Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 9:13
This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it [seemed] great unto me:
13. This wisdom have I seen also ] The Debater points the moral of his previous maxim by a special illustration and it can scarcely be doubted that it was one which his first readers would recognise, though the nature of his method led him to speak as in hints and dark sayings, eschewing the historical element altogether, except so far as men might be able to read between the lines.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Or, Also this have I seen – wisdom under the sun, and great it seemed to me.
From this verse to the end of Eccl. 10, the writer inculcates, in a series of proverbs, wisdom in contrast to folly, as the best remedy in the present life to the evil of vanity.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
This wisdom have I seen; I have observed this among many other instances and effects of wisdom; which he seems to add for the commendation of wisdom, notwithstanding its insufficiency for mans safety and happiness without Gods blessing.
It seemed great unto me; I judged it very praiseworthy, though others despised it, as it follows.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Rather, “I have seenwisdom of this kind also,” that is, exhibited in the way whichis described in what follows [MAURER].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
This wisdom have I seen also under the sun,…. Or, “this also I have seen under the sun, even wisdom” h: besides those things he had, just now observed, he took notice that there was such a thing as wisdom among men; though success did not always attend the wise, the understanding, and skilful; and though there was so much ignorance in men, of their own time, and were so easily and suddenly ensnared in an evil time;
and it [seemed] great unto me; Solomon had a high value for wisdom, and he still retained the same sentiments of it he had before, in Ec 2:13, of which he gives the following instance.
h “Hoc etiam vidi sub sole, nempe sapientiam”, Tigurine version; “etiam hoc vidi, sapientiam sub sole”, Cocceius; “etiam hoc vidi, videlicet, sapientiam sub sole”, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“Also this have I come to see as wisdom under the sun, and it appears great to me.” The Venet. construes falsely: “This also have I seen: wisdom under the sun;” as also Hitzig, who reads (neut. as at Ecc 7:27). There is no reason thus to break up the sentence which introduces the following experience. Zoh is connected with hhochmah , but not as Luther renders it: “I have also seen this wisdom,” which would have required the words , but, as Jerome does: Hanc quoque sub sole vidi sapeintiam ; this, however, since , as at Ecc 5:15, cf. Ecc 9:18, is attractionally related to hhochmah as its pred., is = “also in this I saw wisdom,” as the lxx translates, or as Zckl.: “also this have I seen – come to find out as wisdom,” – also this, viz., the following incident narrated, in which wisdom of exceeding greatness presented itself to me. As Mordecai is called “great among the Jews,” Est 10:3, so here Koheleth says that the wisdom which came to light therein appeared to him great ( , as elsewhere or ).
Now follows an experience, which, however, has not merely a light side, but also a dark side; for wisdom, which accomplished so great a matter, reaped only ingratitude:
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Advantages of Wisdom. | |
13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Solomon still recommends wisdom to us as necessary to the preserving of our peace and the perfecting of our business, notwithstanding the vanities and crosses which human affairs are subject to. He had said (v. 11), Bread is not always to the wise; yet he would not therefore be thought either to disparage, or to discourage, wisdom, no, he still retains his principle, that wisdom excels folly as much as light excels darkness (ch. ii. 13), and we ought to love and embrace it, and be governed by it, for the sake of its own intrinsic worth, and the capacity it gives us of being serviceable to others, though we ourselves should not get wealth and preferment by it. This wisdom, that is, this which he here describes, wisdom which enables a man to serve his country out of pure affection to its interests, when he himself gains no advantage by it, no, not so much as thanks for his pains, or the reputation of it, this is the wisdom which, Solomon says, seemed great unto him, v. 13. A public spirit, in a private sphere, is wisdom which those who understand things that differ cannot but look upon as very magnificent.
I. Solomon here gives an instance, which probably was a case in fact, in some neighbouring country, of a poor man who with his wisdom did great service in a time of public distress and danger (v. 14): There was a little city (no great prize, whoever was master of it); there were but few men within it, to defend it, and men, if men of fortitude, are the best fortifications of a city; here were few men, and, because few, feeble, fearful, and ready to give up their city as not tenable. Against this little city a great king came with a numerous army, and besieged it, either in pride, or covetousness to possess it, or in revenge for some affront given him, to chastise and destroy it. Thinking it stronger than it was, he built great bulwarks against it, from which to batter it, and doubted not but in a little time to make himself master of it. What a great deal of unjust vexation do ambitious princes give to their harmless neighbours! This great king needed not fear this little city; why then should he frighten it? It would be little profit to him; why then should he put himself to such a great expense to gain it? But as unreasonable and insatiably greedy as little people sometimes are to lay house to house, and field to field, great kings often are to lay city to city, and province to province, that they may be placed alone in the earth, Isa. v. 8. Did victory and success attend the strong? No; there was found in this little city, among the few men that were in it, one poor wise man–a wise man, and yet poor, and not preferred to any place of profit or power in the city; places of trust were not given to men according to their merit, and meetness for them, else such a wise man as this would not have been a poor man. Now, 1. Being wise, he served the city, though he was poor. In their distress they found him out (Judg. xi. 7) and begged his advice and assistance; and he by his wisdom delivered the city, either by prudent instructions given to the besieged, directing them to some unthought-of stratagem for their own security, or by a prudent treaty with the besiegers, as the woman at Abel, 2 Sam. xx. 16. He did not upbraid them with the contempt they had put upon him, in leaving him out of their council, nor tell them he was poor and had nothing to lose, and therefore cared not what became of the city; but he did his best for it, and was blessed with success. Note, Private interests and personal resentments must always be sacrificed to public good and forgotten when the common welfare is concerned. 2. Being poor, he was slighted by the city, though he was wise and had been an instrument to save them all from ruin: No man remembered that same poor man; his good services were not taken notice of, no recompence was made him, no marks of honour were put upon him, but he lived in as much poverty and obscurity as he had done before. Riches were not to this man of understanding, nor favour to this man of skill. Many who have well-merited of their prince and country have been ill-paid; such an ungrateful world do we live in. It is well that useful men have a God to trust to, who will be their bountiful rewarder; for, among men, great services are often envied and rewarded with evil for good.
II. From this instance he draws some useful inferences, looks upon it and receives instruction. 1. Hence he observes the great usefulness and excellency of wisdom, and what a blessing it makes men to their country: Wisdom is better than strength, v. 16. 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. Nay, wisdom is better than weapons of war, offensive or defensive, v. 18. Wisdom, that is, religion and piety (for the wise man is here opposed to a sinner), is better than all military endowments or accoutrements, for it will engage God for us, and then we are safe in the greatest perils and successful in the greatest enterprises. If God be for us, who can be against us or stand before us? 2. Hence he observes the commanding force and power of wisdom, though it labour under external disadvantages (v. 17): The words of wise men are heard in quiet; what they speak, being spoken calmly and with deliberation (though, not being rich and in authority, they dare not speak aloud nor with any great assurance), will be hearkened to and regarded, will gain respect, nay, will gain the point, and sway with men more than the imperious clamour of him that rules among fools, who, like fools, chose him to be their ruler, for his noise and blustering, and, like fools, think he must by those methods carry the day with every body else. A few close arguments are worth a great many big words; and those will strike sail to fair reasoning who will answer those that hector and insult according to their folly. How forcible are right words! What is spoken wisely should be spoken calmly, and then it will be heard in quiet and calmly considered. But passion will lessen the force even of reason, instead of adding any force to it. 3. Hence he observes that wise and good men, notwithstanding this, must often content themselves with the satisfaction of having done good, or at least attempted it, and offered at it, when they cannot do the good they would do nor have the praise they should have. Wisdom capacitates a man to serve his neighbours, and he offers his service; but, alas! if he be poor his wisdom is despised and his words are not heard, v. 16. 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.
