Ecclesiastes 4:13

Ecclesiastes 4:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
• New International Version (NIV)Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Better a poor and wise youth Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.

Context of Ecclesiastes 4:13

11Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? 12And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. A poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction-- 14for he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. 15I have seen all those living under the sun move to the side of the second youth who replaces him.

Ecclesiastes 4:13 word by word

ט֛וֹב יֶ֥לֶד מִסְכֵּ֖ן וְחָכָ֑ם מִמֶּ֤לֶךְ זָקֵן֙ וּכְסִ֔יל אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יָדַ֥ע לְהִזָּהֵ֖ר עֽוֹד׃Read the interlinear

• poorמִסְכֵּןmiskên · poorH4542
• yet wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• youthיֶ֫לֶדyeled · youthH3206
• is betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• thanמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• an oldזָקֵןzâqên · oldH2205
• and foolishכְּסִילkesîyl · foolH3684
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• whoאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• longerעוֹד‛ôd ‛ôd · stillH5750
• knowsיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• to receiveזָהַרzâhar · to warnH2094

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 4:13

• Ecclesiastes 9:15But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
• Genesis 37:2These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when he was seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
• Proverbs 19:1Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity Than a person who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
• Proverbs 28:6Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity, Than a person who is crooked, though he is rich.
• 1 Kings 22:8And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not say so.”
• 2 Chronicles 16:9For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will have wars.”
• 2 Chronicles 24:20Then the Spirit of God covered Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest like clothing; and he stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God has said, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, He has also abandoned you.’”
• 2 Chronicles 25:16As he was talking with him, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you to be a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Better is a poor and a wise child - The Targum applies this to Abraham. "Abraham was a poor child of only three years of age; but he had the spirit of prophecy, and he refused to worship the idols which the old foolish king - Nimrod - had set up; therefore Nimrod cast him into a furnace of fire. But the Lord worked a miracle and delivered him. Yet here was no knowledge in Nimrod, and he would not be admonished." The Targum proceeds:Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13-16Verses 13-16 These verses set forth the vanity of earthly prosperity even on a throne. Opinion as to their application is chiefly divided between considering them a parable or fiction like that of the childless man in Ecclesiastes 4:8: or as setting forth first the vicissitudes of royal life in two proverbial sayings Ecclesiastes 4:13-14, and then Ecclesiastes 4:15-16, the vicissitudes or procession of the whole human race, one generation giving place to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-16Verses 13-16 People are never long easy and satisfied; they are fond of changes. This is no new thing. Princes see themselves slighted by those they have studied to oblige; this is vanity and vexation of spirit. But the willing servants of the Lord Jesus, our King, rejoice in him alone, and they will love Him more and more to all eternity.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14Better is a...wise youth: Wisdom is valuable because it helps in real-life situations.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. The "threefold cord" [Ec 4:12] of social ties suggests the subject of civil government. In this case too, he concludes that kingly power confers no lasting happiness. The "wise" child, though a supposed case of Solomon, answers, in the event foreseen by the Holy Ghost, to Jeroboam, then a poor but valiant youth, once a "servant" of Solomon, and (1Ki 11:26-40) appointed by God through the prophet Ahijah to be heir of the kingdom of the ten tribes about…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 4:13

• Children
• Poor
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Prison
• Threefold
• Poor
• Synagogue, the Great
• Wisdom

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings