Ecclesiastes 9:18

New King James Version

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good."

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Better is wisedome then weapons of warre: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Christian Standard Bible®
Wisdom is better than weapons of war,but one sinner can destroy much good.

Hebrew Names Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Darby Translation
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Easy-to-Read Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one fool can destroy much good.

Amplified Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

American Standard Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Contemporary English Version
Wisdom is more powerful than weapons, yet one mistake can destroy all the good you have done.

Complete Jewish Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but a person who makes a mistake can destroy much good.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

King James Version (1611)
Wisedome is better then weapons of warre: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.

English Revised Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Berean Standard Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Lexham English Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Literal Translation
Wisdom is better than weapons of conflict; but one sinner destroys much good.

New Century Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much good.

New English Translation
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

New Living Translation
Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

New Life Bible
Wisdom is better than objects used in war, but one sinner destroys much good.

New Revised Standard
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Better is wisdom, than weapons of war, - but, one sinner, may destroy much good.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.

George Lamsa Translation
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sin destroys much good.

Good News Translation
Wisdom does more good than weapons, but one sinner can undo a lot of good.

New American Standard Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

King James Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For wysdome is better then harnesse: but one sinner alone destroyeth muche goodnesse.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Betere is wisdom than armuris of batel; and he that synneth in o thing, schal leese many goodis.

Young's Literal Translation
Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!

World English Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Revised Standard Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Update Bible Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Bible in Basic English
Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For wy?dome is better then harnesse: but one vnthrift alone destroyeth moch good.

THE MESSAGE
Wisdom is better than warheads, But one hothead can ruin the good earth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Legacy Standard Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Contextual Overview

¹³ This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: ¹⁴ There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares [fn] around it. ¹⁵ Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man. ¹⁶ Then I said: "Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard. ¹⁷ Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

better: Ecclesiastes 9:16

sinner: Joshua 7:1, Joshua 7:5, Joshua 7:11, Joshua 7:12, Joshua 22:20, 1 Samuel 14:28, 1 Samuel 14:29, 1 Samuel 14:36-46, 2 Samuel 20:1, 2 Samuel 20:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, 2 Timothy 2:16-18, 2 Timothy 3:8, 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 Timothy 4:4, Titus 1:10, Titus 1:11, Hebrews 12:15, Hebrews 12:16

Reciprocal: Joshua 6:18 - make the camp 1 Samuel 14:30 - had there 1 Chronicles 12:32 - all their 2 Chronicles 33:3 - he built again Job 34:30 - General Job 35:8 - may hurt Ecclesiastes 2:21 - whose Jeremiah 41:3 - General Daniel 2:23 - who hast Jonah 1:12 - for 1 Corinthians 5:13 - Therefore

Cross-References

Genesis 9:23
But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness.

Genesis 9:25
Then he said: "Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren."

Genesis 9:27
May God enlarge Japheth, And may he dwell in the tents of Shem; And may Canaan be his servant."

Genesis 10:1
1 Chronicles 1:5-27">[xr] Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.

Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, [fn] and Canaan.

1 Chronicles 1:4
Noah, [fn] Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war,.... And does what they cannot do; of which the wisdom of the poor wise man is a full proof, which delivered the city from a potent prince, when weapons of war could not: see Ecclesiastes 7:10;

but one sinner destroyeth much good: his own soul by his sins, and the souls of others by his counsels, example, and conversation, which corrupt good manners; so does one sinner in a family, neighbourhood, and town; as one poor wise man does much good, one sinner mars much; one Achan in a camp or army, one bad counsel for in a cabinet, one false teacher in the church, will do a great deal of mischief, as well as one debauchee in a town or city. The Vulgate Latin version is, "who sins in one"; offends or sins in one, as in James 2:10; so the Syriac version, "one sin destroys much good", or many good things; and to the same purpose the Arabic version, "he that committeth one sin".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sinner - The word in the original indicates intellectual as well as moral error.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. Wisdom is better than weapons of war — So proved in the case of Archimedes.

But one sinner — Such as the Roman butcher above mentioned.

Destroyeth much good — Such as were the life and skill of the Syracusan mathematician. One sinner has often injured the work of God; one stumbling-block has sometimes destroyed a revival of religion. Sin acts like a ferment; whatever comes in contact with it, it assimilates to itself.