Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 9:15–16
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.”
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 9:15
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now a poor | מִסְכֵּן֙ | mis·kên | Adjective - masculine singular | H4542 poor |
| wise | חָכָ֔ם | ḥā·ḵām | Adjective - masculine singular | H2450 wise |
| man | אִ֤ישׁ | ’îš | Noun - masculine singular | H376 man |
| was found | וּמָ֣צָא | ū·mā·ṣā | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | H4672 attain to, find |
| in | בָ֗הּ | ḇāh | Preposition; third person feminine singular | |
| and he | ה֥וּא | hū | Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| saved | וּמִלַּט־ | ū·mil·laṭ- | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | H4422 slip away |
| the city | הָעִ֖יר | hā·‘îr | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H5892 excitement |
| by his wisdom | בְּחָכְמָת֑וֹ | bə·ḥā·ḵə·mā·ṯōw | Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H2451 wisdom |
| Yet no | לֹ֣א | lō | Adverb - Negative particle | H3808 not |
| one | וְאָדָם֙ | wə·’ā·ḏām | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular | H120 man, mankind |
| remembered | זָכַ֔ר | zā·ḵar | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H2142 remember |
| that | הַהּֽוּא׃ | ha·hū | Article; Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| poor | הַמִּסְכֵּ֖ן | ham·mis·kên | Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H4542 poor |
| man | הָאִ֥ישׁ | hā·’îš | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H376 man |
Ecclesiastes 9:16
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| And I | אָ֔נִי | ’ā·nî | Pronoun - first person common singular | H589 I |
| said | וְאָמַ֣רְתִּי | wə·’ā·mar·tî | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | H559 utter, say |
| Wisdom | חָכְמָ֖ה | ḥāḵ·māh | Noun - feminine singular | H2451 wisdom |
| is better | טוֹבָ֥ה | ṭō·w·ḇāh | Adjective - feminine singular | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| than strength | מִגְּבוּרָ֑ה | mig·gə·ḇū·rāh | Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular | H1369 strength, might |
| but the wisdom | וְחָכְמַ֤ת | wə·ḥā·ḵə·maṯ | Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct | H2451 wisdom |
| of the poor | הַמִּסְכֵּן֙ | ham·mis·kên | Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H4542 poor |
| man is despised | בְּזוּיָ֔ה | bə·zū·yāh | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular | H959 despise |
| and his words | וּדְבָרָ֖יו | ū·ḏə·ḇā·rāw | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular | H1697 speech, word |
| are not | אֵינָ֥ם | ’ê·nām | Adverb; third person masculine plural | H369 nothing, nought |
| heeded | נִשְׁמָעִֽים׃ | niš·mā·‘îm | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural | H8085 hear |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
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
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.