the Seventh Week after Epiphany
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Revised Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 4:13
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Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.
Better is a poore and wise childe, then an olde and foolish King, which will no more be admonished.
Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer pays attention to warnings.
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn't know how to receive admonition any more.
A young leader who is poor but wise is better than a king who is old but foolish. That old king does not listen to warnings.
A poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction and counsel (friendly reproof, warning)—
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.
You may be poor and young. But if you are wise, you are better off than a foolish old king who won't listen to advice.
Better a youth who is poor but wise than a king who is old but foolish, no longer willing to listen to advice.
Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.
Better is a poore and a wise child, then an old and foolish king who will no more be admonished.
Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king, who knows not how to take heed any longer.
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.
Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.
A poor but wise youth is better than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to receive advice.
A poor and a wise child is better than the old and stupid king who does not know to be warned any more.
A poor but wise boy is better than a foolish but old king who doesn't listen to advice.
A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive advice.
Better a poor and wise youth Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.
It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice.
A poor and wise boy is better than an old and foolish king who will no longer listen to words of wisdom.
Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king, who will no longer take advice.
Better a boy poor and wise, - than a king, old and stupid, who knoweth not how to take warning any longer.
Better is a child that is poor and wise, than a king that is old and foolish, who knoweth not to foresee for hereafter.
Better is a youth who is poor and wise than a king who is old and foolish, and does not know how to receive admonition.
Someone may rise from poverty to become king of his country, or go from prison to the throne, but if in his old age he is too foolish to take advice, he is not as well off as a young man who is poor but intelligent.
A poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction—
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
A poore chylde beyng wise, is better then an olde kyng that doteth, and can not beware in tyme to come.
Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.
A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn't know how to receive admonition any more.
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who doesn't know how to receive admonition anymore.
Better [is] a poor and a wise child, than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.
A poore childe beynge wyse, is better then an olde kinge, that doteth, and can not bewarre in tyme to come.
A poor youngster with some wisdom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn't know which end is up. I saw a youth just like this start with nothing and go from rags to riches, and I saw everyone rally to the rule of this young successor to the king. Even so, the excitement died quickly, the throngs of people soon lost interest. Can't you see it's only smoke? And spitting into the wind?
A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.
A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive warning.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
is a poor: Ecclesiastes 9:15, Ecclesiastes 9:16, Genesis 37:2, Proverbs 19:1, Proverbs 28:6, Proverbs 28:15, Proverbs 28:16
will no more be: Heb. knoweth not to be, 1 Kings 22:8, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 2 Chronicles 16:10, 2 Chronicles 24:20-22, 2 Chronicles 25:16
Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 30:2 - the king 2 Chronicles 34:1 - eight years Job 32:9 - neither Proverbs 12:15 - but Proverbs 16:31 - if Proverbs 17:2 - wise
Cross-References
He does not believe that he will return out of darkness, and he is destined for the sword.
men were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.
and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
and great hailstones, heavy as a hundred-weight, dropped on men from heaven, till men cursed God for the plague of the hail, so fearful was that plague.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Better [is] a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king,.... The wise man proceeds to show the vanity of worldly power and dignity, in the highest instance of it, which is kingly; and, in order to illustrate and exemplify this, he supposes, on the one hand, a person possessed of royal honour; who has long enjoyed it, is settled in his kingdom, and advanced in years; and who otherwise, for his gravity and dignity, would be venerable; but that he is foolish, a person of a mean genius and small capacity; has but little knowledge of government, or but little versed in the arts of it, though he has held the reins of it long in his hand; and, which is worst of all, is vicious and wicked: on the other hand, he supposes one that is in his tender years, not yet arrived to manhood; and so may be thought to be giddy and inexperienced, and therefore taken but little notice of; and especially being poor, becomes contemptible, as well as labours under the disadvantage of a poor education; his parents poor, and he not able to get books and masters to teach him knowledge; nor to travel abroad to see the world, and make his observations on men and things; and yet being wise, having a good genius, which he improves in the best manner he can, to his own profit, and to make himself useful in the world; and especially if he is wise and knowing in the best things, and fears God, and serves him; he is more happy, in his present state and circumstances, than the king before described is in his, and is fitter to take his place, and be a king, than he is; for though he is young, yet wise, and improving in knowledge, and willing to be advised and counselled by others, older and wiser than himself; he is much to be preferred to one that is old and foolish;
who will no more be admonished; or, "knows not to be admonished any more" d: he neither knows how to give nor take advice; he is impatient of all counsel; cannot bear any admonition; is stubborn and self-willed, and resolved to take his own way. The Jews, in their Midrash, Jarchi, and others, interpret it, allegorically, of the good and evil imagination in men, the principle of grace, and the corruption of nature; the one is the new man, the other the old man; the new man is better than old Adam: the Targum applies it to Abraham and Nimrod; the former is the poor and wise child, that feared God, and worshipped him early; the latter, the old and foolish king, who was an idolater, and refused to be admonished of his idolatry; and so the Midrash.
d ×× ×××¢ ××××ר ×¢×× "non novit moneri adhuc", Montanus; "nescit admoneri amplius", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius, Rambachius.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
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 another, Which in its turn will be forgotten by its successor. On the whole, the first appears to have the better claim.
Ecclesiastes 4:13
Child - Rather, young man.
Ecclesiastes 4:14
Rather: For out of the house of bondage he goes forth to be a king; although he was born poor in his kingdom, i. e., in the country over which he became king.
Ecclesiastes 4:15
I considered ... - literally, I saw âall the population of the young manâs kingdom.â
The second child - This second youth is generally understood to be identical with the one mentioned in Ecclesiastes 4:13.
Ecclesiastes 4:16
There is - Rather: There was.
That have been before them - Rather, before whom he was, i. e., at the head of whom the young king was. Compare Micah 2:13.
They also that ... him - i. e., The next generation shall forget this chosen king.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. Better 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:
