face.’ (Prov. 17:24) He is not like those in the apostle Paul’s day who assumed to be teachers of others but were “puffed up with pride, not understanding anything,” unwisely letting themselves become “mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words,” things that produce disunity and a host of bad results.—1 Tim. 6:3-5; see KNOWLEDGE; WISDOM.

GAINING TRUE UNDERSTANDING

The person seeking true understanding prays to God: “Make me understand, that I may observe your law and that I may keep it with the whole heart. . . . that I may keep living.” (Ps. 119:34, 144, also 27, 73, 125, 169) This is the right motive. The apostle prayed for the Colossian Christians that they might be “filled with the accurate knowledge of [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual discernment [syʹne·sis], in order to walk worthily of Jehovah.”—Col. 1:9, 10.

Age and experience are natural factors aiding toward greater understanding. (Job 12:12) Age and experience alone are not decisive, however. Job’s comforters prided themselves on the understanding they and their aged associates had but were reproved by the younger man Elihu. (Job 15:7-10; 32:6-12) Jehovah, the “Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7:13), has understanding infinitely superior to all mankind, whose days still cover only a few thousand years and who do not even understand just how the planet they live on came to be formed. (Job 38:4-13, 21) Hence, God’s written Word is a principal means for gaining understanding.—Ps. 119:30.

Children and young persons should thoughtfully consider the instruction of their older and more experienced parents, particularly so when these are devoted servants of God. (Prov. 2:1-5; 3:1-3; 4:1; 5:1) Serious ‘consideration’ (Heb., bin) of the history of earlier generations can bring understanding, and older persons are often familiar with this. (Deut. 32:7) Association should be sought, not with “inexperienced ones,” but with the wise, feeding on their counsel and instruction so as to “keep living, and walk straight in the way of understanding.” (Prov. 9:5, 6) Listening and also observing, the person can cease to be naive and credulous, can “understand shrewdness” and avoid many bitter experiences.—Prov. 8:4, 5.

Diligence in studying and applying God’s Word and commands can result in one’s having greater insight than those set as his teachers, more understanding than those who are older men. (Ps. 119:99, 100, 130; compare Luke 2:46, 47.) This is because wisdom and understanding are, in effect, ‘built into’ God’s pure regulations and judicial decrees; hence Israel’s faithful observance of these would cause surrounding nations to view them as a “wise and understanding people.” (Deut. 4:5-8; Ps. 111:7, 8, 10; compare 1 Kings 2:3.) The understanding person recognizes the inviolability of God’s Word, wants to see his own course in relation thereto, and petitions God’s aid in this. (Ps. 119:169) He lets God’s message sink down deep (Matt. 13:19-23), writes it on the tablet of his heart (Prov. 3:3-6; 7:1-4) and comes to develop a hatred for “every false path.” (Ps. 119:104) God’s Son, when on earth, showed understanding in this way, even refusing to seek escape from death on the stake because the fulfillment of the Scriptures called for his dying in that manner.—Matt. 26:51-54.

Time and meditation essential

The “overhasty” person usually fails to “consider [or give thoughtful attention to; bin] knowledge.” (Isa. 32:4; compare Proverbs 29:20.) The understanding person characteristically knows when to keep quiet (Prov. 11:12), does not speak rashly and keeps cool even though the discussion may become heated. (Prov. 14:29; 17:27, 28; 19:11; Job 32:11, 18; compare James 3:13-18.) He meditates on counsel so as to determine the significance of the words and message. (Job 23:5; Ps. 49:3) He asks questions aimed at discerning the whys and wherefores, determining the cause of success or failure, divine blessing or cursing; he ponders the logical future consequences to which courses will lead. (Ps. 73:2, 3, 16-18; Jer. 2:10-19; compare Isaiah 44:14-20.) Israel failed to do this and did not give consideration in their hearts as to what would be “their end afterward.”—Deut. 32:28-30.

Accept discipline

Pride, stubbornness, self-will and independence are enemies of understanding. (Jer. 4:22; Hos. 4:14, 16) The person with true understanding does not think he knows everything; hence Proverbs 19:25 says, “There should be a reproving of the understanding one, that he may discern knowledge.” (Compare Job 6:24, 25; Psalm 19:12, 13.) Because he is an understanding person he is ready to listen, discerns the basis for the reproof and benefits by it, more than a stupid one would from a hundred strokes.—Prov. 17:10; compare 29:19.

UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY

Inspired prophetic messages are understood only by those cleansed ones who humbly pray for understanding. (Dan. 9:22, 23; 10:12; 12:10) Though the general time period of their fulfillment may be comprehended, full discernment of the prophecy’s application may have to await God’s due time for its being carried out. (Dan. 8:17; 10:14; 12:8-10; compare Mark 9:31, 32; Luke 24:44-48.) Those placing their confidence in men and disdaining God’s power and discounting his purpose as a factor worth considering cannot understand the prophecies, and remain blind to their significance until the disastrous effects of their fulfillment begin to hit them.—Ps. 50:21, 22; Isa. 28:19; 46:10-12.

UNDESERVED KINDNESS

See KINDNESS.

UNFERMENTED CAKES, FESTIVAL OF

See FESTIVAL OF UNFERMENTED CAKES.

UNKNOWN GOD

Part of an inscription on an altar seen by the apostle Paul while at Athens. The Athenians expressed their fear of deities by building many temples and altars. They even went so far as to deify the abstract, erecting altars to Fame, Modesty, Energy, Persuasion and Pity. Perhaps fearing that they might possibly omit a god and thereby incur that one’s disfavor, the men of Athens had erected an altar inscribed with the words, “To an Unknown God.” At the outset in his discourse to the Stoics, Epicureans and others assembled at the Areopagus (Mars Hill), Paul tactfully drew their attention to this altar “To an Unknown God,” telling them that it was this God, heretofore unknown to them, about whom he was preaching.—Acts 17:18, 19, 22-34.

That altars of this nature existed in Greece is testified to by the Greek writers Philostratus (170?-245 C.E.) and Pausanias (2d century C.E.). Pausanias mentions altars of “gods called unknown,” and Philostratus, in his work Life of Apollonius of Tyana, writes: “It is more prudent to speak well of all the gods, and especially at Athens, where are found also altars of unknown deities.”

UNNI

(Unʹni) [(Jehovah) has answered].

1. A Levite musician who played a stringed instrument in the procession that brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.—1 Chron. 15:3, 16, 18, 20.

2. A postexilic Levite assigned to guard duty under High Priest Jeshua.—Neh. 12:1, 9.

UNRIGHTEOUS RICHES

See RICHES.