New English Translation
Ecclesiastes 4:13
13A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive advice.
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 can keep each other warm, but how can one person keep warm by himself? 12Although an assailant may overpower one person, two can withstand him. Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken. A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive advice. 14For he came out of prison to become king, even though he had been born poor in what would become his kingdom. 15I considered all the living who walk on earth, as well as the successor who would arise in his place.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 4Ecclesiastes 4:13 word by word
ט֛וֹב יֶ֥לֶד מִסְכֵּ֖ן וְחָכָ֑ם מִמֶּ֤לֶךְ זָקֵן֙ וּכְסִ֔יל אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יָדַ֥ע לְהִזָּהֵ֖ר עֽוֹד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 4:13
- Ecclesiastes 9:15However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man.
- Genesis 37:2This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, was taking care of the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
- Proverbs 19:1Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.
- Proverbs 28:6A poor person who walks in his integrity is better than one who is perverse in his ways even though he is rich.
- 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. But I despise him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.”
- 2 Chronicles 16:9Certainly the Lord watches the whole earth carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20God’s Spirit energized Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’”
- 2 Chronicles 25:16While he was speaking, Amaziah said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!” So the prophet stopped, but added, “I know that the Lord has decided to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.”
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
In the dictionaries
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
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