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Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 9:16

Verse 16. The poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.] I cannot help pursuing this illustration a little farther. The soldier who found Archimedes busily employed in drawing figures upon the sand, put to him some impertinent question, withal rudely obtruding himself on his operations. To whom this wonderful mathematician replied, "Stand off, soldier, and do not spoil my diagram;" on which the bloody savage struck him dead!

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See also Ecclesiastes 9:16 in other biblical comments:

  • 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

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Wisdom is better than strength_ The maxim of ch. Ecclesiastes 7:19 is reproduced, but it is traversed by the fact that the wisdom must often be content to remain unrecognised. The power of the purse...

  • 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...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THEN SAID I, WISDOM IS BETTER, &C.— _Then said I, Wisdom is preferable to power: Yet the wisdom of this experienced man is despised, and his deeds are not mentioned._ We have here the _first instance....

  • 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

    Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN STRENGTH - resuming the sentiment in . THE POOR MAN...

  • 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...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ אָמַ֣רְתִּי אָ֔נִי טֹובָ֥ה חָכְמָ֖ה מִ גְּ

  • 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

    _Heard? Ecclesiasticus xiii. 28. Men are so unjust as to despise wisdom, if it be in a poor man. The prudence of an individual has often saved cities, as was the case at Abela, and Bethulia; (2 Kings...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. (17) The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ru...

  • 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

    THEN SAID I, WISDOM [IS] BETTER THAN STRENGTH,.... Wisdom of mind, even in a poor man, is better than strength of body, even of the, most potent prince and powerful army, as may be concluded from the...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard. Ver. 16. _Then said I, Wisdom is better, &c._] This he had said before, E...

  • 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

    Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength, that fact being universally conceded; NEVERTHELESS THE POOR MAN'S WISDOM IS DESPISED, AND HIS WORDS ARE NOT HEARD, his counsel is ignored....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    WISDOM STILL TO BE SOUGHT...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "SO. SAID, 'WISDOM IS BETTER THAN STRENGTH.' BUT THE WISDOM OF THE POOR MAN IS DESPISED AND HIS WORDS ARE NOT HEEDED." In the above case, wisdom had everything against it, small defenses, resources,....

  • 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

    WISDOM IS BETTER THAN STRENGTH, as was manifest in the foregoing instance. THE POOR MAN'S WISDOM IS DESPISED, because men are generally vain and foolish, and have a greater value for outward ornaments...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 9:16 said H559 (H8804) Wisdom H2451 better H2896 strength H1369 mans H4542 wisdom H2451 despised H9

  • 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

    1 Corinthians 1:26; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Ecclesiastes 9:18; James 2:2;...

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