the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Ecclesiastes 9:16
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And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are ignored.
I still think wisdom is better than strength. But those people forgot about the poor man's wisdom and stopped listening to what he said.
But I say that wisdom is better than strength, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Then said I, Better is wisdome then stregth: yet the wisedome of the poore is despised, and his wordes are not heard.
So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heard.
And I said, "Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded."
So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter how smart you are.
So, although I say that wisdom is better than strength, nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised; nobody pays attention to what he says.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
But I still say that wisdom is better than strength. They forgot about the poor man's wisdom, and the people stopped listening to what he said. But I still believe that wisdom is better.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than might; nevertheless the poor mans wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded.
I have always said that wisdom is better than strength, but no one thinks of the poor as wise or pays any attention to what they say.
So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, yet the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.
And I said, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Then sayde I: wy?dome is better then strength. Neuertheles, a symple mans wy?dome is despysed, & his wordes are not herde.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Then said I: 'Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.'
Then said I, Wisedome is better then strength: neuerthelesse, the poore mans wisedome is despised, and his words are not heard.
Then sayd I, wysdome is better then strength: Neuerthelesse, a simple mans wysdome is despised, and his wordes are not hearde.
And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nought, and his words not listened to.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
And Y seide, that wisdom is betere than strengthe; hou therfor is the wisdom of a pore man dispisid, and hise wordis ben not herd?
Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Then said I, wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard.
So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man's wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.
Then I said: "Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard.
So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.
So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is hated and his words are not carried out.
So I said, "Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded."
Then said, I, Better is wisdom than strength, - although, the wisdom of the poor man, be despised, and, his words, not heard.
And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?
But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.
And I said, `Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' --
All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten.
So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Wisdom: Ecclesiastes 9:18, Ecclesiastes 7:19, Proverbs 21:22, Proverbs 24:5
the poor: Proverbs 10:15, Mark 6:2, Mark 6:3, John 7:47-49, John 9:24-34, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, James 2:2-6
Reciprocal: Genesis 40:23 - but forgat him Joshua 8:4 - go not 1 Samuel 18:23 - a poor man 2 Kings 2:12 - My father Proverbs 4:7 - Wisdom is Proverbs 8:14 - I have Proverbs 19:7 - the brethren Ecclesiastes 2:13 - I saw Ecclesiastes 2:14 - one Ecclesiastes 4:13 - is a poor Jeremiah 43:4 - obeyed Daniel 2:23 - who hast Galatians 4:14 - ye James 2:6 - ye
Cross-References
Every living and moving thing will be food for you; I give them all to you as before I gave you all green things.
But flesh with the life-blood in it you may not take for food.
And God said to Noah and to his sons,
Truly, I will make my agreement with you and with your seed after you,
And with every living thing with you, all birds and cattle and every beast of the earth which comes out of the ark with you.
And I will make my agreement with you; never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters; never again will the waters come over all the earth for its destruction.
And he took of the wine of it and was overcome by drink; and he was uncovered in his tent.
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father unclothed, and gave news of it to his two brothers outside.
And I will make between me and you and your seed after you through all generations, an eternal agreement to be a God to you and to your seed after you.
He who comes to birth in your house and he who is made yours for a price, all are to undergo circumcision; so that my agreement may be marked in your flesh, an agreement for all time.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Then said I, wisdom [is] better than strength,.... Wisdom of mind, even in a poor man, is better than strength of body, even of the, most potent prince and powerful army, as may be concluded from the above instance; since the poor wise man could do more by his wisdom than the great king with his mighty army; who was obliged to break up the siege, in consequence of the counsel given, or the methods directed to, or taken, by the poor man;
nevertheless, the poor man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard; notwithstanding such a flagrant instance and example as this just mentioned; yet men still retain their prejudices against a poor man, and despise his wise counsels and advice, for no other reason but because he is poor, and will not attend to what he says: or, "though the poor man's wisdom", c. k, as Aben Ezra Solomon drew the above conclusion from that instance; though this is usually the case, that men despise the wisdom of a poor man, and will not listen to his advice, this did not lessen the wise man's opinion of it. The words may be rendered, "even the poor man's wisdom despised, and his words not heard" l; these are better than outward force and strength, and more serviceable and useful; which the Septuagint version favours: the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "how is the poor man's wisdom despised!" c. as wondering at it that so it should be, when so much profit and advantage arose to the city from it.
k וחכמת "quamvis sapientia", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Gejerus, Amama "etsi", Drusius. l "Et pauperis sapientiam contemptam", &c. Tigurine version.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. The 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!
