Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

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 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.”

his wisdom (v.13) — The wisdom of the poor man in v.15.

The declaration of verses 16 and 17 is that, in spite of the fact that a wise man delivered the city (vs.13-15), and advantaged it more than its generals and weapons of war, yet, as a rule, the counsel of wise men in never followed. The Lord Jesus Christ by His wisdom delivered man from out of the power of “the great king,” i.e., Satan; and yet is He forgotten and despised by men. — Williams, page 446.

Verse 18 points out that the actions of a wise man can result in victory, but those of a wicked fool bring defeat.