Ecclesiastes 9:16
New International Version
So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

New Living Translation
So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

English Standard Version
But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

Berean Standard Bible
And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

King James Bible
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

New King James Version
Then I said: “Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard.

New American Standard Bible
So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are ignored.

NASB 1995
So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.

NASB 1977
So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.

Legacy Standard Bible
So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heard.

Amplified Bible
But I say that wisdom is better than strength, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded.

Christian Standard Bible
And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

American Standard Version
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And I said in my heart: "Wisdom is better than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised and his statements are not heeded

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nought, and his words not listened to.

Contemporary English Version
So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter how smart you are.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?

English Revised Version
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength," even though that poor person's wisdom was despised, and no one listened to what he said.

Good News Translation
I have always said that wisdom is better than strength, but no one thinks of the poor as wise or pays any attention to what they say.

International Standard Version
So I concluded, "Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless, the wisdom of the poor is rejected—his words are never heard."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then said I: 'Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.'

Literal Standard Version
And I said, “Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.”

Majority Standard Bible
And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

New American Bible
Though I had said, “Wisdom is better than force,” yet the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words go unheeded.

NET Bible
So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man's wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.

New Revised Standard Version
So I said, “Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

New Heart English Bible
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said I, wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

World English Bible
Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Young's Literal Translation
And I said, 'Better is wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' --

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wisdom is Better than Strength
15Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.” 17The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools.…

Cross References
Proverbs 8:14
Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.

Proverbs 21:22
A wise man scales the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

Ecclesiastes 7:12
For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

Ecclesiastes 7:19
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.

Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.


Treasury of Scripture

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

wisdom

Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Ecclesiastes 7:19
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

Proverbs 21:22
A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

the poor

Proverbs 10:15
The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

Mark 6:2,3
And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? …

John 7:47-49
Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? …

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Ecclesiastes 9
1. like things happen to good and bad
4. there is a necessity of death unto men
7. Comfort is all their portion in this life
11. God's providence rules over all
13. wisdom is better than strength














Verse 16. - Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. The latter part of the verse is not a correction of the former, but the whole comes under the observation introduced by "I said." The story just related leads to this assertion, which reproduces the gnome of Ecclesiastes 7:19, wherein it is asserted that wisdom effects more than mere physical strength. There is an interpolation in the Old Latin Version of Wisd. 6. I which seems to have been compiled from this passage and Proverbs 16:13, "Melter est sapientia quam vires, et vir prudens quam fortis." Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, etc. In the instance above mentioned the poor man's wisdom was not despised and his words were heard and attended to; but this was an abnormal case, occasioned by the extremity of the peril. Koheleth states the result which usually attends wisdom emanating from a disesteemed source. The experience of Ben-Sire pointed to the same issue (see Ecclus. 13:22, 23). Horace, 'Epist.,' 1:1.57 -

"Est animus tibi, sunt mores et lingua fidesque,
Sed quadringentis sex septem millia desunt;
Plebs erie."

"In wit, worth, honor, one in vain abounds;
If of the knight's estate he lack ten pounds,
He's low, quite low!"


(Howes.) Is not this the carpenter's Son? asked the people who were offended at Christ (Mark 6:2, 3).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And I
אָ֔נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

said,
וְאָמַ֣רְתִּי (wə·’ā·mar·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Wisdom
חָכְמָ֖ה (ḥāḵ·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom

is better
טוֹבָ֥ה (ṭō·w·ḇāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

than strength,
מִגְּבוּרָ֑ה (mig·gə·ḇū·rāh)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1369: Force, valor, victory

but the wisdom
וְחָכְמַ֤ת (wə·ḥā·ḵə·maṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2451: Wisdom

of the poor
הַמִּסְכֵּן֙ (ham·mis·kên)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4542: Indigent

man is despised,
בְּזוּיָ֔ה (bə·zū·yāh)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 959: To disesteem

and his words
וּדְבָרָ֖יו (ū·ḏə·ḇā·rāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

are not
אֵינָ֥ם (’ê·nām)
Adverb | third person masculine plural
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

heeded.”
נִשְׁמָעִֽים׃ (niš·mā·‘îm)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 9:16 Then said I Wisdom is better than (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 9:15
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