wisdom

Everyday

1. Wisdom is the ability to make good, sensible decisions and judgments, using knowledge and experience. tree →
2. Wisdom is the knowledge and good advice that people gather over time: «old wisdom», «the wisdom of our grandparents». tree →
3. «Wisdom teeth» are the last back teeth, which grow in late teens or adulthood. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and fables, wise characters — the owl, the old woman, the mentor — share wisdom; proverbs like «Look before you leap» are pieces of wisdom. In school, teachers say wisdom is more than knowing facts: it is knowing how and when to use them, and listening to others. In health lessons, wisdom teeth come late and sometimes need removing. Phrases: «words of wisdom», «wisdom teeth», «conventional wisdom».

Examples

• Grandma's words of wisdom helped me. tree →
• The owl is a symbol of wisdom. tree →
• It takes wisdom to know when to stay quiet. tree →
• Fables teach wisdom through stories. tree →
• Dad had his wisdom teeth out. tree →
• Knowledge is knowing facts; wisdom is using them well. tree →
• The king was famous for his wisdom. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «wisdom», not «a wisdom». Adjective: wise. Spelling: wis-dom (wise loses the e and the s keeps the «z» sound). Myth: owls are really wise — they are excellent hunters, but not clever problem-solvers like crows.

In Jewish tradition

In the Torah, wisdom is often skill given by God for a craft, as with the builders of the Tabernacle, as well as good judgment. In Job and Proverbs, wisdom is something to be searched for ("where shall it be found?"), and it is the mark of a good life.

Interpretation. Tradition calls Bezalel's wisdom a gift of God's spirit. The rabbis read Job's question as saying that true wisdom comes from God. In Sefer Yetzirah, the "thirty-two wondrous paths of wisdom" are the ten numbers and twenty-two letters by which God created the world.

Examples

• And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats' hair. (Torah EXO.35.26, JPS 1917) tree →
• And He hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. (Torah EXO.35.31, JPS 1917) tree →
• and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, (Torah EXO.31.3, JPS 1917) tree →
• They die, and that without wisdom.' (Writings JOB.4.21, JPS 1917) tree →
• And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? (Writings JOB.15.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• But wisdom, where shall it be found? (Writings JOB.28.12, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Uncountable: «wisdom», not «a wisdom». Adjective: wise. Spelling: wis-dom (wise loses the e and the s keeps the «z» sound). Myth: owls are really wise — they are excellent hunters, but not clever problem-solvers like crows.