Understanding

Proverbs 3:19-20 - By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided.

Proverbs 24:3-4 - By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

Understanding completes many of the verses quoted about Wisdom. Understanding and Wisdom come hand in hand.

Proverbs 4:6-7 - ...Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.

Job 28:28 - ...and to shun evil is understanding.

Psalm 111:10 - ...all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 - ...knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Understanding. If Wisdom is knowing how to use knowledge, understanding is knowing where to use it. 

Wisdom and courage bring about action. Understanding brings about judgement. Judgement upon what is right and what is wrong. You can obey a leader and consider it wisdom, but if the leader is blind, then the follower is being led into folly. Understanding allows the decision to be made upon what is right. 

What is the opposite of Understanding? The simple.

Proverbs 1:28-33 - They will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they will not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat of the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.

Proverbs 9:6 - Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the ways of understanding.

Proverbs 14:15 - A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man (discerning) gives thought to his steps.

Proverbs 1:22 - How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding, Discernment, they are all intertwined, yet distinct.

To shun evil is understanding. - - - - - - - - Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Again, a double definition. How is shunning evil and knowledge of God the same thing? Understanding. 

What is it to know God? To know His heart? To know what grieves His heart?

And what is evil? Here is an excerpt of a line of thought that defines good and evil.

“What is sin? Disobedience.
Disobedience to what? The law - God’s word.
What is the law? God’s morality - that which is right and wrong. 

What is morality? It is determined by who God is.
What is good? That which accords to His nature. 
What is evil? Sin. 

What is sin? Disobedience. 
What is disobedience? Acting contrary to His nature.”

If that which is good is that which accords with God’s nature (who He is) then evil is that which is contrary to God’s nature (who He is not) and if He created the world, and us in His image, then it would grieve Him if we are not as He is. 

Thus to know God, and thus to shun evil, is Understanding. 

Wisdom does not work without Understanding. Without understanding, wisdom turns to folly. For if wisdom is obedience, then understanding is obedience to that which is right. 

Understanding is obedience to the truth.

Jared Williams