4. From what he had observed of the great good which one wise and virtuous man may do he infers what a great deal of mischief one wicked man may do, and what a great deal of good he may be the hindrance of: One sinner destroyeth much good. (1.) As to himself, a sinful condition is a wasteful condition. How many of the good gifts both of nature and Providence does one sinner destroy and make waste of–good sense, good parts, good learning, a good disposition, a good estate, good meat, good drink, and abundance of God’s good creatures, all made use of in the service of sin, and so destroyed and lost, and the end of giving them frustrated and perverted! He who destroys his own soul destroys much good. (2.) As to others, what a great deal of mischief may one wicked man do in a town or country! One sinner, who makes it his business to debauch others, may defeat and frustrate the intentions of a great many good laws and a great deal of good preaching, and draw many into his pernicious ways; one sinner may be the ruin of a town, as one Achan troubled the whole camp of Israel. The wise man who delivered the city would have had his due respect and recompence for it but that some one sinner hindered it, and invidiously diminished the service. And many a good project, well laid for the public welfare, had been destroyed by some one subtle adversary to it. The wisdom of some would have healed the nation, but, through the wickedness of a few, it would not be healed. See who are a kingdom’s friends and enemies, if one saint does much good, and one sinner destroys much good.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
BENEFITS AND INGRATITUDE
Verses 13-15 present an observation of Solomon attesting to the benefit of wisdom under the sun, and at the same time revealing the ingratitude of those who benefit. He tells of a small city besieged by a superior military force and facing disaster. However, a poor wise man by his wisdom delivered the city. Was the poor man properly rewarded? No! He was quickly forgotten, Gen 40:23; 2Ch 24:22.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Ecc. 9:13. This wisdom.] The special instance of the power of wisdom related in the next verse.
Ecc. 9:14. Few men within it.] Not a city with a scanty population, but one possessing only a few fitting men capable of defending it.
Ecc. 9:18. One sinner destroyeth much good.] One who is gifted with great physical energy, but destitute of wisdom. The coarsest qualitiesthe fierce attributes of the wild beastare sufficient for the work of destruction.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Ecc. 9:13-18
THE WORLDS BENEFACTORS
The Royal Preacher turns to consider a strange anomaly that too often happens in a thoughtless and ungrateful generation. Men who have been the true workers and deliverers of their time have often been despised and forgotten. The world is ignorant, or guilty of neglect, of its true benefactors. How they work, and with what success, is considered here.
I. Their Instrument. Wisdom is the instrument by which they worked. It was a wise man who delivered the city. (Ecc. 9:15.) Their words heard in quiet among the contemplative few have proved stronger than the edicts of the most potent rulers, yea even stronger than the power of warlike arms. (Ecc. 9:17-18.) They have conferred real and permanent benefits upon their fellow men. For such a purpose, we observe,
1. That wisdom is the most fitting instrument. Man, with many natural disadvantages when compared with the lower forms of life beneath him, still holds his place in nature as the crown and head of all things by his superior knowledge. By means of wisdom, that knowledge is made to act in the direction of the greatest advantage. We may say that this instrument has a natural fitness for performing the truest and most lasting work. The highest natures use it, for The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, by understanding hath He established the heavens. (Pro. 3:19.) All work produced by other means, however loud and long the triumph, must end in confusion and overthrow. However big and imposing the work of fools, they shall at length be buried in the heaps they raise. Wisdom as an instrument may also be said to have a moral fitness. It tends to injure no one; its pure and just conquests are not stained by crime, and ravage, and slaughter. The tears of the widow and the orphan do not trouble its quiet enjoyment of victory. All true wisdomwhether strictly in the sphere of religion or outside of itis from above; and coming down to earth pure from its native heaven, bears on the front of it the gifts of peace.
2. That it is the most potent instrument. Wisdom is better than strengthbetter than weapons of war. (Ecc. 9:16; Ecc. 9:18.) All work that is truly great and abiding commences in wise thought. The scheme of it is laid in silence in the utmost recesses of the mind until it assumes shape and substance in the palpable and accomplished fact. The material creation which is the standing illustration of the Divine power is but the Divine thought manifested. Brute force has narrow limits, moving with a constrained motion; but the power of wisdom is large, plentiful in resources, and free. Wisdom is the true director of all forces, without which they are wild, irregular, and destructive. It is the force which has urged humanity on in the upward path of high civilization, refinement, and goodness.
II. The Manner of their Working. In her method and manner of working, there is a style and habit appropriate to wisdom. She wields a quiet power, shunning all noise and loud display. The words of wise men are heard in quiet. This quality for quietness and sobriety is one of the chief characteristics of the deliverances and of the works of wisdom. All who would learn from her and receive her gifts must possess this quality.
1. Quietness promotes those conditions of mind most favourable to the reception of wisdom. All who enter her school must leave behind them the noise and tumult of petty ambition, boisterous self-assertion, and pride. Fools must either put away these things, or quit her courts. The still small voice of wisdom is only heard amidst the quietness of contemplation. We must enter this kingdom as a little child, with the qualities of teachableness and humility, putting away all positiveness and pride, which are ever noisy and demonstrative.
2. All the conquests of wisdom have been quietly won. Other victories have been prompted by ambition and attained by violence. The victories of wisdom, on the other hand, have been accomplished in those clear and lofty heights of contemplation far above the tumult and strife of human passion. Wisdom, with truth for her possession and substance, has been content to wait till the temporary advantages of error have passed away, and then she has quietly gathered in her spoils.
3. Quietness is the attribute of the greatest natures. The great thinkers of the world who have opened up for us new regions of truth, how quietly and silently they worked! We feel their power still across the ages of time. They seem to rule our spirits from their urns. The victories of religion over superstition and unbelief have been won by the steady witnessing to the truth, and the patience of suffering. He who came to conquer all hearts, and to lay the foundations of an everlasting kingdom, was distinguished by his quiet manner of working and freedom from desire of display. He did not strive nor cry, nor was His voice heard in the streets. This quiet demeanour of wisdom is, in Ecc. 9:17, shown in contrast with the boisterous manner in which folly is wont to display itself. The ruler among fools soon becomes the victim of the virulent contagion of folly, and utters injudicious commands with fierce and noisy circumstance.
III. Their Fate. (Ecc. 9:15-16.) There are some exceptions, but the example hero related is a description of the fate of many wise and good men.
1. They are sometimes noticed and obeyed under the pressure of circumstances. In some dangerous crisis or great calamity, the wise man may rise to importance and regard. There are junctures of events in which the most careless and unreflecting men must turn to such for deliverance. When the enemy is at the gates, and the valour of mighty heroes is unavailing, he who can devise some wise project which saves the city, gains that approbation and fame so readily yielded to evident success. There are times when the wise mans wisdom must be valued, even by the most thoughtless, as a precious commodity.
2. They are sometimes the victims of contumely and neglect. When the calamity is overpast, society soon learns to forget those who have served it in the crisis of danger. This fault of ingratitude appears in almost every little social circle, and has a constant illustration in the history of every nation and age. The world too willingly lets the names die of those who have blest it most. Those are not always the best and truest workers whose names stand in the front of history. It will be found that the worlds most real benefactors are those who took the most subordinate and retired part. Their work is undying in its effects, but their names have perished from all remembrance but that of God. Many a truly wise and great man has lived to be forgotten and despised. This is a base ingratitude, for it deprives such of their earthly reward. The barriers of wealth and social standing have often served to keep wise men from rising into just regard and fame. This wise man delivered the city; but he was poor, and that was quite sufficient to ensure his being despised.
3. Their work is often ruined. The essential good of their work cannot be destroyed, for it is an imperishable seed, which once having taken hold upon the world, leaves it not. But some of the immediate results of their workfruits of patient toil and endurancemay be destroyed, which exploit only needs the natural endowments of the most thoughtless and wicked fool. (Ecc. 9:18.) Physical strengththe power of social stationthe boisterous impudence of ignorant and foolish menmay prevail over the wise and ruin his work. It requires but little talent to destroy, for it is within the province of any lusty fool to lay in ruins the labour and skill of years, or to obstruct the progress of some good and great work. From this subject, we learn both the power and the vanity of wisdom. The power, in that it is superior to strength, to numbers, to the voice of mere authority, or to the influence of social rank. It is the prime element in the worlds progressthe means of its regeneration. The vanity, in that it often fails, or at best has but a partial victory, through the stubborn and ignorant opposition of men.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Ecc. 9:13. It had made a strong impression on his mind. The testimony which it bore to the value and efficacy of wisdom appeared to him to be most remarkable. On one side there was a king, backed by a powerful army, and having at his command, for the capture and destruction of the feebly-garrisoned city he had come to assail, all the arts and appliances of war. On the other side was a solitary individual, of no note or name, without wealth or station, or social influence, having no other strength than that which was derived from his own personal worth, and no other resources than those of a God-fearing, sagacious, and thoughtful spirit [Buchanan].
