִים (na`iym) means pleasant or delightful, covering both objective and subjective senses, as well as being associated with sweetness and beauty. It may also refer to musical qualities, suggesting something that is sweetly sounding or singing. The word is built from a root that implies delightfulness in various contexts.
נָעִים adj. pleasant, delightful (poet.)
base
נָעִים adj. perh. singing, sweetly sounding, musical
base
H5273a נָעִים pleasant, delightful H5273b נָעִים perh. singing, sweetly sounding, musical
5273 na`iym naw-eem'
from 5276; delightful (objective or subjective, literal or
figurative):--pleasant(-ure), sweet.
see HEBREW for 05276
נָעִים (na.im) — pleasant.
1) pleasant, delightful, sweet, lovely, agreeable
1a) delightful
1b) lovely, beautiful (physical)
נָעִים (na.im) — musical.
singing, sweetly sounding, musical
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Aamsa