Ecclesiastes 7:19

Wisdom Needed Because No One is Truly Righteous

7:19 Wisdom gives a wise person more protection ¹ 

than ten rulers in a city.

Ecclesiastes 9:16

9:16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, ² 

but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens ³  to his advice. ⁴ 

[7:19]  ¹ tn Heb “gives strength.”

[9:16]  ² tn Or “power.”

[9:16]  ³ tn The participle form נִשְׁמָעִים (nishma’im, Niphal participle mpl from שָׁמַע, “to listen”) is used verbally to emphasize a continual, durative, gnomic action.

[9:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “his words are never listened to.”