What Does the Bible Say About Knowledge?

The Bible presents knowledge, especially the knowledge of God, as far more than intellectual awareness. While modern views often define knowledge in terms of data or education, Scripture expands the idea into the realm of relationship, worship, and obedience. In biblical thought, to know something—especially to know God—is to be transformed by it. This article explores how the Bible treats the concept of knowledge, its source, its purpose, and its eschatological implications.

1. Biblical Knowledge Is Relational, Not Just Intellectual

In the Bible, the word knowledge (especially in Hebrew, yādaʿ) involves far more than facts. It describes an experiential relationship—often involving commitment, affection, and covenant loyalty. For example, when the Old Testament speaks of Israel “knowing” God, it often implies reverence, obedience, and worship.

This personal form of knowledge is rooted in God’s self-revelation. Humans cannot attain this kind of understanding through reason alone. Instead, God reveals Himself, primarily through His word. The Bible consistently teaches that true knowledge begins with God: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).

Such fear is not mere terror, but awe-filled submission. Therefore, biblical knowledge is never detached from ethics or relationship—it transforms the knower.

2. Knowledge of God Must Be Revealed, Not Discovered

Throughout Scripture, the Bible asserts that knowledge of God cannot be gained through human effort alone. God is transcendent, and unless He chooses to reveal Himself, we remain in darkness. This is why the Bible links knowledge and revelation so closely.

In Deuteronomy 29:29, we read: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us…” God must unveil the truth for us to understand who He is and what He requires.

This idea is foundational to both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, prophets received direct revelation from God. In the New Testament, Jesus embodies divine knowledge, making the Father known to those who believe (John 1:18). The Spirit continues this revelatory work, illuminating the Scriptures so believers can grow in spiritual knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:10–12).

3. The Bible Treats Knowledge as Ethical and Covenant-Based

Biblical knowledge always comes with moral responsibility. In contrast to a purely academic view, the Bible treats knowledge as covenantal: to know God rightly is to obey Him. Hosea 4:6 warns, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”—not because they lacked information, but because they rejected God's instruction.

When the Bible speaks of knowing God, it involves recognizing His authority and responding in obedience. This theme is especially strong in the prophetic literature. The prophet Jeremiah anticipates a new covenant in which all people will know the Lord: “They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest… for I will forgive their iniquity” (Jeremiah 31:34).

This future vision connects knowledge of God with the forgiveness of sins. In this sense, knowledge becomes a salvation theme, not just a philosophical or theological one. To know God is to be reconciled to Him.

4. Knowledge Is Universal in Creation but Saving Knowledge Requires the Word

According to the Bible, all people possess a basic knowledge of God as Creator. Romans 1:20 explains that God's invisible attributes are clearly perceived in the world He made, leaving humanity “without excuse.” This general knowledge is innate and unavoidable.

However, this universal awareness is not saving knowledge. The Bible teaches that redemption comes through the hearing and believing of God's Word (Romans 10:17). People must not only acknowledge God’s existence—they must respond in faith to His revealed truth.

The Bible thus distinguishes between natural knowledge (what all people know by creation) and covenantal knowledge (what believers know by grace through revelation). Without the latter, natural knowledge can lead to condemnation, not salvation.

5. Knowledge of God Is the Goal of Redemptive History

One of the most striking features of biblical theology is its eschatological orientation. The Bible anticipates a future where all people will possess intimate knowledge of God. Isaiah prophesies, “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

This vision is not just about information—it points to restored relationship. In the new creation, the veil will be removed, and God’s people will see Him face to face. The Bible presents this as the culmination of history: a world where God is fully known and rightly worshiped.

In John 17:3, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Eternal life, then, is not just unending existence—it is unending knowledge of the Triune God. This profound truth ties biblical knowledge to the gospel: in Christ, we come to know God in the fullest way possible.

Conclusion: The Bible’s Vision of Knowledge Is Transformational

To summarize, the Bible teaches that knowledge is not merely intellectual—it is personal, ethical, and eschatological. Knowing God means entering into covenant with Him, obeying His Word, and growing in understanding through the Spirit. This knowledge is revealed, not discovered. It comes through the Scriptures, is fulfilled in Christ, and will one day saturate the renewed world.

Whether we are reading the prophets, the wisdom literature, or the letters of Paul, the message is consistent: knowledge matters because God has made Himself known. In the Bible, knowledge is the bridge between divine revelation and human response. And ultimately, it is through knowing God that we find eternal life.

Bible verses about knowledge:

• Proverbs 1:7 – "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

• Hosea 4:6 – "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me."

• Jeremiah 31:34 – "And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor... saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord."

• Isaiah 11:9 – "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

• Colossians 2:2–3 – "That their hearts may be encouraged... to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

• Romans 1:20–21 – "For his invisible attributes... have been clearly perceived... So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God..."

• John 17:3 – "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

• 1 Corinthians 8:1–2 – "We know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know."

• 2 Peter 1:5–6 – "Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control..."

• Proverbs 2:6 – "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."