24:5 A wise warrior 1 is strong, 2
and a man of knowledge makes his strength stronger;
7:19 Wisdom gives a wise person more protection 3
than ten rulers in a city.
9:16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, 4
but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens 5 to his advice. 6
9:17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet,
more than the shouting of a ruler is heard 7 among fools.
9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much that is good.
1 sn The twenty-first saying seems to be concerned with the need for wisdom in warfare. In line with that, the word used here is גֶּבֶר (gever), “mighty man; hero; warrior.”
2 tn The expression בַּעוֹז (ba’oz) employs a beth essentiae, meaning he “is strong,” not “in strength.”
3 tn Heb “gives strength.”
4 tn Or “power.”
5 tn The participle form נִשְׁמָעִים (nishma’im, Niphal participle mpl from שָׁמַע, “to listen”) is used verbally to emphasize a continual, durative, gnomic action.
6 tn Heb “his words are never listened to.”
7 tn The phrase “is heard” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness. Note its appearance in the previous line.