Ecclesiastes 9:17 BSB

Ecclesiastes 9:17

The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

KJV

The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

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Commentary

3 voices

Jerome

Commentary on Ecclesiastes (420)

"The gentle words of the wise are heard above the shouts of a king over fools. "Whosoever you see in the Church declaiming and arousing applause by whatever refinery or charm, he who shakes off his laughter and incites the crowd to feigned happiness, know that this is a sign of foolishness, equally of him who speaks, and of those who listen to him. For the words of the wise are heard in peace and respectful silence.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

The words of wise men are heard in quiet - In the tumult of war the words of Archimedes were not heard; and his life was lost.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The words of wise, &c.--Though generally the poor wise man is not heard (Ec 9:16), yet "the words of wise men, when heard in quiet (when calmly given heed to, as in Ec 9:15), are more serviceable than," &c. ruleth--as the "great king" (Ec 9:14).

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

7 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
דִּבְרֵ֣י	div.Rei	[the] words of	H1697 →
חֲכָמִ֔ים	cha.kha.Mim	wise [people]	H2450 →
בְּנַ֖חַת	be.Na.chat	in quietness	H5183 →
נִשְׁמָעִ֑ים	nish.ma.'Im	[are] heard	H8085 →
מִזַּעֲקַ֥ת	mi.za.'a.Kat	more than [the] cry of	H2201 →
מוֹשֵׁ֖ל	mo.Shel	a ruler	H4910 →
בַּכְּסִילִֽים׃	ba.ke.si.Lim	among <the> fools	H3684 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
James 1:20
for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.
leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:24–25
  And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.
- Ephesians 4:26
  “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
- James 3:17–18
  But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
- Numbers 20:11–12
  Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.
Through
Isaiah 42:2
He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.
leads to
- Matthew 12:16–20
  warning them not to make Him known.
Through
Proverbs 28:23
He who rebukes a man will later find more favor than one who flatters with his tongue.
leads to
- Proverbs 27:5–6
  Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.
- Matthew 18:15
  If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
- Psalms 141:5
  Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds…

Featured studies on this passage

Walks through Ecclesiastes 9

Vanity Under the Sun — Ecclesiastes

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About Ecclesiastes

King Solomon in Old Age — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Ecclesiastes: the study guide →Read chapter 9 →The featured study →

Continue: Ecclesiastes 9 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Ecclesiastes

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Ecclesiastes