100 Bible Verses about Lack Of Knowledge

Hosea 4:6 ESV / 557 helpful votes

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Isaiah 5:13 ESV / 324 helpful votes

Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.

Proverbs 1:29 ESV / 157 helpful votes

Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

Proverbs 19:2 ESV / 140 helpful votes

Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

Proverbs 10:21 ESV / 134 helpful votes

The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.

Ephesians 4:18 ESV / 125 helpful votes

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Romans 10:17 ESV / 108 helpful votes

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

John 8:32 ESV / 106 helpful votes

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Proverbs 1:3-8 ESV / 97 helpful votes

To receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. ...

Proverbs 1:7 ESV / 95 helpful votes

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Ephesians 1:17-21 ESV / 83 helpful votes

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Matthew 22:29 ESV / 80 helpful votes

But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

Jeremiah 4:22 ESV / 77 helpful votes

“For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”

James 1:5 ESV / 76 helpful votes

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

1 Timothy 2:4 ESV / 69 helpful votes

Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Proverbs 24:3-4 ESV / 69 helpful votes

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV / 63 helpful votes

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Romans 10:2-3 ESV / 62 helpful votes

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Luke 11:28 ESV / 61 helpful votes

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Proverbs 1:22 ESV / 61 helpful votes

“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

1 John 5:4 ESV / 58 helpful votes

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 Corinthians 14:20 ESV / 52 helpful votes

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

Romans 8:7 ESV / 49 helpful votes

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

Proverbs 18:15 ESV / 45 helpful votes

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Luke 4:4 ESV / 43 helpful votes

And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”

2 Peter 1:2-3 ESV / 41 helpful votes

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

John 16:13 ESV / 41 helpful votes

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Proverbs 2:6 ESV / 40 helpful votes

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Job 36:12 ESV / 39 helpful votes

But if they do not listen, they perish by the sword and die without knowledge.

Luke 11:52 ESV / 38 helpful votes

Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

Isaiah 27:11 ESV / 37 helpful votes

When its boughs are dry, they are broken; women come and make a fire of them. For this is a people without discernment; therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them; he who formed them will show them no favor.

Psalm 111:10 ESV / 37 helpful votes

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

2 Peter 3:5 ESV / 36 helpful votes

For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,

1 Corinthians 14:38 ESV / 36 helpful votes

If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV / 34 helpful votes

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Acts 17:30 ESV / 34 helpful votes

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Proverbs 15:14 ESV / 33 helpful votes

The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

Proverbs 5:23 ESV / 33 helpful votes

He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.

John 3:16-17 ESV / 32 helpful votes

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV / 30 helpful votes

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Colossians 1:9 ESV / 30 helpful votes

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Colossians 1:9-10 ESV / 29 helpful votes

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

1 Corinthians 12:8 ESV / 28 helpful votes

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

Matthew 25:1-46 ESV / 28 helpful votes

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ...

2 Timothy 3:7 ESV / 24 helpful votes

Always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 2:23-26 ESV / 24 helpful votes

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Romans 10:2 ESV / 24 helpful votes

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Psalm 119:66 ESV / 24 helpful votes

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.

Hosea 4:1 ESV / 23 helpful votes

Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;

1 Corinthians 6:3 ESV / 22 helpful votes

Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

Hosea 4:1-19 ESV / 22 helpful votes

Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. ...

Ecclesiastes 7:12 ESV / 22 helpful votes

For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

Job 28:28 ESV / 22 helpful votes

And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

2 Peter 3:18 ESV / 21 helpful votes

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

1 John 1:9 ESV / 20 helpful votes

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 55:1 ESV / 20 helpful votes

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Revelation 22:18 ESV / 18 helpful votes

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,

Luke 16:1-31 ESV / 18 helpful votes

He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ...

2 Peter 1:5-6 ESV / 17 helpful votes

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

Romans 10:3 ESV / 17 helpful votes

For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Proverbs 11:9 ESV / 17 helpful votes

With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

Proverbs 10:14 ESV / 17 helpful votes

The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.

Proverbs 11:14 ESV / 16 helpful votes

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

2 Peter 1:5 ESV / 15 helpful votes

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,

2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV / 15 helpful votes

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Proverbs 3:7 ESV / 15 helpful votes

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

James 3:17 ESV / 13 helpful votes

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

John 17:3 ESV / 13 helpful votes

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV / 12 helpful votes

In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV / 12 helpful votes

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Romans 11:33 ESV / 12 helpful votes

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Psalm 19:2 ESV / 12 helpful votes

Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

Jeremiah 2:8 ESV / 11 helpful votes

The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.

Proverbs 9:10 ESV / 11 helpful votes

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Galatians 3:13-14 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Romans 3:1-9:33 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) ...

John 3:16 ESV / 10 helpful votes

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Malachi 2:7-8 ESV / 10 helpful votes

For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts,

Jeremiah 8:7 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules of the Lord.

Proverbs 16:22 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.

1 Kings 12:29 ESV / 10 helpful votes

And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

Malachi 2:1-3 ESV / 9 helpful votes

“And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.

Hosea 6:6 ESV / 9 helpful votes

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Isaiah 17:10 ESV / 9 helpful votes

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,

Hebrews 5:12-14 ESV / 8 helpful votes

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

1 Timothy 1:13 ESV / 8 helpful votes

Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,

Colossians 2:8 ESV / 8 helpful votes

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Colossians 1:10 ESV / 8 helpful votes

So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV / 8 helpful votes

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV / 8 helpful votes

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Mark 13:1 ESV / 8 helpful votes

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”

Micah 2:7 ESV / 8 helpful votes

Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Has the Lord grown impatient? Are these his deeds? Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?

Jeremiah 5:3-4 ESV / 8 helpful votes

O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent. Then I said, “These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the Lord, the justice of their God.

Isaiah 44:18 ESV / 8 helpful votes

They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.

Isaiah 3:12 ESV / 8 helpful votes

My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths.

Ecclesiastes 10:15 ESV / 8 helpful votes

The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.

1 Kings 12:31 ESV / 8 helpful votes

He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.

Romans 10:1 ESV / 7 helpful votes

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

Luke 20:16-18 ESV / 7 helpful votes

He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Mark 12:8-9 ESV / 7 helpful votes

And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.

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