Wisdom without the advantages of wealth or station, yet securing regard and attention to itself, is so rare a spectacle, that the wise themselves, at the sight of it, may well stand amazed. In a perfect state of society, such a triumph would be too common to be wonderful.
Ecc. 9:14. There is a baseness in oppression which allows no rights to the defenceless and the weak.
The oppressed have often on their side an unknown and unsuspected power which avails for deliverance, and by which the most confident ambition is defeated.
The little city of the Church of God has often been besieged, and the enemy has prepared to celebrate the victory over an extinguished Faith. But the tower of God has ever had brave defenders, strong in wisdom and in the might of goodness.
Ecc. 9:15. A sudden calamity may serve to redeem the wise from neglect.
When the strong fail to deliver, and rank and authority are of no avail, wise men must be sought for. Such alone are the true defence of states.
That is a foolish and ignoble pride which refuses to acknowledge worth because it is not encrusted by wealth. Yet such is the way of the world,Slow rises worth by poverty depressed.
What was it that rescued the nations of the ancient world from the universal heathenism in which they were sunk; from the gross superstitions and multiplied abominations of an all-prevailing idolatry? Not the poetry and literature, not the arts and philosophy, of Greece and Rome, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those humble peasants and fishermen, who issued from the upper chamber of some obscure street of Jerusalem, were the poor wise men who delivered the cities of the ancient world [Buchanan].
The pressure of necessity, or the claims of selfishness, may force admiration for the poor mans wisdom, but such admiration expires before it has time to ripen into gratitude, or attain to the sturdy strength of a principle.
How hard is the condition of poverty, when social prejudice can overwhelm a man whose wisdom it has been compelled to own!
Ecc. 9:16. The triumphs of wisdom over brute force and the terrible powers of nature, all of which it subdues under the sovereignty of man, are among its first fruits. It has also a surpassing excellence in that it imparts the power to discover and appreciate the order and fitness of things in the universe.
Wisdom is the living and intelligent director of all other forces, without which they can serve no useful end. In our investigation of the powers of nature, we cannot rest in the contemplation of forces and effects. We are bound to go on to mindthe greatest of all. Mind is the producer of all other powers, and therefore superior to them. That which is true, in this regard, of the Highest, is true also of man, under the necessary limitations of his position as a creature.
The more that wisdom spreads, the more human strength is saved, and the more is comfort enhanced. The bird who is about to build her nest next month, will toil as long and work as hard as the sparrows and swallows who frequented the temple in the time of Solomon, and the building will be no improvement on the nest of three thousand years ago. But if Solomons own palace were to be builded anew, modern skill could rear it much faster than Hirams masonry, and there are few houses in London which do not contain luxuries and accommodations which were lacking in the house of the forest of Lebanon. Already a pound of coals and a pint of water will do the work of a sturdy man; and with a weeks wages, a mechanic may now procure a library more comprehensive and more edifying than that which adorned the Tusculan villa,nay, such a store of books as the wealth of Solomon could not command [Dr. J. Hamilton].
It requires but little intellectual sagacity to admire that wisdom which leads to some evident practical result. When self-interest is at stake, the meanest souls can assume a virtue. The steady recognition of wisdom, for her own sake, is only found in answering minds.
The poverty of Jesus, the incarnate Wisdom of God, was sufficient to bring upon Him one of the sharpest trials of His humiliation, which was that of being despised and overlooked.
Ecc. 9:17. Quiet menmen of calm and dispassionate mindsgive heed to the words of wisdom, though noisy fools may disregard them. Also, in quiet times, in the hours of retirement and reflection, when the distractions of the world are shut out, the words of wisdom come back into the mind and sink into the heart. How unlike in this respect to the cry of him that ruleth among fools! Even at the moment it is uttered, his cry may fall powerless upon the thoughtless, ignorant, or impatient crowd to whom it is addressed; and this it may do for no other and better reason, than because it does not suit the fancy or the frenzy of the hour. At any rate, and in any case, its influence is but transitory, its power short-lived [Buchanan].
Folly requires the aid of boisterous acclamation to give it the semblance of greatness. Wisdom is content with quiet and retired ways, there to meet her disciples and unfold her treasures. Disdaining the Pharisees device, she sounds no trumpet, but calm as the depths of heaven, speaks to contemplation the everlasting language of truth.
How soon the fame of those who have made the greatest noise and display passes away! It is easily blown up to the bubble reputation, but soon to burst most unprofitably. Time clears away all illusions and lays bare the solidities of truth.
The wise man may speak to an audience fit, though few; but his audience will increase through the ages, and his words receive obedience and recognition.
The mariner who guides his ship upon the trackless ocean with safety and expedition accomplishes this by the aid of principles which were discovered by Grecian geometers ages ago. The words of these quiet thinkers were heard and understood by few, but without them the greatest development of commerce and civilisation would be impossible.
The true rulers of the world, of lasting sovereignty, are those who guide the intellects and souls of men. They have been faithful over a few things, and have thus been made rulers over many cities.
Ecc. 9:18. War wounds, but wisdom heals. War overturns, but it is wisdom that builds up and restores. War is the hurricane that sinks the ship; wisdom is the favouring breeze that wafts it to the desired haven. War is the torrent that furrows the earth, and sweeps its soil into the sea; wisdom droppeth softly, like the rain or the gentle dew from heaven, to refresh the thirsty ground and to bless the springing thereof. In a word, war and all its weapons belong to the bloody brood of him who was a murderer from the beginning; wisdom is the attribute and gift of Him who came to bring peace on earth, goodwill to men, and glory to God in the highest [Buchanan].
The continued existence of war in the midst of material and intellectual progress is a proof that the world is yet far from wisdom. The reign of force can never knit humanity into a true brotherhood. The Christian religion, which is the highest style of wisdom, is the only strong power, against which all else contends in vain.
The ambition of one man may plunge nations into deadly warfare. The heresies of one man may divide the Church, weaken her influence, and provoke the rage of an irritating controversy. One slanderous tongue can slay many reputations, and work mischiefs which are but ill-repaired by time.
The ways in which one sinner may destroy much good are as numerous as the forms of evil itself. But there is a bad and even a worse eminence in sin. The greater the power abused, the more terrible and far-reaching the consequences. Hence he who writes a book that unsettles the foundations of faith in the soul of man, or robs him of his immortal hope, propagates a mischief far beyond his own working-day in life, and verily keeps his sad account and reckoning with eternity still open.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
6. Wisdom is declared to be the greatest guide in our work. Ecc. 9:13-18
TEXT 9:1318
13
Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me.
14
There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and constructed large siege works against it.
15
But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
16
So I said, Wisdom is better than strength. But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.
17
The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS 9:1318
365.
Solomon said he was impressed with what (Ecc. 9:13)?
366.
What kind of wisdom was it?
367.
Give three reasons why the small city should not have been delivered.
368.
What was the poor, wise mans reward for delivering the city?
369.
Does Solomon prove by this parable that wisdom is better than strength? Discuss.
370.
How should wisdom be communicated?
371.
What should be heeded in time of trouble?
372.
Identify the two lessons taught in verse eighteen.
PARAPHRASE 9:1318
The following parable on wisdom, which I have observed under the sun, made a genuine impression on my mind. There was a small city with only a few men in it and a powerful king surrounded it with his army. The king also built overpowering bulwarks which towered above the city. The king cut off the small city from all exchange of goods and communication. However, there was a potential deliverer within the city. He was poor and insignificant but he was very wise. He was wise enough to deliver the city by his wisdom even in the face of such overwhelming obstacles. Yet no one thought of that poor man. So I said, Wisdom is far better than the strength of an army. The wisdom of the poor insignificant man is despised and his words, which delivered the city, were soon forgotten. The quiet words of wise men, even when the wise men are poor, should be heeded rather than listening to the shouting of a great king who labors in the midst of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons but one sinner who acts foolishly can destroy much good.
COMMENT 9:1318
The central subject of this section is wisdom. A parable is clearly evident in Ecc. 9:13-15 while the interpretation of it is found in verse sixteen. Two final observations on the value of wisdom are given in Ecc. 9:17-18.
How can one safeguard himself from the treachery of snares and traps? Is there any way one can find encouragement in the midst of calamity? The answer is found in securing wisdom and practicing it. One should not despise such a valuable possession as wisdom though it be in possession of a servantthis would not diminish its worth. One should not only enjoy life, and work with great industry, he should also employ wisdom.
Ecc. 9:13 One should not attempt to equate this wisdom with the wisdom revealed in the New Testament which is complete in Christ and wonderfully redemptive in nature. The wisdom the Preacher discusses is qualified at the outset as earthy under the sun wisdom. Such an example of wisdom as set forth here impressed Solomon and was great to him. This is true because of what it did.
Varied interpretations of the parable are offered. Among the notable views are: (1) Israel is represented as the possessor of true wisdom, and although she was small and despised, she was accepted by God and delivered by his hand. (2) The true church is besieged from generation to generation. However, she has Jesus Christ, once Himself poor, to deliver her. (3) The event in Bible history which most nearly parallels the story is recorded in 2Sa. 20:15-22 and Jdg. 9:53. (4) Imaginative interpretations include cities such as Dora, besieged by Antiochas the Great and Athens which was delivered by Themistocles from the hand of Xerxes. (5) Luther and Mercerus both held that no actual historical occurrence is intended.
The most natural interpretation would be that which elevates wisdom. The emphasis on the great king and the poor wise man heightens the contrast and increases the odds. Thus, the fact that the city is delivered from such overwhelming strength elevates wisdom and makes it the true hero.
Ecc. 9:14 A small city indicates a lack of military resources. A few men in the city implies a minimum number of men to defend the city rather than the number of non-fighting personnel. The plight of the city is magnified by the fact that a great king surrounded it with his soldiers. In addition, he built large seigeworks against it. One need not search for such an actual event in history as the emphasis here is to demonstrate that wisdom can deliver from insurmountable odds.
The siegeworks are also called palisades (Septuagint), embarkments or mounds. Sometimes wooden towers were used whereby the enemy could catapult heavy rocks against the wall or into the city. From such strongholds towering over the city, the enemy could spy out the weak areas of the beleagured city so as to assail it. (Cf. Deu. 20:20; 2Sa. 20:15; 2Ki. 19:32; Jer. 3:4; Micah 4:14)
The comparison is reminiscent of the powers of darkness which are set against the church. However, just as wisdom had the capabilities of delivering the city, even against such overpowering odds, so Christ has given the victory to the church. (Cf. 1Co. 15:55-57; 1Jn. 5:4)
Ecc. 9:15-16 Wisdom is better. Wisdom is better than strength (Ecc. 9:16). Wisdom is better than weapons of war (Ecc. 9:18).
On the one hand wisdom stands in bold relief against the great king and military might of the enemy. Within the city it emerges as the hero against the fact that it was insignificantly contained in a small city and a poor man. Wisdom had everything going against it and nothing in its favor. Wisdom was sufficient to deliver the city, however, when everything was going against it. The tragedy came after the victory. The one who through his wisdom delivered the city was forgotten. It is sometimes argued that since the verb is pluperfect it should be rendered no man had remembered that poor man and thus would change the emphasis of the text. The meaning then would be that none remembered him until the need for deliverance was keenly felt and then they turned to him. This interpretation would clarify the verse but would complicate the meaning of verse sixteen where the Preacher declares, But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.
The Anchor Bible[14] takes an altogether different approach: Now there was in it a than who was poor but wise, and he might have saved the city by his wisdom. But no man thought of that poor man. So I said, Wisdom is better than might!, yet the wisdom of the poor man was despised, and his words went unheeded. On the idea of might have saved, the editors comment: Literally he saved. The former sense is implied by the comment in verse sixteen. The point is that no one remembered the wise man because he was little regarded, rather than that men Were not grateful for his advice which saved the city.[15]
[14] R. B. Y. Scott. The Anchor Bible: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (New York: Double-day and Company, Inc., 1965), p. 247.
[15] R. B. Y. Scott, ibid.
Still a different view is explained by Hitzig: In this particular case they had, it is true, not despised his wisdom, and they had listened to his words. But it was an exceptional case, necessity drove them thereto, and afterwards they forgot him.[16]
[16] Hengstenberg. op. cit., p. 220.
The latter view most clearly states the intent of the passage. The rulers of the small city were forced to listen to the wisdom of the poor man and they heeded it. Because he was poor and the crises facing their city was over, they soon forgot the poor man. In a similar way, Joseph was treated by the Chief Butler (Gen. 40:23); and Jesus was temporarily forgotten after His death upon the cross where the wisdom of God was revealed (1Co. 1:24).
The lesson is obvious. Solomon observed the incidentwhether real or imaginaryand then reflected on the observation with the statement that wisdom is better than strength. If the man had not actually delivered the city, Solomon would not have been impressed with the parable.
Ecc. 9:17 The contrast between wisdom and strength continues. Jesus demonstrates perfectly the principle set forth in this verse. It was said of Him that He did not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street (Isa. 42:2). On the other hand, the pompously dressed Herod assumed the role of the shouting ruler among fools at Caesarea when Luke wrote of him: And on an appointed day Herod, having put on the royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering the address to them. And the people kept crying out, The voice of a god and not of a man! And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten with worms and died (Act. 12:21-23).
The quiet tranquility could belong to the wise man himself. If so, such an attitude toward life would be an indication of his wisdom. Or it could refer to those who are so disposed as to quietly listen as they recognize the strength and power of his words.
Ecc. 9:18 The first half of this verse has been sufficiently explained. The above example has shown that wisdom accomplishes more than weapons of war (Ecc. 7:19). The new thought introduced here is in antithesis to the former truth. Just as wisdom is better than weapons of war so one foolish act can undo the fruit of wisdom. The much good could refer to the present or potential good a nation accomplishes. The fact remains that it may all be lost if the ruler is a fool and engages in foolish or evil deeds. The good would not refer specifically to moral good but possessions, properties, prosperity, etc. This theme is taken up more fully in Ecc. 10:1.
As an aside, it is interesting to observe how the preceding story has a counterpart in the Christian age. It is to be noted, however, that such a comparison is not to be interpreted as the original meaning of the author of Ecclesiastes. It does demonstrate, however, both the universal and spiritual application of the principles involved. The analogies are: (1) Wisdom would be the New Testament entrusted today to the church; (2) the small city would be the church (Luk. 12:32; Heb. 12:22-23); (3) the great king refers to Satan who sets himself against the chosen of God (Joh. 12:31); (4) the poor wise man would represent Jesus Christ whose wisdom was, by some, forgotten (Isa. 53:2-3; Mar. 6:3; 2Co. 8:9; Eph. 1:7-8; Col. 2:3).
FACT QUESTIONS 9:1318
483.
How can one fortify himself against snares and calamities?
484.
Why is the wisdom of verse thirteen different from redemptive wisdom?
485.
Give the best interpretation of the parable. Explain your answer.
486.
Why is it not important that an actual event be identified in the siege of the small city? (Cf. Ecc. 9:14)
487.
The siegeworks are symbolic of what threat to the church today?
488.
Make a list of the things wisdom had to oppose. (Cf. Ecc. 9:15-16)
489.
What became of the little man who saved the city?
490.
Explain the statement: Wisdom is better than strength.
491.
In what way does Herod illustrate a ruler among fools?
492.
What does much good refer to in verse eighteen?
493.
List the possible analogies the parable could have in the church age.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
13. The inability of wisdom to benefit its possessor, as regarded from the personal and egoistic point of view, is illustrated by an instance.
This wisdom That is, this display of “wisdom,” I once saw. Under the sun, is emphatic, as meaning, with my own eyes, or in my own lifetime.
