Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:13–18

13I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me: 14There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.

15Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

17The calm words of the wise are heeded

over the shouts of a ruler among fools.

18Wisdom is better than weapons of war,

but one sinner destroys much good.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 9

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Ecclesiastes 9:13

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
I have also seenרָאִ֥יתִיrā·’î·ṯîVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularH7200 see
thisזֹ֛הzōhPronoun - feminine singularH2090 this, that
wisdomחָכְמָ֖הḥāḵ·māhNoun - feminine singularH2451 wisdom
underתַּ֣חַתta·ḥaṯPrepositionH8478 the under part
the sunהַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁhaš·šā·mešArticle; Noun - common singularH8121 sun
and itהִ֖יאhîPronoun - third person feminine singularH1931 he, she
greatוּגְדוֹלָ֥הū·ḡə·ḏō·w·lāhConjunctive waw; Adjective - feminine singularH1419 great
to meאֵלָֽי׃’ê·lāyPreposition; first person common singularH413 motion to

Ecclesiastes 9:14

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
There was a smallקְטַנָּ֔הqə·ṭan·nāhAdjective - feminine singularH6996 small, young, unimportant
cityעִ֣יר‘îrNoun - feminine singularH5892 excitement
with fewמְעָ֑טmə·‘āṭAdjective - masculine singularH4592 a little, fewness, a few
menוַאֲנָשִׁ֥יםwa·’ă·nā·šîmConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine pluralH582 man, mankind
A mightyגָּדוֹל֙gā·ḏō·wlAdjective - masculine singularH1419 great
kingמֶ֤לֶךְme·leḵNoun - masculine singularH4428 king
cameוּבָֽא־ū·ḇā-Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
against itאֵלֶ֜יהָ’ê·le·hāPreposition; third person feminine singularH413 motion to
surrounded itוְסָבַ֣בwə·sā·ḇaḇConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH5437 turn about, go around, surround
and builtוּבָנָ֥הū·ḇā·nāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH1129 build
largeגְּדֹלִֽים׃gə·ḏō·lîmAdjective - masculine pluralH1419 great
siege rampsמְצוֹדִ֥יםmə·ṣō·w·ḏîmNoun - masculine pluralH4685 siege-works
against itעָלֶ֖יהָ‘ā·le·hāPreposition; third person feminine singularH5921 height

Ecclesiastes 9:15

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Now a poorמִסְכֵּן֙mis·kênAdjective - masculine singularH4542 poor
wiseחָכָ֔םḥā·ḵāmAdjective - masculine singularH2450 wise
manאִ֤ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
was foundוּמָ֣צָאū·mā·ṣāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH4672 attain to, find
inבָ֗הּḇāhPreposition; third person feminine singular
and heה֥וּאhūPronoun - third person masculine singularH1931 he, she
savedוּמִלַּט־ū·mil·laṭ-Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH4422 slip away
the cityהָעִ֖ירhā·‘îrArticle; Noun - feminine singularH5892 excitement
by his wisdomבְּחָכְמָת֑וֹbə·ḥā·ḵə·mā·ṯōwPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH2451 wisdom
Yet noלֹ֣אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
oneוְאָדָם֙wə·’ā·ḏāmConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH120 man, mankind
rememberedזָכַ֔רzā·ḵarVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH2142 remember
thatהַהּֽוּא׃ha·hūArticle; Pronoun - third person masculine singularH1931 he, she
poorהַמִּסְכֵּ֖ןham·mis·kênArticle; Adjective - masculine singularH4542 poor
manהָאִ֥ישׁhā·’îšArticle; Noun - masculine singularH376 man

