Ecclesiastes 4:13
Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text highlights that wisdom, even in poverty, is superior to foolishness in power because the old king has become "incorrigible" and "no longer knew how to take advice." This isn't just about being stubborn; it's about a deeper inability to learn or adapt, making his position inherently unstable and less valuable than the potential held by the wise youth.
The Teacher is exploring the vanity of human pursuits, moving from companionship to power. This verse contrasts a poor but wise young person with an old, foolish king who refuses counsel, highlighting that wisdom and teachability are more valuable than age and authority, especially when that authority has become stubborn and unresponsive.
What truly makes someone valuable? Is it power, age, or something else entirely? This verse challenges our assumptions about status.
The Preacher contrasts a "poor and wise youth" with an "old and foolish king." Notice the descriptors: wisdom is pitted against age and foolishness against poverty. It's not just about wealth or lack thereof; it's about the internal quality of wisdom versus the external trappings of power and age.
What happens when age and power make us deaf to good counsel? This verse points to a dangerous spiritual condition.
The phrase "who no longer knew how to take advice" is crucial. It speaks to a profound stubbornness and arrogance that comes with advanced age and high position when not tempered by humility.
Understand the original words
chakam · Hebrew Adjective
The practical application of knowledge, particularly the ability to discern the right course of action in life. In the wisdom literature, it is deeply rooted in the fear of the Lord and leads to righteousness and life.
kesil · Hebrew Adjective
A person who lacks spiritual discernment, moral integrity, or the fear of God, often resulting in stubbornness, self-sufficiency, and failure to heed godly counsel.
izharah · Hebrew Noun
The act of receiving instruction, correction, or guidance, especially from God or those He has placed in authority. The failure to accept counsel is a hallmark of pride and folly.
This proverb highlights that true strength and wisdom lie in self-control and being open to correction, directly contrasting with the foolish king who refuses advice.
Job 12:12Job's friends speak about wisdom being with the aged, but here Ecclesiastes asserts that age and position don't guarantee wisdom; a young, poor person can possess more insight than an old, foolish ruler.
1 Kings 11:29-40This passage illustrates the theme, potentially showing a wise youth (Jeroboam) rising to power while an aging king (Solomon) falters due to his foolishness and disobedience, fulfilling the proverb's observation.
Proverbs 29:1This verse emphasizes the consequences of being stubborn and refusing correction, aligning with the 'foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice' and suggesting the downfall such a ruler faces.
clarkeEcclesiastes 4:13: "Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished."
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,…
ellicottEcclesiastes 4:13: "Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished."
(13) The section commencing here presents great difficulties of interpretation, in overcoming which we have little help from the context, on account of the abruptness with which, in this verse, a new subject is introduced. Poor.—The word occurs again in this book (Ecclesiastes 9:15-16), but not elsewhere in the Old Testament: kindred words occur in Deuteronomy 8:9; Isaiah 40:20.…
The text highlights that wisdom, even in poverty, is superior to foolishness in power because the old king has become "incorrigible" and "no longer knew how to take advice." This isn't just about being stubborn; it's about a deeper inability to learn or adapt, making his position inherently unstable and less valuable than the potential held by the wise youth.
The Teacher is exploring the vanity of human pursuits, moving from companionship to power. This verse contrasts a poor but wise young person with an old, foolish king who refuses counsel, highlighting that wisdom and teachability are more valuable than age and authority, especially when that authority has become stubborn and unresponsive.
The Teacher is exploring the vanity of human pursuits, moving from companionship to power. This verse contrasts a poor but wise young person with an old, foolish king who refuses counsel, highlighting that wisdom and teachability are more valuable than age and authority, especially when that authority has become stubborn and unresponsive.
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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." — The text highlights that wisdom, even in poverty, is superior to foolishness in power because the old king has become "incorrigible" and "no longer knew how to take advice." This isn't just about bei…