A Parable of Wisdom and Ingratitude ( Ecc 9:13-16 ).
Ecc 9:13-16
‘I have seen also wisdom under the sun like this. There was a small city and few men in it. And there came a great king against it, and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it. Now there was found in it a poor man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then I said, “wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.’
For in this life men are not treated fairly. Someone who becomes famous for some great act of wisdom which produces wonderful results, may soon be forgotten and summarily dismissed. In this example a poor but wise man delivered a city under siege by some clever scheme, but he was neither rewarded nor commended once the first gratitude was over. He was never consulted again. He was pushed back into obscurity. Such are the ways of an ungrateful world. The story demonstrates two things. That often wisdom is more important than strength, and that men are in general ungrateful and easily forget what has been done for them.
Indeed wisdom is often undervalued. No doubt the king soon convinced himself that in fact he had almost been about to have the idea himself.
Ecc 9:17-18
‘The words of the wise spoken in quiet are heard more than the cry of him who rules among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.’
These are further lessons of the parable. It is better to listen to the wise who give their advice quietly than to listen to the noisy rantings of one who rules over the unlearned and thoughtless. Success is more likely in such a case, and the words of the former are more likely to be worth listening to and to provide a solution.
Furthermore wisdom is more effective than weapons of war. This is obviously true, partly because wise discussion will often avoid war, and secondly because clever tactics will make weapons more effective. For wars are often won by those who use the better tactics.
However one who behaves foolishly or unintelligently can destroy much good. Therefore it is better to put one’s concerns in the hands of wise men.
Ecc 9:13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it [seemed] great unto me:
Ver. 13. This wisdom also have I seen, ] i.e., This fruit and effect of wisdom have I observed, that through the iniquity of the times, it is slighted and left unrewarded if joined with a mean condition.
And it seemed great unto me. “ Saepe sub attrita latitat sapientia veste, ”
that within that leathern purse may be a pearl of great price, and in those earthen pots abundance of golden treasure. “I know thy poverty, but thou art rich” Rev 2:9 The cock on the dunghill understands not this: That which seems great to a Solomon, Multis pro vili sub pedibusque iacet. Stultorum enim plena sunt omnia.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ecc 9:13-18
13Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me. 14There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. 15But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16So I said, Wisdom is better than strength. But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded. 17The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Ecc 9:13-18 This sounds like a specific historical event that Qoheleth had observed (i.e., a series of eight Qal PERFECT VERBS; LXX makes them SUBJUNCTIVES, implying a hypothetical situation). These verses magnify wisdom, but in the end it is ignored and forgotten! The wise man can affect things, but so can the sinner (cf. Ecc 9:18).
Ecc 9:13-18
Ecc 9:13-15
THE POOR WISE MAN WHO DELIVERED A CITY
“I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. And there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.”
This incident was evidently included in the book here as another example of the `vanity’ which the author found in everything that he saw `under the sun.’ Indeed, there is something distressing in this.
Look at the monuments men have built all over the world. Whom do they honor? Generally, they honor those who butchered their thousands and tens of thousands on bloody battlefields, but not the wise statesmen who negotiated peace. “How warped are our human value systems! Jesus said, `Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God'” (Mat 5:9).
The sad fact of this little city’s true benefactor having been forgotten is only one of a million other similar situations in which there have been gross miscarriages of human justice and even intelligence. Why? The status of our human race is the only explanation that is needed. Our race, which is in rebellion against God, is divinely condemned to death. “Thou shalt surely die” (Gen 2:17). If one leaves God and his merciful provision for man’s redemption out of consideration, our wretched race, wallowing in the miseries, disease and violence which are the fruit of its own wickedness, is indeed `vanity of vanities.’ Solomon’s analysis of what he saw `under the sun’ was profoundly correct, if the observer leaves God out of his analysis, as Solomon was obviously doing in this part of Ecclesiastes.
“No man remembered that same poor man” (Ecc 9:15). One of the shameful characteristics of our fallen race is that of ingratitude. Abandoned children, adopted by Christian parents and reared even in luxury have been recently indicted for murder of their parents! Today’s headline in the Houston Post (July 22,1993) highlights the story of a benefactor who stopped to aid stranded motorists, and they tried to rob him! Human gratitude! Where is it? Shakespeare wrote:
Blow! Blow! Thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man’s ingratitude.
Freeze, Freeze thou bitter sky,
Thou dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot.
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy tooth is not so sharp
As friend remembered not.
We do not accept the following translation which varies from the American Standard Version, and the Revised Standard Version, but we cite it here as an interesting variation. “And there was found in it (the city) a poor (but) wise man; he could have saved the city by his wisdom, but no one thought about the poor man. “This means that, by a social prejudice based on class-consciousness, wisdom was made non-operational with the result that the city was not saved. This interpretation, of course, relies on the variable rendition.
Ecc 9:16-18
THE SUPERIORITY OF WISDOM
“Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.”
“The poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard” (Ecc 9:16). Loader understood these words as justifying his unusual translation given above.
These last three verses stress both the value and the vulnerability of wisdom. Yes, wisdom is more valuable than strength or weapons of war; “But we are left here with a suspicion that, `In human politics the last word generally goes to the loud voice of Ecc 9:17, or to the cold steel of Ecc 9:18.’
“But one sinner destroyeth much good” (Ecc 9:18). Achan, one sinner alone, caused the tremendous defeat of all God’s people at Ai (Joshua 7); and Doeg, one sinner alone, caused the murder of the priests at Nob (1 Samuel 22). Bathsheba, one sinner alone, by her nude behavior, caused the fall of David and the ultimate ruin of all Israel through her son Solomon and his son Rehoboam. It was to David’s magnificent forgiveness, that we must attribute the fact that he never blamed Bathsheba for this. However, no impartial observer could possibly overlook the responsibility of Bathsheba and the part she played in all that.
With these verses, we enter the final phase of Ecclesiastes which contains a large number of proverbs, which may be construed as the author’s answer to the question of “What is good for man”? (Ecc 2:3; Ecc 6:12). “A great part of these seem to have a special reference to servants of a king, as would be natural enough in the writings of Solomon.
The central subject of this section is wisdom. A parable is clearly evident in Ecc 9:13-15 while the interpretation of it is found in verse sixteen. Two final observations on the value of wisdom are given in Ecc 9:17-18.
How can one safeguard himself from the treachery of snares and traps? Is there any way one can find encouragement in the midst of calamity? The answer is found in securing wisdom and practicing it. One should not despise such a valuable possession as wisdom though it be in possession of a servant-this would not diminish its worth. One should not only enjoy life, and work with great industry, he should also employ wisdom.
Ecc 9:13 One should not attempt to equate this wisdom with the wisdom revealed in the New Testament which is complete in Christ and wonderfully redemptive in nature. The wisdom the Preacher discusses is qualified at the outset as earthy under the sun wisdom. Such an example of wisdom as set forth here impressed Solomon and was great to him. This is true because of what it did.
Varied interpretations of the parable are offered. Among the notable views are: (1) Israel is represented as the possessor of true wisdom, and although she was small and despised, she was accepted by God and delivered by his hand. (2) The true church is besieged from generation to generation. However, she has Jesus Christ, once Himself poor, to deliver her. (3) The event in Bible history which most nearly parallels the story is recorded in 2Sa 20:15-22 and Jdg 9:53. (4) Imaginative interpretations include cities such as Dora, besieged by Antiochas the Great and Athens which was delivered by Themistocles from the hand of Xerxes. (5) Luther and Mercerus both held that no actual historical occurrence is intended.
The most natural interpretation would be that which elevates wisdom. The emphasis on the great king and the poor wise man heightens the contrast and increases the odds. Thus, the fact that the city is delivered from such overwhelming strength elevates wisdom and makes it the true hero.
Ecc 9:14 A small city indicates a lack of military resources. A few men in the city implies a minimum number of men to defend the city rather than the number of non-fighting personnel. The plight of the city is magnified by the fact that a great king surrounded it with his soldiers. In addition, he built large seigeworks against it. One need not search for such an actual event in history as the emphasis here is to demonstrate that wisdom can deliver from insurmountable odds.
The siegeworks are also called palisades (Septuagint), embarkments or mounds. Sometimes wooden towers were used whereby the enemy could catapult heavy rocks against the wall or into the city. From such strongholds towering over the city, the enemy could spy out the weak areas of the beleagured city so as to assail it. (Cf. Deu 20:20; 2Sa 20:15; 2Ki 19:32; Jer 3:4; Mic 4:6-13)
The comparison is reminiscent of the powers of darkness which are set against the church. However, just as wisdom had the capabilities of delivering the city, even against such overpowering odds, so Christ has given the victory to the church. (Cf. 1Co 15:55-57; 1Jn 5:4)
Ecc 9:15-16 Wisdom is better. Wisdom is better than strength (Ecc 9:16). Wisdom is better than weapons of war (Ecc 9:18).
On the one hand wisdom stands in bold relief against the great king and military might of the enemy. Within the city it emerges as the hero against the fact that it was insignificantly contained in a small city and a poor man. Wisdom had everything going against it and nothing in its favor. Wisdom was sufficient to deliver the city, however, when everything was going against it. The tragedy came after the victory. The one who through his wisdom delivered the city was forgotten. It is sometimes argued that since the verb is pluperfect it should be rendered no man had remembered that poor man and thus would change the emphasis of the text. The meaning then would be that none remembered him until the need for deliverance was keenly felt and then they turned to him. This interpretation would clarify the verse but would complicate the meaning of verse sixteen where the Preacher declares, But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.
The Anchor Bible takes an altogether different approach: Now there was in it a man who was poor but wise, and he might have saved the city by his wisdom. But no man thought of that poor man. So I said, Wisdom is better than might!, yet the wisdom of the poor man was despised, and his words went unheeded. On the idea of might have saved, the editors comment: Literally he saved. The former sense is implied by the comment in verse sixteen. The point is that no one remembered the wise man because he was little regarded, rather than that men Were not grateful for his advice which saved the city.
Still a different view is explained by Hitzig: In this particular case they had, it is true, not despised his wisdom, and they had listened to his words. But it was an exceptional case, necessity drove them thereto, and afterwards they forgot him.
The latter view most clearly states the intent of the passage. The rulers of the small city were forced to listen to the wisdom of the poor man and they heeded it. Because he was poor and the crises facing their city was over, they soon forgot the poor man. In a similar way, Joseph was treated by the Chief Butler (Gen 40:23); and Jesus was temporarily forgotten after His death upon the cross where the wisdom of God was revealed (1Co 1:24).
The lesson is obvious. Solomon observed the incident-whether real or imaginary-and then reflected on the observation with the statement that wisdom is better than strength. If the man had not actually delivered the city, Solomon would not have been impressed with the parable.
Ecc 9:17 The contrast between wisdom and strength continues. Jesus demonstrates perfectly the principle set forth in this verse. It was said of Him that He did not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street (Isa 42:2). On the other hand, the pompously dressed Herod assumed the role of the shouting ruler among fools at Caesarea when Luke wrote of him: And on an appointed day Herod, having put on the royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering the address to them. And the people kept crying out, The voice of a god and not of a man! And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten with worms and died (Act 12:21-23).
The quiet tranquility could belong to the wise man himself. If so, such an attitude toward life would be an indication of his wisdom. Or it could refer to those who are so disposed as to quietly listen as they recognize the strength and power of his words.
Ecc 9:18 The first half of this verse has been sufficiently explained. The above example has shown that wisdom accomplishes more than weapons of war (Ecc 7:19). The new thought introduced here is in antithesis to the former truth. Just as wisdom is better than weapons of war so one foolish act can undo the fruit of wisdom. The much good could refer to the present or potential good a nation accomplishes. The fact remains that it may all be lost if the ruler is a fool and engages in foolish or evil deeds. The good would not refer specifically to moral good but possessions, properties, prosperity, etc. This theme is taken up more fully in Ecc 10:1.
As an aside, it is interesting to observe how the preceding story has a counterpart in the Christian age. It is to be noted, however, that such a comparison is not to be interpreted as the original meaning of the author of Ecclesiastes. It does demonstrate, however, both the universal and spiritual application of the principles involved. The analogies are: (1) Wisdom would be the New Testament entrusted today to the church; (2) the small city would be the church (Luk 12:32; Heb 12:22-23); (3) the great king refers to Satan who sets himself against the chosen of God (Joh 12:31); (4) the poor wise man would represent Jesus Christ whose wisdom was, by some, forgotten (Isa 53:2-3; Mar 6:3; 2Co 8:9; Eph 1:7-8; Col 2:3).
A Common Destiny for All – Ecc 9:1-12
Open It
1. What is something that makes life worth living to you?
2. Why would you or wouldnt you want to know the day you are going to die?
3. What do you like doing with your spouse?
Explore It
4. What did Solomon conclude about the righteous and the wise and all that they do? (Ecc 9:1)
5. Who shares a common destiny? (Ecc 9:2)
6. What is the evil in everything that takes place? (Ecc 9:3)
7. How did Solomon describe human nature? (Ecc 9:3)
8. Who has hope? (Ecc 9:4)
9. Why do the living have hope? (Ecc 9:5-6)
10. What did Solomon tell his readers to do? (Ecc 9:7-8)
11. What did Solomon say about marriage? (Ecc 9:9)
12. What is our lot in life? (Ecc 9:9)
13. How should we work? (Ecc 9:10)
14. Why should we do all we do with all our might? (Ecc 9:10)
15. What did Solomon observe about people? (Ecc 9:11)
16. Why should we use our time well? (Ecc 9:12)
Get It
17. In what way do all people share a common destiny?
18. What sort of hope do we have concerning life after death?
19. How should we enjoy our life in light of the seeming meaninglessness of life?
20. To what extent does chance affect what happens in life?
21. What impact should the fact that we do not know when we will die have on the way we live our life?
22. In enjoying life as a gift from God, why should we place a priority on our families?
Apply It
23. What is something you can do this week to enjoy life?
24. When can you take time this week to plan a special activity, event, or treat with your spouse?
25. What is something you can change about your job or the way you approach it to make it more enjoyable?
Wisdom Better than Folly – Ecc 9:13 to Ecc 10:20
Open It
1. Where have you seen incompetent people end up in positions of responsibility?
2. When have you wished for more money?
3. In what ways has someone elses laziness affected you?
4. In what way has the advice of an obscure but wise person ever helped you?
Explore It
5. What did Solomon see that impressed him? (Ecc 9:13-16)
6. What was ironic about the man who saved the city? (Ecc 9:13-18)
7. What was ironic about the way the city was saved? (Ecc 9:13-18)
8. What themes are explored in these verses? (Ecc 9:13 to Ecc 10:20)
9. To what did Solomon compare the quiet words of the wise? (Ecc 9:17)
10. What is the value of wisdom? (Ecc 9:18)
11. What does a little folly outweigh? (Ecc 10:1)
12. What evil arising from the error of a ruler did Solomon see? (Ecc 10:5-7)
13. Against what sort of injuries did Solomon warn? (Ecc 10:8-9)
14. How did Solomon compare and contrast the words of the wise with the words of the fool? (Ecc 10:12-14)
15. What consequences of laziness did Solomon describe? (Ecc 10:18)
16. What did Solomon say about a feast, wine, and money? (Ecc 10:19)
17. Why did Solomon counsel against reviling the king and cursing the rich, even in private? (Ecc 10:20)
Get It
18. How is wisdom better than folly?
19. In what way is wisdom more powerful than strength?
20. How can just a little folly be so dangerous?
21. How do incompetent people end up in important positions?
22. In what self-destructive behaviors do people in our society engage?
23. What are the negative consequences of laziness?
24. In what way is money the answer for everything?
25. What are some problems or situations for which money is not the answer?
26. Why is it important to guard our tongue even when it doesnt appear to be necessary?
Apply It
27. What is one step you can take this week to cultivate wisdom over brute strength in your life?
28. Concerning what self-destructive or foolish behavior will you seek someones advice?
2. Praise of Wisdom and Philosophy, theFinal Word and the Great Conclusion
CHAPTER 9:13-18
Before he had declared that wisdom is strength. He comes back to this statement and gives an illustration of it. He is in a calmer mood, but what does his meditation amount to? Only to show that this also is vanity.
