What Does 'Prudent' Mean in the Bible?

When I say the word prudent, what comes to your mind? If I am being honest, I think of the word prude being used as a negative term for modesty in high school. Webster’s Dictionary defines prudent as “marked by wisdom or judiciousness, prudent advice or shrewd in the management of practical affairs.” A prudent person is wise or sensible. This can overflow into many areas of life. Today we are going to look at, what does prudent mean? This word is more than a short definition, it is a lifestyle that reflects a believer in Christ. We will see what Scripture says about prudence and how we can apply this concept to our own daily lives.

A Prudent Man in the Bible

When I think of a prudent person in the Bible, I think of King Solomon. When asked whatever he wanted, Solomon chose wisdom. Because prudence is similar to wisdom, Solomon exhibits prudence throughout his rule as king.  One particular instance which comes to mind was the time when two women claimed the same baby. Prudence helps a person make a fair and just decision in a situation.

1 Kings 3:16-28 tells us about a challenging situation that was brought to King Solomon. Two women who were prostitutes gave birth to babies three days apart. They were the only two people living in the house and one woman’s son died because she accidentally slept on the baby. This woman stole the other woman’s baby and swapped the living baby with her dead baby. The true mother of the living baby knew the dead baby did not look like her son. The women then argued whose child was the living baby in front of Solomon.

King Solomon said in verses 24-25, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” The two women responded very differently. One said to give the baby to the other woman and the other said to cut the baby in half. Solomon then knew who the true mother was and gave the baby to the woman who was willing to give the child up to spare his life. Verse 28 says, “When all Israel heard about the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.”

King Solomon used wisdom and prudence to judge fairly in a difficult situation with no witnesses. This is the kind of quality we desire in our judges today. Prudence is discerning of right and wrong. It helps us to make intelligent decisions. The exciting part is that anyone living with the Holy Spirit had the ability to make prudent choices because one of the fruits of the Spirit is wisdom.

Some Lessons from Proverbs about Prudence

Proverbs 10:5 says, “He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.”

Laziness sleeps and ignores hard work, a person who is prudent is faithful, loyal, and puts in the effort.

Proverbs 10:19 says, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.”

When we are tempted to speak many words and give a lot of opinions without talking immediately, we are not prudent. Prudence is being slow to speak and process through before sharing.

Proverbs 12:16 says, “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.”

A prudent person knows that his or her identity is in Christ. If a person is insulted and reacts emotionally, this is not prudent. However, a prudent person receives an insult, but allows it to roll off because it does not stand true for who he or she is, this person is confident in his or her identity in Christ. 

Proverbs 14:8 says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”

A foolish person acts without thinking, a prudent person thinks about decisions before making them. A prudent person is not easily deceived.

Proverbs 14:15 says, “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.”

Prudence means that we do not believe everything that we hear. We are wise and test every spirit and every word.

Proverbs 19:14 says, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.”

A wise and disciplined wife is a gift from God. She cannot be inherited but given by the Lord.

Proverbs 22:3 and Proverbs 27:12 say, “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.”

Someone who is prudent recognizes red flags. They know when to back away or flee. However, unwise individuals keep going and ignore warning signs to their own destruction.

Practical Ways to Apply These Proverbs

1. Be Faithful: A person who is wise will be faithful in all things. He will be a devoted Christ-follower, a loyal worker, dedicated husband, kind father, and consistent friend. We can follow through in our actions.
2. Slow to Speak: A person can learn to refrain from speaking in reaction mode. We can be more thoughtful and prayerful about our words before sharing, especially in heated conversations.
3. Thinking Before Action: A prudent person contemplates and prayerfully considers actions before taking them. This means that we think about and are led by the Holy Spirit in our decisions.
4. A Prudent Wife: Women are called in Scripture to be prudent in their marriages. As a woman, I know that emotions can easily sway me to stubbornness, selfishness, and impatience. We can ask the Spirit to give us strength to choose prudence to be wives that bless our husbands. Jessica Van Roekel from Hope Joy in Christ shares, “A prudent wife shows many qualities of a wise woman. A wise wife controls her emotions, a prudent wife understands situations with godly wisdom, and a godly wife acts in ways that cause her life and the lives of others to prosper.”

C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “Prudence means practical common sense, taking the trouble to think out what you are doing and what is likely to come of it.”

We live in a hurried, “Right now” culture. If we take time to slow down and think through our decisions, our lives will benefit as a result. Of course, at some point we must take action, but what if we prayed boldly for the Lord to help us slow down and think wisely before making movements? What if we asked the Holy Spirit to enable us to have the kind of wisdom that only comes from God? As believers, we have powerful access to the Spirit of God inside of us. The fruit of the Spirit produces wisdom and wisdom produces prudence.

A prudent person will use discretion and apply wisdom to any given situation. Who is someone in your life who you respect the way that he or she makes decisions? Spend some time asking this person how they process and proceed with the help of Christ. With the help of God, we can all be a little more prudent than the day before.

Photo credit: ©Getty/Oleksandr Yakoniuk

Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey.