Ecclesiastes 4:13

Better is a poor and a wise yeled than an old and foolish melech, who will no more be admonished.

Orthodox Jewish Bible

In The King James Version

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

In Context

12Though echad may be overpowered, shnayim shall withstand him; and a khoot hameshulash (threefold cord) is not quickly broken.

14For out of the bais hasohar he cometh to reign, although he was born a poor man in his malchut (kingdom).

Read all of Ecclesiastes 4

Cross References

1 Kings 22:8And the Melech Yisroel said unto Yehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Mikhay'hu ben Yimlach, by whom we may inquire of Hashem: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy tov concerning me, but rah. And Yehoshaphat said, Let not HaMelech say such.

2 Chronicles 24:20And the Ruach Elohim came upon Zecharyah ben Yehoyada HaKohen, which stood before HaAm and he said unto them, Thus saith HaElohim, Why transgress ye the mitzvot Hashem, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsook Hashem, He hath also forsaken you.

Proverbs 19:1Better is the poor that walketh in his tohm (integrity, guilelessness), 1 than he that is perverse in his sfatayim (lips), and is a kesil (fool). 1

Proverbs 28:15As a roaring ari, and a charging dov (bear), 1 so is a wicked moshel (ruler) over the am dal (poor people). 1

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 4:8-13

The Vanity of Human Wishes. 7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Ecclesiastes 4:13