Ecc 9:11, Ecc 6:1, Ecc 7:15, Ecc 8:16
Reciprocal: Pro 21:22 – General Ecc 1:3 – under Ecc 2:19 – wise under Dan 2:14 – with
Some commentators make a new division here, and while others do not agree, yet there is that which suggests it, surely. The preacher here seems to have returned to the placid, philosophic mood again, in the cautious praise of wisdom (Ecc 9:13-18). This praise is followed by a number of proverbs of natural wisdom and prudence (see chap. 10, especially Ecc 10:16-20).
In chapters 11 and 12 we have the final sum and forecast, which is, that however pleasant at times life under the sun may be, everything that is to come, like everything that has been, will contain times of darkness. The whole period of life from childhood to old age is vanity (Ecc 11:7-8).
Therefore special exhortations to childhood and youth follow (Ecc 11:9-10). Rejoice if you will, but judgment follows.
These exhortations are accompanied by warnings against the evils and miseries of old age the old age of a vainly spent life (Ecc 12:1-8). And these lead to the epilogue of the book the mournful repetition of the monotonous refrain, vanity of vanities, all is vanity (Ecc 12:8), and the great conclusion of man under the sun, Fear God and keep His commandments (Ecc 12:13-14). And why? Because judgment is coming, and yet no salvation is seen!
SUMMARY
Thus in abrupt endings and sudden returns to the one great question of the book, the preacher keeps showing man to himself. Debating between the vanities of life and the gloom of the grave; the contentment of ignorance and the worth of wisdom; the vexations of riches and the miseries of poverty; the orderly times of man and the eternity of God; the wrongs which are not righted and the dead that can no longer be oppressed; a distant God and a becoming worship; the wonder that women worth the
name are so scarce, and the reason that things are as they are; the pride and fragrant joys of family life and the event of death that comes to all; the lifelong possession of all manner of earthly good and the final lack of imposing obsequies and an honorable grave; the problem of the proper conduct of life and the mystery of the divine purpose and plan; between such, and manifold more earthly things like these, and others too high for mortal men, the preacher keeps moving on to the discouraging conclusion. – W. 5. Erdman, Ecclesiastes
That conclusion is the truth underlying all natural religions, the utterance of the universal conscience, namely, Fear God; do right; thy judgment day is coming. It is some relief, amidst the wrongs and perplexities of the world, to look for a day of judgment to righten and clear up all, but, as has been said, there is no personal salvation in it.
Where man ends, however, God begins. The book of the natural man closes that the gospel of the Son of God may open.
AN ALTERNATIVE OUTLINE
As some may find the preceding outline difficult to grasp, the following is added as suggested in part by the headings of the chapters in the Scofield Reference Bible:
1. The Theme (Ecc 1:1-3) 2. The Theme Proved (Ecc 1:4 to Ecc 3:22) a. The transitoriness of all things (Ecc 1:4-11) b. The fruitlessness of power, wisdom or knowledge, to counteract evil (Ecc 1:12-18) c. The emptiness of pleasure (Ecc 2:1-3) d. The emptiness of wealth and great works (Ecc 2:4-11) e. The limitations of wisdom (Ecc 2:12-26) f. The weariness of life (Ecc 3:1-22) 3. The Theme Developed (Ecc 4:1 to Ecc 10:20).
a. In the light of the oppressions and iniquities of life (Ecc 4:1-16) b. In the light of riches and poverty (Ecc 5:1-20) c. In the light of mans inevitable end (Ecc 6:1-12) d. In the light of incurable evil (Ecc 7:1-29) e. In the light of the mysteries of providence (Ecc 8:1-17) f. In the light of the worlds wrong standards of values (Ecc 9:1-18) g. In the light of the anarchy of the world (Ecc 10:1-20) 4. The Best Thing Possible to Man Apart from God (Ecc 11:1 to Ecc 12:12) 5. The Best Thing Possible to Man under the Law (Ecc 12:13-14)
Ecc 9:13-16. This wisdom have I seen I have observed this among many other instances and effects of wisdom. Which he adds for the commendation of wisdom, notwithstanding its insufficiency for mans safety and happiness without Gods blessing. And it seemed great unto me I judged it very praiseworthy, though others despised it, as it follows. There was a little city, &c. It is doubtful whether Solomon be here relating a certain fact which had occurred in some neighbouring country, or delivering a parable to represent the value of wisdom, and the ingratitude and neglect with which those who have greatly benefited others by it, are often treated by them. St. Jerome, as appears by the following paraphrase, considers him as alluding to several facts of the same or a similar kind, It hath often been seen that a small city and few inhabitants, being beset by an army of innumerable enemies, and besieged so straitly that they were in danger, if not other ways, of perishing by famine; were, on a sudden, contrary to all mens expectation, delivered by a mean person, who, having more wisdom than all the great and powerful citizens, thought of a way to save them, when they gave themselves up for lost, and effected that of which they utterly despaired. And yet, O the ungratefulness of mankind! after the siege was raised, no one thought of this poor man; namely, to give him thanks, much less to reward him for their safety. It sets forth, says Lord Bacon, the depraved and malignant nature of mankind; who, in extremities and straits commonly flee to men of wisdom and courage, whom before they despised; but, so soon as the storm is over, they become unthankful wretches to their preservers.
Clearly, in this illustration, wisdom is better than strength, but even so it does not guarantee a reward. People generally do not value wisdom as highly as wealth, even though wisdom is really worth more.
Nor in Devotion to Affairs and its Rewards.
Ecc 9:13-18; Ecc 10:1-20
So far, then, Coheleth has been occupied in retracing the argument of the first Section of the Book. Now he returns upon the second and third Sections: he deals with the man who plunges into public affairs, who turns his wisdom to practical account and seeks to attain a competence, if not a fortune. He lingers over this stage of his argument, probably because the Jews, then as always, even in exile and under the most cruel oppression, were a remarkably energetic, practical, money-getting race, with a singular faculty of dealing with political issues or handling the market; and, as he slowly pursues it, he drops many hints of the social and political conditions of the time. Two features of it he takes much to heart: first, that wisdom, even of the most practical and sagacious sort, did not win its fair recognition and reward-a very natural complaint in so wise a man; and, secondly, that his people were under tyrants so gross, self-indulgent, indolent, and unstatesman-like as the Persians of his day-also a natural complaint in a man of so wise and patriotic spirit.
He opens with an anecdote in proof of the slight regard in which the most valuable and remunerative sagacity was held. He tells us of a poor man-and I have sometimes thought that this poor man may have been the author himself; for the military leaders of the Jews, though among the most expert strategists of that era, were often very learned and studious men-who lived in a little city, with only a few inhabitants. A great king came up against the city, besieged it, threw up the lofty military causeway, as high as the walls, from which it was the fashion of the time to deliver the assault. By his Archimedian wit the poor man hit on a stratagem which saved the city; but though his service was so signal, and the city so little that the “few men in it” must have seen him every day, “yet no one remembered that same poor man,” or lent a hand to lift him from his poverty. Wise as he was, his wisdom did not bring him bread, nor riches, nor favour (Ecc 9:13-15). Therefore, concludes the Preacher, wisdom, great gift though it is, and better, as in this instance, than “an army to a beleaguered city,” {Ecc 7:19} is not of itself sufficient to secure success. A poor mans wisdom-as many an inventor has found-is despised even by those who profit by it. Although his counsel, in the day of extremity, is infinitely more valuable than the loud bluster of fools, or of a ruler among fools, nevertheless the ruler, because he is foolish, may be affronted to find one of the poorest men in the place wiser than himself; he may easily cast his “merit in the eye of scorn,” and so rob him both of the honour and the reward of his achievement (Ecc 9:16-17)-an ancient saw not without modern instances. For the fool is a great power in the world, especially the fool who is wise in his own conceit. Insignificant in himself, he may nevertheless do great harm and “destroy much good.” Just as a tiny fly, when it is dead, may make the sweetest ointment offensive by infusing its own evil savour, so a man, when his wit is gone, may with his little folly cause many sensible men to distrust the wisdom they should honour: {Ecc 10:1}-who has not met such a hot-headed want-wit in, for example, the lobbies of the House of Commons? To a wise man, such as Coheleth, the fool, the presumptuous conceited fool, is “rank and smells to heaven,” infecting sweeter natures than his own with a most pestilent corruption. He paints us a picture of him-paints it with a keen graphic scorn which, if the eyes of the fool were in his head, {Ecc 2:14} and “what he is pleased to call his mind” could for a moment shift from his left hand to his right (Ecc 10:2), might make him nearly as contemptible to himself as he is to others. As we read Ecc 10:3, the unhappy wretch stands before us. We see him coming out of his house; he goes dawdling down the street, forever wandering from the path, attracted by the merest trifle, staring at familiar objects with eyes that have no recognition in them. knowing neither himself nor others; and, with pointed finger, chuckles after every sober citizen he meets, “There goes a fool!”
