Ecclesiastes 9:15-16

9:15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, ¹ 

and he could have delivered ²  the city by his wisdom,

but no one listened ³  to that poor man.

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 

[9:15]  ¹ tn Heb “was found in it”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:15]  ² tn Or “he delivered.” The verb וּמִלַּט (umillat, from מָלַט, malat, “to deliver”) is functioning either in an indicative sense (past definite action: “he delivered”) or in a modal sense (past potential: “he could have delivered”). The literal meaning of זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”) in the following line harmonizes with the indicative: “but no one remembered that poor man [afterward].” However, the modal is supported by v. 16: “A poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.” This approach must nuance זָכַר (“to remember”) as “[no one] listened to [that poor man].” Most translations favor the indicative approach: “he delivered” or “he saved” (KJV, RSV, NRSV, NAB, ASV, NASB, MLB, NIV); however, some adopt the modal nuance: “he might have saved” (NEB, NJPS, NASB margin).

[9:15]  ³ tn Heb “remembered.”

[9:16]  ⁴ tn Or “power.”

[9:16]  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.

[9:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “his words are never listened to.”