◄ Proverbs 15:33 ►
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Study Bible
The fear of the LORD
This phrase is central to the wisdom literature of the Bible, particularly in Proverbs. The Hebrew word for "fear" is "yirah," which encompasses reverence, awe, and respect. It is not a fear that paralyzes but one that acknowledges the majesty and holiness of God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, "the LORD" refers to Yahweh, the covenantal name of God, emphasizing a personal relationship with the Creator. This reverence is foundational for acquiring true wisdom, as it aligns one's heart and mind with God's will and purposes.

is the instruction of wisdom
The Hebrew word for "instruction" is "musar," which can also mean discipline or correction. It implies a process of learning and growth, often through experience and sometimes through correction. "Wisdom," or "chokmah" in Hebrew, is not merely intellectual knowledge but a practical understanding that guides righteous living. In the biblical context, wisdom is a divine attribute, and its instruction is a lifelong journey of aligning oneself with God's truth and righteousness.

and humility
The Hebrew word for "humility" is "anavah," which signifies modesty and a lowly spirit. In the biblical narrative, humility is a virtue that reflects a proper understanding of one's position before God. It is the opposite of pride and arrogance, which are often condemned in Scripture. Humility is essential for receiving wisdom because it opens the heart to God's guidance and correction.

comes before honor
The word "comes" indicates a sequence or progression. In Hebrew, "comes" is often implied in the structure of the sentence, emphasizing the natural order of spiritual growth. "Honor," or "kavod" in Hebrew, refers to glory, respect, and dignity. In the biblical context, true honor is bestowed by God and is often the result of a life lived in accordance with His principles. This phrase suggests that humility is a prerequisite for receiving honor, as it prepares the heart to handle honor rightly and without pride.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
Traditionally regarded as the author of Proverbs, Solomon was known for his wisdom, which he received from God. His writings often focus on the practical application of wisdom in daily life.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing His eternal existence and faithfulness to His people. The "fear of the LORD" is a central theme in Proverbs, representing reverence and awe towards God.

3. Wisdom
In the context of Proverbs, wisdom is personified and is seen as a divine attribute that guides righteous living. It is not merely intellectual knowledge but involves moral and spiritual insight.

4. Humility
A key virtue in biblical teaching, humility is the quality of having a modest view of one's importance. It is often linked with the fear of the LORD and is seen as a precursor to receiving honor.

5. Honor
In biblical terms, honor is the recognition and respect given to someone due to their character and actions. It is often portrayed as a reward for living a life of wisdom and humility.
Teaching Points
The Foundation of Wisdom
The fear of the LORD is not just an emotion but a foundational principle for acquiring true wisdom. It involves a deep respect and reverence for God's authority and commandments.

The Role of Humility
Humility is essential for receiving wisdom and honor. It requires recognizing our limitations and dependence on God, which opens us to His guidance and blessings.

The Path to Honor
True honor comes from God and is often the result of a life lived in humility and obedience. It is not something to be pursued for its own sake but is a byproduct of a righteous life.

Practical Reverence
Fearing the LORD involves practical steps such as studying His Word, prayer, and living in accordance with His will. It is an active, ongoing process.

The Interconnectedness of Virtues
Wisdom, humility, and honor are interconnected virtues. Cultivating one often leads to the development of the others, creating a holistic approach to godly living.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the fear of the LORD serve as the foundation for wisdom in your daily life?

2. In what ways can you cultivate humility in your interactions with others, and how might this lead to honor?

3. Reflect on a time when humility led to a positive outcome in your life. How does this experience align with the teachings of Proverbs 15:33?

4. How can the example of Jesus' humility and exaltation in Philippians 2 inspire you to live a life of humility?

5. What practical steps can you take to deepen your reverence for the LORD and integrate it into your decision-making processes?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 1:7
This verse introduces the concept that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, establishing a foundational connection to Proverbs 15:33.

James 4:10
This New Testament verse echoes the theme of humility leading to exaltation, reinforcing the idea that God honors those who humble themselves.