Yet a fool quite as foolish and malignant as this, quite as indecent even in outward behaviour, may be lifted to high place, and has ere now sat on an imperial throne. The Preacher had seen many of them suddenly raised to power, while nobles were degraded, and high functionaries of State reduced to an abject servitude. Now if the poor wise man have to attend the durbar, or sit in the divan, of a foolish capricious despot, how should he bear himself? The Preacher counsels meekness and submission. He is to sit unruffled even though the ruler should rate him, lest by resentment he should provoke some graver outrage (Ecc 10:4-7 : compare Ecc 8:3). To strengthen him in his submission, the Preacher hints at cautions and consolations which, because free and open speech was very dangerous under the Persian despotism, he wraps up in obscure maxims capable of a double sense-nay, as the commentators have shown, capable of a good many more senses than two-to the true sense of which “a foolish ruler” was by no means likely to penetrate, even if they fell into his hands.
The first of these maxims is, “He who diggeth a pit shall fall into it” (Ecc 10:8). And the allusion is, of course, to an Eastern mode of trapping wild beasts and game. The huntsman dug a pit, covered it with twigs and sods, and strewed the surface with bait; but as he dug many such pits, and some of them were long without a tenant, he might at any inadvertent moment fall into one of them himself. The proverb is capable of at least two interpretations. It may mean that the foolish despot, plotting the ruin of his wise servant, might in his anger go too far; and, betraying his intention, provoke a retaliative anger before which he himself would fall. Or it may mean that, should the wise servant seek to undermine the throne of the despot, he might be taken in his treachery and bring on himself the whole weight of the tyrants wrath.
The second maxim is “Whoso breaketh down a wall, a serpent shall bite him” (Ecc 10:8); and here, of course, the allusion is to the fact that snakes infect the crannies of old walls. {compare Amo 5:19} To set about dethroning a tyrant was like pulling down such a wall; you would break up the nest of many a reptile, many a venomous hanger-on, and might only get bit or stung for your pains. Or, again, in pulling out the stones of an old wall, you might let one of them fall on your foot; and in hacking out its timbers, you might cut yourself: that is to say, even if your conspiracy did not involve you in absolute ruin, it would be only too likely to do you serious and lasting injury (Ecc 10:9).
The next adage runs (Ecc 10:10), “if the axe be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, he must put on more strength, but wisdom should teach him to sharpen it,” and is, perhaps, the most difficult passage in the book. The Hebrew is read in a different way by almost every translator. As I read it, it means, in general, that it is not well to work with blunt tools when by a little labour and delay you may whet them to a keener edge. Read thus, the political rule implied in it is, “Do not attempt any great enterprise, any revolution or reform, till you have a well-considered scheme to go upon, and suitable instruments to carry it out with.” But the special political import of it may be, “Your strength is nothing to that of the tyrant; do not therefore lift a blunt axe against the trunk of despotism: wait till you have put a sharp edge upon it.” Or, the tyrant himself may be the blunt axe, and then the warning is, “Sharpen him up, repair him, use him and his caprices to serve your end; get your way by giving way to him, and by skilfully availing yourself of his varying moods.” Which of these may be the true meaning of this obscure disputed passage, I do not undertake to say; but the latter of the two seems to be sustained by the adage which follows: “If the serpent bite because it is not charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer.” For here, I think, there can be little doubt that the foolish angry ruler is the serpent, and the wise functionary the charmer who is to extract the venom of his anger. Let the foolish ruler be never so furious, the poor wise man. who is able “to cull the plots of best advantages,” and to save a city, can surely devise a charm of soft submissive words which will turn away his wrath; just as the serpent charmer of the East, by song and incantation, is at least reputed to draw serpents from their lurk, that he may pluck the venom from their teeth (Ecc 10:11). For, as we are told in the very next verse, “the words of the wise mans mouth win him grace, while the lips of the fool destroy him.”
And on this hint, on this casual mention of his name, the Preacher-who all this while, remember, is personating the sagacious man of the world, bent on rising to wealth, power, distinction-once more “comes down” on the fool. He speaks of him with a burning heat and contempt, as men versed in public affairs are wont to do, since they best know how much harm a voluble, impudent, self-conceited fool may do, how much good he may prevent. Here, then, is the fool of public life. He is a man always prating and predicting, although his words, only foolish at the first, swell and fret into a malignant madness before he has done, and although he of all men is least able to give good counsel, to seize occasions as they rise, or to foresee what is about to come to pass. Puffed up by the conceit of wisdom or of his own importance, he is forever intermeddling with great affairs, though he has no notion how to handle them, and is incapable of even finding his way along the beaten road which leads to the capital city, of taking and keeping the plain and obvious path which the exigencies of the time require; while (Ecc 10:3) he is forward to cry, “There goes a fool,” of every man who is wiser than himself (Ecc 10:12-15). If he would only hold his tongue, he might pass muster; beguiled by his gravity and silence, men might give him credit for sagacity, and fit his foolish deeds with profound motives; but he will speak, and his words betray and “swallow him up.” Of course we have no such fools, “full of words,” to rise in their high place and wag their tongues to their own hurt-they are peculiar to antiquity or to the East.
But then there were so many of them, and their influence in the state was so disastrous that, as the Preacher thinks of them, he breaks into an almost dithyrambic fervour, and cries, “Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes feast in the morning! Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is noble, and thy princes eat at due hours, for strength and not for revelry!” Through the sloth and riot of these foolish rulers, the whole fabric of the state was fast fading into decay-the roof rotting and the rain leaking in. To support their inopportune and profligate revelry, they imposed crushing taxes on the people, which inspired in some a revolutionary discontent, and in some the apathy of despair. The wise exile foresaw that the end of a despotism so unjust and luxurious could not be far off; that when the storm rose and the wind blew, the ancient house, unrepaired in its decay, would topple on the heads of those who sat in its halls, revelling in a wicked mirth (Ecc 10:16-19). Meantime, the sagacious servant of the state, perchance too of foreign extraction, unable to arrest the progress of decay, or not caring how soon it was consummated, would make his “market of the time”; he would carry himself warily: and, because the whole land was infested with the spies bred by despotism, he would give them no hold on him, nor so much as speak the simple truth of his foolish debauched rulers in the privacy of his own bed chamber, or mutter his thoughts on the roof, lest some “bird of the air should carry the report” (Ecc 10:20).
But if this were the condition of the time, if to rise in public life involved so many mean crafts and submissions, so many deadly imminent risks from spies and from fools clad in a little brief authority, how could any man hope to find the Chief Good in it? Wisdom did not always win promotion; virtue was inimical to success. The anger of an incapable idiot, or the whisper of an envious rival, or the caprice of a merciless despot, might at any moment undo the work of years, and expose the most upright and sagacious of men to the worst extremities of misfortune. There was no tranquillity, no freedom, no security, no dignity in such a life as this. Till this were resigned and some nobler, loftier aim found, there was no chance of reaching that great satisfying Good which lifts man above all accidents, and fixes him in a happy security from which no blow of circumstance can dislodge him.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: James Gray’s Concise Bible Commentary
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary