Prediger 9:18

Schlachter Bibel

Weisheit ist besser als Kriegsgerät; aber ein einziger Sünder verdirbt viel Gutes.

Parallel Translations

Lutherbible (1912)
Weisheit ist besser denn Harnisch; aber eine einziger Bube verderbt viel Gutes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

better: Ecclesiastes 9:16

sinner: Joshua 7:1, Joshua 7:5, Joshua 7:11, Joshua 7:12, Joshua 22:20, 1 Samuel 14:28, 1 Samuel 14:29, 1 Samuel 14:36-46, 2 Samuel 20:1, 2 Samuel 20:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, 2 Timothy 2:16-18, 2 Timothy 3:8, 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 Timothy 4:4, Titus 1:10, Titus 1:11, Hebrews 12:15, Hebrews 12:16

Reciprocal: Joshua 6:18 - make the camp 1 Samuel 14:30 - had there 1 Chronicles 12:32 - all their 2 Chronicles 33:3 - he built again Job 34:30 - General Job 35:8 - may hurt Ecclesiastes 2:21 - whose Jeremiah 41:3 - General Daniel 2:23 - who hast Jonah 1:12 - for 1 Corinthians 5:13 - Therefore

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war,.... And does what they cannot do; of which the wisdom of the poor wise man is a full proof, which delivered the city from a potent prince, when weapons of war could not: see Ecclesiastes 7:10;

but one sinner destroyeth much good: his own soul by his sins, and the souls of others by his counsels, example, and conversation, which corrupt good manners; so does one sinner in a family, neighbourhood, and town; as one poor wise man does much good, one sinner mars much; one Achan in a camp or army, one bad counsel for in a cabinet, one false teacher in the church, will do a great deal of mischief, as well as one debauchee in a town or city. The Vulgate Latin version is, "who sins in one"; offends or sins in one, as in James 2:10; so the Syriac version, "one sin destroys much good", or many good things; and to the same purpose the Arabic version, "he that committeth one sin".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sinner - The word in the original indicates intellectual as well as moral error.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. Wisdom is better than weapons of war — So proved in the case of Archimedes.

But one sinner — Such as the Roman butcher above mentioned.

Destroyeth much good — Such as were the life and skill of the Syracusan mathematician. One sinner has often injured the work of God; one stumbling-block has sometimes destroyed a revival of religion. Sin acts like a ferment; whatever comes in contact with it, it assimilates to itself.