“When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you,”
{ Prov 2:10-11}

Proverbs says that “wisdom is the principle thing…”. Our number one pursuit in life is not that next promotion, or that bigger house, or that new car. God says, “seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you”. But we must seek first the kingdom. So then, if wisdom is the principle thing, and Jesus said to seek first the kingdom, it follows that the kingdom that we must seek is Wisdom. If He says seek it first, is it not then, by reason of it being a commandment, also a principle?

Principle means first or foremost, a standard by which every thing else is judged.

Solomon began his reign as King of Israel founded on the principle thing he wrote about. He asked God, not for riches and fame and honour for himself, but for wisdom. God then gave him what he asked – the greatest wisdom ever known to man – but he also gave him riches, fame and honour among men. So he sought first the kingdom (wisdom) and all these things (riches, fame and honour) were added to him. He also says, in Proverbs 4:7 that “.. in all your getting, get understanding.” So we can see that wisdom needs the practical element of understanding as well.

The Hebrew word for wisdom is chakam meaning "wise; skillful; practical." Religious experience in Old Testament times, was not a routine, a ritual, or faith experience. It was viewed as a mastery of the art of living in accordance with God's expectations. In their definition, the words "mastery" and "art" signify that wisdom was a process of attainment and not an accomplishment. The secular usage of this word bears out the importance of these observations.
Chakam occurs most frequently in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, for which reason these books are known as "wisdom literature". The first occurrence is in Genesis 41:8, "And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh."
The chakam in secular usage signified a man who was a "skillful" craftsman. The manufacturers of the objects belonging to the tabernacle were known to be wise, or experienced in their crafts (Exodus 36:4). Even the man who was skillful in making idols was recognized as a craftsman (Isaiah 40:20; see also Jeremiah 10:9). The reason for this is to be found in the man's skill, craftsmanship, and not in the object which was being manufactured. Those who were experienced in life were known as "wise," but their wisdom is not to be confused with the religious usage. Cleverness and shrewdness characterized this type of wisdom. Amnon consulted Jonadab, who was known as a shrewd man (2 Samuel 13:3), and followed his plan of seducing his sister Tamar. Joab hired a "wise" woman to make David change his mind about Absalom (2 Samuel 14:2).
Based on the characterization of wisdom as a skill, a class of counselors known as "wise men" arose. They were to be found in Egypt (Genesis 41:8), in Babylon (Jeremiah 50:35), in Tyre (Ezekiel 27:9), in Edom (Obadiah 8), and in Israel. In pagan cultures the "wise" man practiced magic and divination, "Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments" (Exodus 7:11); and "...that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish" (Isaiah 44:25).
The religious sense of chakam excludes delusion, craftiness, shrewdness, and magic. God is the source of wisdom, as He is "wise", "Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity" (Isaiah 31:2). The man or woman who, fearing God, lives in accordance with what God expects and what is expected of him in a God-fearing society is viewed as an integrated person. He is "wise" in that his manner of life projects the fear of God and the blessing of God rests upon him. Even as the craftsman is said to be skillful in his trade, the Old Testament chakam was learning and applying wisdom to every situation in life, and the degree in which he succeeded was a barometer of his progress on the road of wisdom.
Chokmah is the knowledge and the ability to make the right choices at the opportune time. The consistency of making the right choice is an indication of maturity and development. The prerequisite for "wisdom" is the fear of the Lord, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7). "Wisdom" is viewed as crying out for disciples who will do everything to pursue her (Proverbs 1:20). The person who seeks chokmah diligently will receive understanding, "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6); he will benefit in his life by walking with God, "That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous" (Proverbs 2:20). The advantages of "wisdom" are many, "For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man" (Proverbs 3:2-4). The prerequisite is a desire to follow and imitate God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, without self-reliance and especially not in a spirit of pride: "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: to understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:5-7). The fruits of chokmah are many, and the Book of Proverbs describes the characters of the chakam and chokmah.
The importance of "wisdom" explains why books were written about it. Songs were composed in celebration of" wisdom" (Job 28). Even "wisdom" is personified in Proverbs. Chokmah as a person stands for that divine perfection of "wisdom" which is manifest in God's creative acts. As a divine perfection it is visible in God's creative acts, "Doth not wisdom cry: and understanding put forth her voice?... I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.... The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.... Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.... Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways" (Proverbs 8:1,12,22,30,32).

The Hebrew meaning of the word “hearken” in Proverbs 8:32, is shama’ meaning to hear intelligently, often with accompanying action intended from the hearer. Compare this with the exhortation of James 1:23 to be doers and not just hearers of the word. If we hear and obey the word of God, we begin to mature and display or bring forth the fruits of the spirit. The fruits of "wisdom" are the same as the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Fruits of the Holy Spirit : "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23)
Fruits of wisdom : "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace" (James 3:17-18).