Ecclesiastes 9:16

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
And Iאָ֔נִי’ā·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I
saidוְאָמַ֣רְתִּיwə·’ā·mar·tîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH559 utter, say
Wisdomחָכְמָ֖הḥāḵ·māhNoun - feminine singularH2451 wisdom
is betterטוֹבָ֥הṭō·w·ḇāhAdjective - feminine singularH2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
than strengthמִגְּבוּרָ֑הmig·gə·ḇū·rāhPreposition-m; Noun - feminine singularH1369 strength, might
but the wisdomוְחָכְמַ֤תwə·ḥā·ḵə·maṯConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular constructH2451 wisdom
of the poorהַמִּסְכֵּן֙ham·mis·kênArticle; Adjective - masculine singularH4542 poor
man is despisedבְּזוּיָ֔הbə·zū·yāhVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singularH959 despise
and his wordsוּדְבָרָ֖יוū·ḏə·ḇā·rāwConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH1697 speech, word
are notאֵינָ֥ם’ê·nāmAdverb; third person masculine pluralH369 nothing, nought
heededנִשְׁמָעִֽים׃niš·mā·‘îmVerb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralH8085 hear

Ecclesiastes 9:17

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
The calmבְּנַ֖חַתbə·na·ḥaṯPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singularH5183 quietness, rest
wordsדִּבְרֵ֣יdiḇ·rêNoun - masculine plural constructH1697 speech, word
of the wiseחֲכָמִ֔יםḥă·ḵā·mîmAdjective - masculine pluralH2450 wise
are heededנִשְׁמָעִ֑יםniš·mā·‘îmVerb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralH8085 hear
over the shoutsמִזַּעֲקַ֥תmiz·za·‘ă·qaṯPreposition-m; Noun - feminine singular constructH2201 shriek, outcry
of a rulerמוֹשֵׁ֖לmō·wō·šêlVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH4910 rule, have dominion, reign
among foolsבַּכְּסִילִֽים׃bak·kə·sî·lîmPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine pluralH3684 stupid fellow, dullard, fool

Ecclesiastes 9:18

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Wisdomחָכְמָ֖הḥāḵ·māhNoun - feminine singularH2451 wisdom
is betterטוֹבָ֥הṭō·w·ḇāhAdjective - feminine singularH2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
than weaponsמִכְּלֵ֣יmik·kə·lêPreposition-m; Noun - masculine plural constructH3627 article, utensil, vessel
of warקְרָ֑בqə·rāḇNoun - masculine singularH7128 battle, war
but oneאֶחָ֔ד’e·ḥāḏNumber - masculine singularH259 one
sinnerוְחוֹטֶ֣אwə·ḥō·w·ṭeConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH2398 miss
destroysיְאַבֵּ֥דyə·’ab·bêḏVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH6 perish
muchהַרְבֵּֽה׃har·bêhVerb - Hifil - Infinitive absoluteH7235 be, or become, much, many, great
goodטוֹבָ֥הṭō·w·ḇāhNoun - feminine singularH2896 pleasant, agreeable, good

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ecclesiastes 9:13 Ecclesiastes 8:16 · Ecclesiastes 6:1 · Ecclesiastes 7:15

Ecclesiastes 9:14 2 Samuel 20:15–22 · 2 Kings 6:24–7:20

Ecclesiastes 9:15 Ecclesiastes 4:13 · Genesis 40:23 · Esther 6:2–3 · 2 Samuel 20:22

Ecclesiastes 9:16 Ecclesiastes 7:19 · Proverbs 24:5 · Proverbs 21:22 · Mark 6:2–3 · 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 · James 2:2–6 · Ecclesiastes 9:18 · John 7:47–49 · Proverbs 10:15 · John 9:24–34

Ecclesiastes 9:17 James 3:17–18 · Proverbs 28:23 · James 1:20 · Isaiah 42:2

Ecclesiastes 9:18 Joshua 7:11–12 · Joshua 7:1 · 2 Timothy 4:3–4 · Joshua 7:5 · 2 Timothy 2:16–18 · Ecclesiastes 9:16 · Titus 1:10–11 · 2 Timothy 3:8

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.