If we desire to be prudent, we must not believe everything; we must not be reckless and careless; and we must not be quick-tempered.  Notice that these are all conditions of the heart, not of the mind.  Being discerning, careful, and calm does not require that we possess any specific knowledge or education.  The PhD degree is not a doctorate in Prudence; it is a doctorate in philosophy…and many who possess it are among the least prudent of all.

So, what does prudence have to do with knowledge, if anything?  The final verse in our section from Proverbs makes it clear: “The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.”  In other words, prudence precedes knowledge—it doesn’t flow from it.  And that is true not only in the sense that diligence in study is a matter of prudence, so that if you are not prudently diligent, you won’t come to know what you’ve been assigned to study—but it also is true in the sense that the knowledge and wisdom of experience come to those who choose the path of prudence.  Gullible, rash, and volatile people don’t learn much, because they’re too busy riding the wild swings of their emotions to see the Truth and learn from it.

It is why the Proverb says that imprudent people inherit folly, or foolishness; and prudent people are crowned with knowledge.  True knowledge is a reward of Prudence.

And it also is why the book of Proverbs begins with the declaration that “[t]he fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”  Fearing the God who is the source of all knowledge is the most Prudent act of all; start with that, and knowledge will come.  Start anywhere else, and we will enjoy the inheritance of fools.