Ecclesiastes 9:16
And I said, 'Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' —
Young's Literal Translation
In The King James Version
In Context
17The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.
Cross References
Proverbs 10:15The wealth of the rich [is] his strong city, The ruin of the poor [is] their poverty.
Proverbs 24:5Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
Ecclesiastes 9:18Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!
Mark 6:2and sabbath having come, he began in the synagogue to teach, and many hearing were astonished, saying, 'Whence hath this one these things? and what the wisdom that was given to him, that also such mighty works through his hands are done?
John 9:24They called, therefore, a second time the man who was blind, and they said to him, 'Give glory to God, we have known that this man is a sinner;'
James 2:2for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 9:14-18
The Advantages of Wisdom. 13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 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: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 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… Read the whole commentary →