Ecclesiastes 9:16
in Ecclesiastes 9And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
KJV
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThe poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard - I cannot help pursuing this illustration a little farther. The soldier who found Archimedes busily employed in drawing figures upon the sand, put to him some impertinent question, withal rudely obtruding himself on his operations. To whom this wonderful mathematician replied, “Stand off, soldier, and do not spoil my diagram;” on which the bloody savage struck him dead!
This site's exposition
There was a small city with few men
on Ecclesiastes 9:14-16
There was a small city besieged by a mighty king, and a poor wise man in it saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. The Teacher concludes Wisdom is better than strength, and adds that the wisdom of the poor man is despised.
This site's exposition
wisdom of the poor man
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take the despised poor man as poor men in general, for the man of verse 15 must have been heard. Henry calls such men pearls lost in their shells. He adds that a day is coming when wisdom and goodness will be honored.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"So I said: wisdom is better than might, although a poor man's wisdom is despised and his words go unheeded. "Although no one remembers a poor wise man, and everyone is happy, and admires power and riches; I however admire this despised wisdom according to all of the interpretations given above, and the words which none thinks worthy to be heard.
If riches and poverty are from the Lord, how can either poverty or riches be an evil? Why then were these things said? They were said under the Old Covenant, where there was much account made of wealth, where there was great contempt of poverty, where the one was a curse and the other a blessing. But now it is no longer so.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The contempt and oblivion of the wise man has been shown; here is shown secondly the commendation of the despised one. He commends wisdom, however, by a threefold preeminence: first, by setting it above the strength of power; second, above the defense of armor; third, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
A prudent mind, which is the honour of a man, is to be preferred before a robust body, in which many of the brute creatures excel man. A man may by his wisdom effect that which he could never compass by his strength, and may overcome those by out-witting them who are able to overpower him.
Many a man is buried alive in poverty and obscurity who, if he had but fit encouragement given him, might be a great blessing to the world; many a pearl is lost in its shell. But there is a day coming when wisdom and goodness shall be in honour, and the righteous shall shine forth.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Then said I, wisdom is better than strength,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Resuming the sentiment (Ec 7:19; 24:5). poor man's wisdom is despised--not the poor man mentioned in Ec 9:15; for his wisdom could not have saved the city, had "his words not been heard"; but poor men in general.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָמַ֣רְתִּי | veamarti | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אָ֔נִי | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| טוֹבָ֥ה | tovah | [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| חָכְמָ֖ה | chokhmah | wisdom | H2451 → | 153 times |
| מִגְּבוּרָ֑ה | migevurah | more than strength | H1369 → | |
| וְחָכְמַ֤ת | vechakhemat | and [the] wisdom of | H2451 → | 153 times |
| הַמִּסְכֵּן֙ | hamisken | the poor [person] | H4542 → | 4 times |
| בְּזוּיָ֔ה | bezuyah | [is] despised | H959 → | |
| וּדְבָרָ֖יו | udevarav | and words his | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֵינָ֥ם | ʾeinam | not they | H369 → | 789 times |
| נִשְׁמָעִֽים׃ | nishmaim | [are] listened to | H8085 → | 1159 times |
וְאָמַ֣רְתִּיand I said
veamartiH559 →5305 times
אָ֔נִיI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
טוֹבָ֥ה[is] good
tovahH2896 →538 times
חָכְמָ֖הwisdom
chokhmahH2451 →153 times
מִגְּבוּרָ֑הmore than strength
migevurahH1369 →
וְחָכְמַ֤תand [the] wisdom of
vechakhematH2451 →153 times
הַמִּסְכֵּן֙the poor [person]
hamiskenH4542 →4 times
בְּזוּיָ֔ה[is] despised
bezuyahH959 →
וּדְבָרָ֖יוand words his
udevaravH1697 →1440 times
אֵינָ֥םnot they
ʾeinamH369 →789 times
נִשְׁמָעִֽים׃[are] listened to
nishmaimH8085 →1159 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 24:5A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 7:19
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 21:22
A wise man scales the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 1:11
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
- Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
- Proverbs 8:14
Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.
- Ecclesiastes 7:19
Through
Proverbs 21:22A wise man scales the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.
it leads to
- Proverbs 24:5
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ecclesiastes 9:13–18
I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 20:16–22
a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 24:5
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Chrysostom, ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 18:4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.