![]() Published by Baker Books, a division ofīaker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan USA.įor usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement.Įlwell, Walter A. See also Mind/Reason Wisdom Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. The final test of understanding is obedience to God. While human efforts are called for, the ability to understand comes from God. Understanding, then, involves the cognitive, the spiritual, and the moral. On the other hand, John affirms that understanding has been made possible by the revelation of Jesus ( 1 John 5:20 ). The pagans act as they do because they are "darkened in their understanding" ( Eph 4:18 ). The apocalyptic number 666 is a challenge to the person who has understanding ( Rev 13:18 ). Paul notes the limits of human understanding by noting that the peace of God surpasses it ( Php 4:7 ). The other significant Greek word rendered "understand" is noeo and its derivatives, which refer to rational reflection or inner contemplation. Jesus notes that infants understand God's program better than the intellectuals ( Matt 11:25 ). Even his own disciples did not understand the miracle of loaves and fishes ( Mark 6:52 ). Jesus used parables because of his audience's slowness to understand ( Matt 13:13 ). There is also a negative quality to this word. ![]() It can be the means of understanding an important truth ( 2 Tim 2:7 ) or the Lord's will ( Eph 5:17 ). It can designate a positive quality as when the scribe concurred with Jesus about loving the Lord with "all your understanding" ( Mark 12:33 ) and in Paul's prayer for the Colossians where he couples it with "spiritual wisdom" ( Col 1:9 ). Its meaning is to understand, to gain insight into something. This is the word that the Septuagint uses as a translation of biyn. Of the seventeen occurrences of understanding in the Revised Standard Version New Testament, ten are translations of suniemi or one of its derivatives. On the one hand, God is the most important object of understanding ( Isa 43:10 Jer 9:24 ), but in an intellectual sense he is beyond a person's understanding ( Isa 40:28 ). While some see this as an hypostasis, it is more likely a poetic personification of an abstract principle. ![]() Understanding is associated with wisdom and personified ( Prov 2:3 7:4 8:14-31 ). Daniel possesses apocalyptic understanding ( Daniel 9:2 Daniel 9:23 10:1 ). While artisans have made idols according to their understanding ( Hosea 13:2 ), Isaiah challenges the effectiveness of such effort, noting that artisans can create no gods at all ( 44:17 ). David's understanding as shepherd of his people is extolled ( Psalm 78:72 ). Understanding can pertain to arts and crafts ( 2 Chron 2:13 ) or to the administrative functions of the king ( 2 Chron 2:12 )even extended to the messianic king ( Isa 11:2 ). The injunction is to trust in the Lord rather than to rely on one's understanding ( Prov 3:5 ).Ī person can perceive data with the senses: with the eyes ( Job 13:1 23:8 ), with the ears ( Job 23:5 Prov 29:19 ), with the touch (pots can feel the heat Psalm 58:9 ), and with the taste ( Job 6:30 ). Acquired knowledge must be used and used correctly. The emphasis of this word goes beyond collection of data, however. This can be seen in references to the understanding of a foreign language ( Isa 33:19 ) and Daniel's understanding of all the subjects in which he was interrogated by Nebuchadnezzar ( Dan 1:20 ). This does not, however, preclude the cognitive ( Psalm 49:3-4 ) for understanding is to be gotten ( Proverbs 4:5 Proverbs 4:7 ), sought ( 23:23 ), and learned ( 4:1 ). Understanding has a moral character ( Job 28:28 ). Hearing is no assurance of understanding ( Dan 12:8 ). It also results from the study of the divine precepts ( Psalm 119:104 ) and careful reflection in the sanctuary ( Psalm 73:17 ). In answer to the question, "Where shall wisdom or understanding be found?" the response is, "God alone knows" ( Job 28:12 Job 28:20 Job 28:23 ). Understanding is seen as a gift of God ( Dan 2:21 ) and it is to be prayed for ( Psalm 119:34 ). It is perceptive insight with the ability to judge. In the Revised Standard Version this root accounts for 89 out of 113 appearances of the word "understanding." Occasionally leb (heart/mind) will be rendered "understanding" in contexts where the rational rather than the emotional is stressed ( Job 8:10 12:24 ).īiyn is associated with the Hebrew substantive beyn, which means "interval" and, when used as a preposition, "between." Thus, the basic meaning of biyn is to separate, to distinguish. The basic Hebrew word so translated is the verb biyn or one of its derivatives, together used some 247 times in the Old Testament.
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