Philippians 2:3-11
This passage describes Christ's humility and subsequent exaltation, serving as the ultimate example of humility leading to honor.
Sermons
Godly Fear and Genuine HumilityHomilistProverbs 15:33
The Instruction of Wisdom (To the Young)J. Stirling Muir.Proverbs 15:33
Religion and Common SenseE. Johnson Proverbs 15:24-33
People
Abaddon, Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Discipline, Fear, Goes, Honor, Honour, Humility, Instruction, Low, Oneself, Opinion, Teaches, Teaching, Wisdom
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 15:33

     5302   education
     5481   proverb
     8276   humility
     8366   wisdom, source of
     8754   fear

Library
God, the All-Seeing One
A sermon (No. 177) delivered on Sabbath morning, February 14, 1858 At The Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens by C. H. Spurgeon. "Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" -- Proverbs 15:11. You have often smiled at the ignorance of heathens who bow themselves before gods of wood and stone. You have quoted the words of Scripture and you have said, "Eyes have they, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not." You have therefore argued that …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Hedge of Thorns and the Plain Way
A sermon (No. 1948) delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain."--Proverbs 15:19. You must have noticed how frequently godly people almost wear out their Bibles in certain places. The Psalms, the Gospel of John, and parts of the Epistles are favourite portions, and are thumbed in many an old believer's Bible till the fact is very noticeable. There are certain sheep-tracks …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

God, the All-Seeing One
We have in our text, first of all, a great fact declared,--"Hell and destruction are before the Lord ;" we have, secondly, a great fact inferred,--"How much more then the hearts of the children of men?" I. We will begin with THE GREAT FACT WHICH IS DECLARED--a fact which furnishes us with premises from which we deduce the practical conclusion of the second sentence--"How much more then the hearts of the children of men?" The best interpretation that you can give of those two words, "hell" and "destruction," …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

How the Humble and the Haughty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 18.) Differently to be admonished are the humble and the haughty. To the former it is to be insinuated how true is that excellence which they hold in hoping for it; to the latter it is to be intimated how that temporal glory is as nothing which even when embracing it they hold not. Let the humble hear how eternal are the things that they long for, how transitory the things which they despise; let the haughty hear how transitory are the things they court, how eternal the things they …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

And He had Also this Favour Granted Him. ...
66. And he had also this favour granted him. For as he was sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was in perplexity in his meditations, this was revealed to him by Providence in prayer. And the happy man, as it is written, was taught of God [1112] . After this, when he once had a discussion with certain men who had come to him concerning the state of the soul and of what nature its place will be after this life, the following night one from above called him, saying, Antony, rise, go out and look.' …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Epistle cxxii. To Rechared, King of the visigoths .
To Rechared, King of the Visigoths [82] . Gregory to Rechared, &c. I cannot express in words, most excellent son, how much I am delighted with thy work and thy life. For on hearing of the power of a new miracle in our days, to wit that the whole nation of the Goths has through thy Excellency been brought over from the error of Arian heresy to the firmness of a right faith, one is disposed to exclaim with the prophet, This is the change wrought by the right hand of the Most High (Ps. lxxvi. 11 [83] …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Contention Over the Man Born Blind.
(Jerusalem.) ^D John IX. 1-41. [Some look upon the events in this and the next section as occurring at the Feast of Tabernacles in October, others think they occurred at the Feast of Dedication in December, deriving their point of time from John x. 22.] ^d 1 And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. [The man probably sought to waken compassion by repeatedly stating this fact to passers-by.] 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

"And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1. That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2. That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. We come now, as was proposed, to observe, Thirdly,(474) That faith unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to that rule. It is the laying down a man's state, and condition, and actions beside the rule of God's word, or the principles of nature's light. It is the chief piece …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"Thou Shall Keep Him in Perfect Peace, Whose Mind is Stayed on Thee, Because He Trusteth in Thee. "
Isaiah xxvi. 3.--"Thou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." All men love to have privileges above others. Every one is upon the design and search after some well-being, since Adam lost that which was true happiness. We all agree upon the general notion of it, but presently men divide in the following of particulars. Here all men are united in seeking after some good; something to satisfy their souls, and satiate their desires. Nay, but they …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
2 Tim. iii. 16.--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We told you that there was nothing more necessary to know than what our end is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part of men walking at random,--running an uncertain race,--because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct their whole course. According to men's particular …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of the Eleventh
An unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author's papers after his death, in his own handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of John Bunyan. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination, I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan's commentary on Genesis. "What," …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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