Ecclesiastes 4:13 Commentary, explanation, study verse by verse

“ Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. ”

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Albert 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...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 4. A Gloomy Survey. The chapter falls into four parts, which treat respectively of oppression ( Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 ), rivalry ( Ecclesiastes 4:4-6 ), isolation amounting to self-tortur...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

poor . straitened in means, not able to profit others. Hebrew. misken. Not the same as in Ecclesiastes 4:14 . Supposed to be. later Hebrew word, but. derivative of it is found in Deuteronomy 8:9...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

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...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Better is a poor and a wise child, &c.— Better is the experienced and wise son, than the old, &c. Desvoeux; who has shewn, that the word מסכן misken, from the root סכן saken, properly...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. Better (in respect to condition; not moral character) (is) a poor and a wise child that an old...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Vicissitudes of Life. 'Oh, the pity of it!' 1-3. The mass of human suffering and the absence of pity are such that better off are the dead and still more the unborn. It is not only through God's...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

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 subj...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

SECOND SECTION The Quest Of The Chief Good In Devotion To The Affairs Of Business Ecclesiastes 3:1 - Ecclesiastes 5:20 I. IF the true Good is not to be found in the School where Wisdom utter...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

From this general survey the preacher returned to examine the condition of the beings whom he had described as being no better than the beasts. He looked out upon them, and saw them in suffering, and...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. (14) For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor....
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire 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...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

Better [is] a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. Ver. 13. Better is a poor and wise child. ] Such as was Joseph, David, Daniel, and his three comra...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

He now proceeds to another vanity, even that of honour and power, and the highest places. Better More happy; is a poor and wise child Who is doubly contemptible, both for his age and for his pove...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

The Advantages of Society. 13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be adm...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Better; more happy. Now he proceeds to another vanity, even that of honour and power, and of the highest places. A poor child; who is doubly contemptible, both for his age, and for his poverty....
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Chapter 4 The Dreadfulness of Oppression. Guidance on Living. This chapter begins with considering the dreadfulness of oppression and then continues with thoughts on living, giving both good and b...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

CRITICAL NOTES.— Ecclesiastes 4:13 . Better is a poor and a wise child.] Not in the moral point of view, but happier—better off. Ecclesiastes 4:14 . For out of prison he cometh to reign.] Re...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Sermon Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 3:1-5 A profound gloom rests on the second act or section of this drama. It teaches us that we are helpless in the iron grip of laws which we had no voice in making; that we often lie...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecclesiastes 4:2 . Wherefore I praised the dead more than the living, who are robbed, fleeced, and exposed to incessant afflictions, from oppression and war. Solomon alludes to extreme cases, such...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - The Biblical Illustrator

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. On the advantages of Christian knowledge to the lower orders of society There is no topic on whic...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

EXPOSITION Ecclesiastes 4:1-21 Section 5. Koheleth proceeds to give further illustrations of man ' s inability to be the architect of his own happiness . There are many things which inte...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

Evils of Social and Civil Life
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Kings 22:8 ; 2 Chronicles 16:10 ; 2 Chronicles 16:9 ; 2 Chronicles 24:20-22 ; 2 Chronicles 25:16 ; Ecclesiastes 9:15 ; Ecclesiastes 9:16 ; Genesis 37:2 ; Proverbs 19:1 ; Proverbs 28:15 ;...
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Better — More happy. Now he proceeds to another vanity, That of honour and power. Than a king — Who hath neither wisdom to govern himself, nor to receive the counsels of wiser men.

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Sermon Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - The Biblical Illustrator

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes