wisdom, sophia, G4678

by Krisan Marotta | Jan 23, 2026 | Word Study - Greek

Word Study: sophia, wisdom | WednesdayintheWord.com

Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for

Strong’s number: G4678

Greek Lexical Dictionary: Strong’s #4678 – σοφία

Greek Word: σοφία

Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine

Transliteration: sophia

Phonetic Spelling: so-FEE-ah

Quick Definition: Wisdom is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding.

Etymology: From sophos; wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual) — wisdom.

NASB Translation: cleverness (1), learning (1), wisdom (49).

New Testament usage

Mat_11:19; Mat_12:42; Mat_13:54; Mar_6:2;

Luk_2:40; Luk_2:52; Luk_7:35; Luk_11:31; Luk_11:49; Luk_21:15;

Act_6:3; Act_6:10; Act_7:10; Act_7:22;

Rom_11:33;

1Co_1:17; 1Co_1:19; 1Co_1:20; 1Co_1:21; 1Co_1:22; 1Co_1:24; 1Co_1:30; 1Co_2:1; 1Co_2:4; 1Co_2:5; 1Co_2:6; 1Co_2:7; 1Co_2:13; 1Co_3:19; 1Co_12:8; 2Co_1:12;

Eph_1:8; Eph_1:17; Eph_3:10;

Col_1:9; Col_1:28; Col_2:3; Col_2:23; Col_3:16; Col_4:5;

Jas_1:5; Jas_3:13; Jas_3:15; Jas_3:17;

2Pe_3:15;

Rev_5:12; Rev_7:12; Rev_13:18; Rev_17:9.

Septuagint (LXX) – 143 times in 135 verses

Exo_31:3; Exo_35:26; Exo_35:31; Exo_35:33; Exo_35:35; Exo_36:1; Exo_36:2;

Deu_4:6; 2Sa_14:20;

2Sa_20:22; 1

Ki_2:6; 1Ki_5:9; 1Ki_5:14; 1Ki_5:26;

1Ch_22:12; 1Ch_28:21; 2Ch_1:10; 2Ch_1:11; 2Ch_1:12; 2Ch_9:3; 2Ch_9:5; 2Ch_9:6; 2Ch_9:7; 2Ch_9:22; 2Ch_9:23;

Ezr_7:25;

Job_4:21; Job_11:6; Job_12:2; Job_12:12; Job_12:13; Job_13:5; Job_15:8; Job_26:3; Job_28:12; Job_28:18; Job_28:20; Job_28:28; Job_32:7; Job_32:13; Job_33:33; Job_38:36; Job_38:37; Job_39:17;

Psa_36:30; Psa_48:4; Psa_50:8; Psa_89:12; Psa_103:24; Psa_106:27; Psa_110:10;

Pro_1:2; Pro_1:7; Pro_1:20; Pro_1:29; Pro_2:2; Pro_2:3; Pro_2:6; Pro_2:10; Pro_3:5; Pro_3:13; Pro_3:19; Pro_4:11; Pro_5:1; Pro_6:8; Pro_7:4; Pro_8:1; Pro_8:11; Pro_8:12; Pro_9:1; Pro_9:10; Pro_10:13; Pro_10:23; Pro_10:31; Pro_11:2; Pro_14:6; Pro_14:8; Pro_14:33; Pro_15:33; Pro_16:16; Pro_17:16; Pro_17:28; Pro_18:2; Pro_20:29; Pro_21:30; Pro_22:4; Pro_24:3; Pro_24:7; Pro_24:14; Pro_28:26; Pro_29:3; Pro_29:15; Pro_30:3; Pro_31:5;

Ecc_1:13; Ecc_1:16; Ecc_1:17; Ecc_1:18; Ecc_2:3; Ecc_2:9; Ecc_2:12; Ecc_2:13; Ecc_2:21; Ecc_2:26; Ecc_7:10; Ecc_7:11; Ecc_7:12; Ecc_7:19; Ecc_7:23; Ecc_7:25; Ecc_8:1; Ecc_8:16; Ecc_9:10; Ecc_9:13; Ecc_9:15; Ecc_9:16; Ecc_9:18; Ecc_10:1; Ecc_10:10; I

sa_10:13; Isa_11:2; Isa_29:14; Isa_33:6;

Jer_8:9; Jer_9:22; Jer_10:12; Jer_28:15; Jer_30:1;

Dan_1:4; Dan_1:17; Dan_1:20; Dan_2:20; Dan_2:21; Dan_2:23; Dan_2:30; Dan_5:14.

Englishman’s Concordance: σοφία (sophia)

Lexicons

Thayer’s G4678: wisdom, broad and full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters; the wisdom of God as evinced in forming and executing counsels in the formation and government of the world and the scriptures; the wisdom which belongs to men; spec. the varied knowledge of things human and divine, acquired by acuteness and experience, and summed up in maxims and proverbs; the science and learning; the act of interpreting dreams and always giving the sagest advice; the intelligence evinced in discovering the meaning of some mysterious number or vision skill in the management of affairs; devout and proper prudence in intercourse with men not disciples of Christ, skill and discretion in imparting Christian truth; the knowledge and practice of the requisites for godly and upright living; supreme intelligence, such as belongs to God, to Christ

Strong’s G4678: From G4680; wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual): – wisdom.

Mounce G4678: wisdom (either secular or divine). Christ is called the wisdom of God in 1Co 1:24, 30. On the basis of the OT, wisdom can be personified

Related words: G4679 (verb); G4680 (adjective);

Hebrew Equivalent Word: Strong #: 999 ‑ בִּינָה (bee‑naw’); 1847 ‑ דַּעַת (dah’‑ath); 2451 ‑ חָכְמָה (khok‑maw’); 4148 ‑ מוּסָר (moo‑sawr’); 4284 ‑ מַחֲשֶׁבֶת (makh‑ash‑aw‑baw’, makh‑ash‑eh’‑beth); 7922 ‑ שֵׂכֶל (seh’‑kel, say’‑kel);

PreceptsAustin: sophia

Thayer points out that wisdom is “used of the knowledge of very diverse matters, so that the shade of meaning in which the word is taken must be discovered from the context in every particular case.”

Sophia emphasizes understanding of ultimate things: such as life and death, God and man, righteousness and sin, heaven and hell, eternity and time.

Sophia is mental excellence in its highest and fullest sense (Vincent, M. R. Word studies in the New Testament. Vol. 3, Page 1-129).

Sophia is used frequently in the New Testament to describe the ability to discern and conform to God’s will.