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Christian Standard Bible ®

Ecclesiastes 7:19

Wisdom makes the wise person strongerthan ten rulers of a city.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Wisdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Wisdom-Folly;   The Topic Concordance - Strength;   Wisdom;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Captain;   Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dimi;   Ecclesiastes, Book of;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 31;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
King James Version
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
English Standard Version
Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
New American Standard Bible
Wisdom strengthens a wise person more than ten rulers who are in a city.
New Century Version
Wisdom makes a person stronger than ten leaders in a city.
Amplified Bible
Wisdom strengthens the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
World English Bible
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.
Legacy Standard Bible
Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten men with power who are in a city.
Berean Standard Bible
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
Contemporary English Version
Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
Complete Jewish Bible
To a wise man wisdom is better protection than ten rulers in a city.
Darby Translation
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
Easy-to-Read Version
Surely there is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. But wisdom can make one person stronger than ten leaders in a city.
George Lamsa Translation
Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten princes that are in the city.
Good News Translation
Wisdom does more for a person than ten rulers can do for a city.
Lexham English Bible
Wisdom gives more strength to the wise than ten rulers who are in the city.
Literal Translation
Wisdom makes the wise stronger than ten rulers who are in the city.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wy?dome geueth more corage vnto the wyse, then ten mightie men of the citie:
American Standard Version
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
Bible in Basic English
Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Wisdom is a stronghold to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
King James Version (1611)
Wisedome strengtheneth the wise, more then ten mightie men which are in the citie.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wysdome geueth more courage vnto the wyse, then ten mightie men of the citie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
It is well for thee to hold fast by this; also by this defile not thine hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth well.
English Revised Version
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers which are in a city.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
Update Bible Version
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
Webster's Bible Translation
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] who are in the city.
New English Translation
Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than ten rulers in a city.
New King James Version
Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city.
New Living Translation
One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!
New Life Bible
Wisdom gives more strength to a wise man than ten rulers have in a city.
New Revised Standard
Wisdom gives strength to the wise more than ten rulers that are in a city.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-20) Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.
Revised Standard Version
Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
Young's Literal Translation
The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
THE MESSAGE
Wisdom puts more strength in one wise person Than ten strong men give to a city.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

Contextual Overview

11Wisdom is as good as an inheritanceand an advantage to those who see the sun, 12because wisdom is protection as silver is protection;but the advantage of knowledgeis that wisdom preserves the life of its owner. 13Consider the work of God,for who can straighten outwhat he has made crooked? 14In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that no one can discover anything that will come after him. 15In my futile life I have seen everything: someone righteous perishes in spite of his righteousness, and someone wicked lives long in spite of his evil. 16Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time? 18It is good that you grasp the one and do not let the other slip from your hand. For the one who fears God will end up with both of them. 19Wisdom makes the wise person strongerthan ten rulers of a city.20There is certainly no one righteous on the earthwho does good and never sins.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 9:15-18, 2 Samuel 20:16-22, Proverbs 21:22, Proverbs 24:5, Colossians 1:9-11

Reciprocal: Joshua 8:4 - go not 2 Samuel 20:22 - in her wisdom 1 Kings 3:9 - to judge 1 Kings 3:28 - the wisdom 2 Kings 2:12 - My father 1 Chronicles 12:32 - all their Proverbs 8:14 - I have Ecclesiastes 9:16 - Wisdom Isaiah 33:6 - wisdom Daniel 1:4 - and skillful Daniel 2:23 - who hast

Cross-References

Genesis 7:2
You are to take with you seven pairs, a male and its female, of all the clean animals, and two of the animals that are not clean, a male and its female,
Genesis 7:3
and seven pairs, male and female, of the birds of the sky—in order to keep offspring alive throughout the earth.
Genesis 7:6
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came and water covered the earth.
Genesis 7:9
two of each, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, just as God had commanded him.
Job 12:15
When he withholds water, everything dries up,and when he releases it, it destroys the land.
Jeremiah 3:23
Surely, falsehood comes from the hills,commotion from the mountains,but the salvation of Israelis only in the Lord our God.
2 Peter 3:6
Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wisdom strengtheneth the wise,.... Against such extremes as before mentioned; it is a guard about him, as well as a guide unto him; it is a defence unto him, as before observed, Ecclesiastes 7:12; and is better than strength of body, or weapons of war, Ecclesiastes 9:16; and a wise man does greater things by it than a strong man with them, and is safer with it than he can be by them. Some understand this of Christ, the Wisdom of God, without whom a good man can do nothing, but all things through him strengthening him; and who being a strong tower and place of refuge to him, he is safer in him than if he was in the strongest garrison, and under the protection of ever so large a number of valiant men: Christ, and grace from him, strengthen

more than ten mighty [men] which are in the city; that is, than many mighty men, or men of war, which guard a city; the city of Jerusalem, or any other. The Targum applies this to Joseph, and paraphrases it,

"the wisdom of Joseph the son of Jacob helped him to make him wiser than all his ten righteous brethren.''

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. Wisdom strengtheneth the wise — One wise, thoroughly learned, and scientific man, may be of more use in fortifying and defending a city, than ten princes. Witness the case of Syracuse, when attacked by the Romans both by sea and land. Archimedes, by his engines, burnt and dashed their fleet to pieces, and destroyed all that came near the walls. And had not the city been betrayed, and he killed, all their force and skill could not have taken it.


 
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