EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ecclesiastes 9:14
14There was a small city and only a few people lived in it. A powerful king came to attack that city. His army made their camp around the city. They built heaps of earth all around it.
Ecclesiastes 9:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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:
- New International Version (NIV)There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.
Context of Ecclesiastes 9:14
12Nobody knows the time when trouble may come to them. A fish does not know when somebody will catch it in a net. A bird does not know when somebody will catch it in a trap. In the same way, terrible trouble suddenly happens to people when they do not expect it. 13I saw something else that happens on the earth. It is a good example of what wisdom is like. There was a small city and only a few people lived in it. A powerful king came to attack that city. His army made their camp around the city. They built heaps of earth all around it. 15There was a man who lived in the city. He was poor but he was also wise. Because he was wise, he knew how to save the city. But after he saved it, nobody remembered that poor man. 16So I realized that wisdom is better than power. But if you are poor, nobody accepts that you are also wise. People soon forget what you said.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 9Ecclesiastes 9:14 word by word
עִ֣יר קְטַנָּ֔ה וַאֲנָשִׁ֥ים בָּ֖הּ מְעָ֑ט וּבָֽא־אֵלֶ֜יהָ מֶ֤לֶךְ גָּדוֹל֙ וְסָבַ֣ב אֹתָ֔הּ וּבָנָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ מְצוֹדִ֥ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- a littleקָטָןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
- cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and fewמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- within it; and there cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- against it, and besiegedסָבַבsâbab · to turn: surroundH5437
- it, and builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- bulwarksמָצוֹדmâtsôd metsôdâh metsôdâh · siegeworkH4685
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 9:14
- 2 Samuel 20:15Then Joab's soldiers arrived and they started to attack Abel Beth Maakah. They made their camp all around the city. They built heaps of earth against the city's walls. They started to dig holes through the walls to cause them to fall down.
- 2 Kings 6:24But later, King Ben-Hadad of Syria sent his whole army to attack Samaria. His soldiers made their camp all around the city.
- 2 Kings 7:1Elisha said, ‘Now listen to the Lord's message! This is what the Lord says: “About this time tomorrow, five kilograms of good flour will cost only one piece of silver. Ten kilograms of barley will also cost one piece of silver. You will be able to buy this food at the gate of Samaria.” ’
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14There was a little city, and few men within it - Here is another proof of the vanity of sublunary things; the ingratitude of men, and the little compensation that genuine merit receives. The little history mentioned here may have either been a fact, or intended as an instructive fable. A little city, with few to defend it, being besieged by a great king and a powerful army, was delivered by the cunning and address on a poor wise man; and afterwards his…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14A parable probably without foundation in fact. Critics who ascribe this book to a late age offer no better suggestion than that the “little city” may be Athens delivered 480 b.c. from the host of Xerxes through the wisdom of Themistocles, or Dora besieged 218 b.c. by Antiochus the Great. Ecclesiastes 9:16-17 are comments on the two facts - the deliverance of the city and its forgetfulness of him who delivered it - stated in Ecclesiastes 9:15.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 A man may, by his wisdom, bring to pass that which he could never do by his strength. If God be for us, who can be against us, or stand before us? Solomon observes the power of wisdom, though it may labour under outward disadvantages. How forcible are right words! But wise and good men must often content themselves with the satisfaction of having done good, or, at least, endeavoured to do it, when they cannot do the good they would, nor have…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-18This poor man's wise action was effective. Wisdom is better than power, strength, or weapons (see Ecclesiastes 4:13; 7:9, 19; 10:4). However, deserving people are not always honored, and even wise individuals are sometimes forgotten (see Ecclesiastes 2:16; 4:16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1514-15. (2Sa 20:16-22). bulwarks--military works of besiegers.Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 9:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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