Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Ecclesiastes 9:14

Ecclesiastes 9:14 [There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

Ver. 14. There was a little city.] Such as was Lampsacum, besieged by Alexander, and saved by Anaximenes; Rhodes, besieged by the great Turk; Rochelle, by the French king; Geneva, by the Duke of Savoy. This last, a little city, a small people surrounded with enemies, and barred out from all aid of neighbour cities and churches, yet is strangely upheld. a Well may they write as they do on the one side of their coin, Deus noster pugnat pro nobis, Our God fights for us. b

a Brightman.

b Scultet.

Continues after advertising

See also Ecclesiastes 9:14 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 14. THERE WAS _A LITTLE CITY, AND FEW MEN WITHIN IT_] Here is another proof of the vanity of sublunary things; the _ingratitude of men_, and the _little compensation_ that _genuine_ _merit_ rec...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    A parable probably without foundation in fact. Critics who ascribe this book to a late age offer no better suggestion than that the “little city” may be Athens delivered 480 b.c. from the host of Xerx...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    2. PRAISE OF WISDOM AND PHILOSOPHY, THEFINAL WORD AND THE GREAT CONCLUSION CHAPTER 9:13-18 Before he had declared that wisdom is strength. He comes back to this statement and gives an illustration o...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 8:16 TO ECCLESIASTES 9:16. LIFE'S RIDDLE BAFFLES THE WISEST QUEST. The parenthesis in Ecclesiastes 8:16_ b_ describes the ceaseless effort of the keen student of life, or perhaps the fate

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    A LITTLE CITY. For the application of verses: Ecclesiastes 9:14, note the following illustrations: poor (2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 1:2;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _there was a little city_ The city has been identified by one commentator (Hitzig) with Dora, which was besieged unsuccessfully by Antiochus the Great in b.c. 218 (Polyb. 9:66). Josephus describes it,...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 842 WISDOM NOTIONALLY APPROVED, BUT PRACTICALLY DISREGARDED Ecclesiastes 9:14. There was a little city, and few men within it: and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and b...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    6. Wisdom is declared to be the greatest guide in our work. Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 TEXT 9:13-18 13 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me. 14 There was a small city wi...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: A LITTLE CITY ... So Abel, which the wisdom of one wom...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    LIVE WORTHILY WHILE YOU MAY 1-3. The future is in God's hands. Good and bad alike must die....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 9 EVERYONE MUST DIE AT SOME TIME – ECCLESIASTES 9:1-10...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    Idle attempts have been made to find a historic reference in this passage. What is here told is so like the story (2 Samuel 20) of the deliverance of Abel-beth-Maachah by a wise woman, whose name, nev...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    עִ֣יר קְטַנָּ֔ה וַ אֲנָשִׁ֥ים בָּ֖הּ מְעָ֑ט ו

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE CHIEF GOOD NOT TO BE FOUND IN WISDOM: Ecclesiastes 8:16; Ecclesiastes 9:1 1. The Preacher commences this section by carefully defining his position and equipment as he starts on his final course...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    NOR IN DEVOTION TO AFFAIRS AND ITS REWARDS. Ecclesiastes 9:13; Ecclesiastes 10:1 So far, then, Coheleth has been occupied in retracing the argument of the first Section of the Book. Now he returns up...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In view of the evidences of the truth of the affirmation, "vanity... all is vanity," the preacher now turns to its effect on the mind of the man living "under the sun." He extols this worldly wisdom,...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _And the siege, &c. Hebrew has only "great bulwarks over or against it." (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: (15) Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _THE SAVIOUR OF THE CITY_ ‘There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it,’ etc. Ecclesiastes 9:14 I. T...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    [THERE WAS] A LITTLE CITY, AND FEW MEN WITHIN IT,.... Which some take to be a piece of history, a real matter of fact; that as the city of Abel, when besieged by Joab, was delivered by the counsel of...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _This wisdom have I seen_ I have observed this among many other instances and effects of wisdom. Which he adds for the commendation of wisdom, notwithstanding its insufficiency for man's safety and ha...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    There was a little city, and few men within it, to serve as its defenders against an enemy; AND THERE CAME A GREAT KING AGAINST IT, quite naturally in command of a large force, AND BESIEGED IT, AND BU...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    WISDOM STILL TO BE SOUGHT...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "THERE WAS. SMALL CITY WITH FEW MEN IN IT AND. GREAT KING CAME TO IT, SURROUNDED IT, AND CONSTRUCTED LARGE SIEGE-WORKS AGAINST IT....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    13-18 A man may, by his wisdom, bring to pass that which he could never do by his strength. If God be for us, who can be against us, or stand before us? Solomon observes the power of wisdom, though i...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    It matters not whether this was a real history, or only a parable to represent the common practices of men in such cases....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 9:14 little H6996 city H5892 few H4592 men H582 great H1419 king H4428 came H935 (H8804) besieg

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    A PARABLE OF WISDOM AND INGRATITUDE (ECCLESIASTES 9:13). Ecclesiastes 9:13 ‘I have seen also wisdom under the sun like this. There was a small city and few men in it. And there came a great king agai...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHAPTER 9 THE SAME THINGS HAPPEN TO ALL WHETHER THEY BE RIGHTEOUS, WISE OR SONS OF MEN. AND IN THE END ALL DIE IN THE SAME WAY. SO LET THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE LIFE AS THEY MAY AND ENJOY IT FOR GOD HAS ACCE...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 9:14 I. The little city. At first sight it may seem rather paradoxical to compare this great world of ours, with its almost innumerable inhabitants, its vast area, its enormous resources,...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 8:16-10 I. At the end of chap. viii. and the beginning of chap. ix., Koheleth points out that it is impossible for us to construct a satisfactory policy of life. "The work of God," or, as...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The universality of death and the need of minding the business of life and using wisdom. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: While there is life there is opportunity of preparing for dea...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 9:5. _The dead know not any thing._ This is explained by the next phrase, _the memory of them is forgotten._ Elijah went up to heaven, or paradise, as the Jews will have it. John 3:13. Si...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _There was a little city, and few men within it._ THE LITTLE CITY AND THE POOR WISE MAN The little city, as first introduced to our notice, is in sore straits. The legion of the foe seem innumerable,...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 9:13 Wisdom can achieve much good and is worth pursuing. Yet its benefits can be undone by evil. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 9:13. THIS WISDOM.] The special instance of the power of wisdom related in the next verse. ECCLESIASTES 9:14. FEW MEN WITHIN IT.] Not a city with a scanty population, b...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 9:1 One fate happens to all, and the dead are cut off from all the feelings and interests of life in the upper world. ECCLESIASTES 9:1 This continues the subject treated abo...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Kings 6:24; 2 Kings 7:1; 2 Samuel 20:15...

Continues after advertising