Prudence

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

General scriptures concerning

• Job 34:3–4 For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food. Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
• Psalm 39:1 For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.”
• Psalm 112:5 It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.
• Proverbs 6:1–2 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger, if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
• Proverbs 8:12 I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
• Proverbs 11:13 A gossip reveals a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.
• Proverbs 11:15 He who puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but the one who hates indebtedness is secure.
• Proverbs 11:29 He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
• Proverbs 12:8 A man is praised according to his wisdom, but a twisted mind is despised.
• Proverbs 12:16 A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

See Diplomacy

See Gentleness

See Wisdom

Instances of

Jacob, in his conduct toward Esau

• Genesis 32:3–21 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them, “You are to say to my master Esau, ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidserv…

Jacob, toward his sons, after Dinah' s defilement

• Genesis 34:5 Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.
• Genesis 34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

Joseph, in the affairs of Egypt

• Genesis 41:33–57 Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the…

Jethro' s advice to Moses

• Exodus 18:17–23 But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone. Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s r…

The Israelites, in the threatened war with the two and one-half tribes

• Joshua 22:10–34 And when they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. Then the Israelites received the report: “Behold, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an…

Saul, in not killing the Jabesh-gileadites

• 1 Samuel 11:13 But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”

David, in his conduct toward Saul

• 1 Samuel 18:5–30 So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well. As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the ci…

David, in overthrowing Ahithophel' s shrewd advice

• 2 Samuel 15:33–37 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’ Will not Zadok and Abia…

Abigail, in averting David' s anger

• 1 Samuel 25:18–31 Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys and said to her young men, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she…

Achish, in dismissing David

• 1 Samuel 29 Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. As the Philistine leaders marched out with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched behind them with Achish. Then the commanders of the Philistines asked, “What abou… (whole chapter)

Elijah, in his escape from Jezebel

• 1 Kings 19:3–4 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better th…

Rehoboam' s advisers

• 1 Kings 12:7 They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

Jehoram, in suspecting a Syrian stratagem

• 2 Kings 7:12–13 So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’” But one of his servants…

Nehemiah, in conduct of affairs at Jerusalem

• Nehemiah 2:12–16 I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding. So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jer…
• Nehemiah 4:13–23 So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the…

Daniel

• Daniel 1:8–14 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself. Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official, but he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned…

Certain elders of Israel

• Jeremiah 26:17–23 Some of the elders of the land stood up and said to the whole assembly of the people, “Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of r…

Of Jesus

In charging those who were healed not to "advertise" his miracles

• Matthew 9:30 And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one finds out about this!”
• Matthew 16:20 Then He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.
• Mark 3:12 But He warned them sternly not to make Him known.
• Mark 5:43 Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and He told them to give her something to eat.
• Mark 7:36 Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
• Mark 8:30 And Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him.
• Mark 9:9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Going to the feast secretly

• John 7:10 But after His brothers had gone up to the feast, He also went — not publicly, but in secret.

In walking "no longer openly,"

• John 11:54 As a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.
• John 12:36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them.

In avoiding his enemies

• Matthew 12:14–16 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them all, warning them not to make Him known.
• Mark 3:7 So Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, accompanied by a large crowd from Galilee, Judea,
• John 11:47–54 Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, named Caiaphas, who…

Joseph, in his conduct toward Mary

• Matthew 1:19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

Peter, in escaping from Herod Agrippa I

• Acts 12:17 Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.

Paul

In circumcising Timothy

• Acts 16:3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

In performing temple rites

• Acts 21:20–26 When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. But they are under the impression that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to cir…

In turning the Jewish sects against each other

• Acts 23:6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

Avoiding suspicion in administering the gifts of the congregations

• 2 Corinthians 8:20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift .

His lack of, in his persistence in going to Jerusalem despite the warnings of the Spirit and his friends

• Acts 20:22–25 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me. But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry…
• Acts 20:37–38 They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him. They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
• Acts 21:10–14 After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’” When we…

Paul and Barnabas, in escaping persecution

• Acts 14:6 they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,

Paul and Silas, in escaping from Berea

• Acts 17:10–15 As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if thes…

The town clerk of Ephesus, in averting a riot

• Acts 19:29–41 Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him. Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the provi…

See Diplomacy