Ecclesiastes 9 18

Ecclesiastes 9:18 kjv

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

Ecclesiastes 9:18 nkjv

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

Ecclesiastes 9:18 niv

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

Ecclesiastes 9:18 esv

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

Ecclesiastes 9:18 nlt

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

Ecclesiastes 9 verses

Ecclesiastes 9 18 Meaning

Ecclesiastes 9:18 declares that practical wisdom far surpasses military might, providing superior defense and advantage. However, this great benefit of wisdom is paradoxically vulnerable; a single misguided or evil person has the power to unravel and destroy a vast amount of good accomplished. The verse highlights the disproportionate and destructive influence of sin or folly in the world.

Ecclesiastes 9 18 Context

Ecclesiastes 9:18 concludes a section that emphasizes wisdom's paradoxical nature and real-world utility, particularly highlighted by the anecdote of the poor wise man who saved a city but was forgotten (Ecc 9:13-16). The Preacher, observing life "under the sun," frequently contrasts ideal wisdom with the harsh realities of human folly and injustice. This verse is a somber acknowledgment that despite wisdom's profound power to achieve good, its achievements are inherently fragile and vulnerable to the destructive influence of even a single, wicked, or foolish individual. It underlines the Preacher's persistent theme of the vanity and limitations experienced in a fallen world, where merit is often unrecognized, and evil can disproportionately triumph over painstaking good.

Ecclesiastes 9 18 Word analysis

• Wisdom (חָכְמָה, chochmah): Refers to practical insight, prudence, skill, and the ability to live effectively. In Ecclesiastes, it is not merely intellectual knowledge but the understanding of how life works, often tied to living rightly, leading to successful outcomes.
• better than (טוֹבָה מִ, tovah mi): Signifies superiority in worth, effectiveness, or advantage. This strong comparative statement unequivocally affirms wisdom's preeminence in securing true benefit.
• weapons of war (כְּלֵי קְרָב, kley qrav): Literal instruments used in military combat. This phrase represents physical strength, military might, and conventional means of defense or offense. The comparison asserts that strategic thought, discernment, and ethical action provide more effective and lasting security and welfare for a community than mere physical power.
• but one sinner (וְקֹבֵץ אֶחָד, w'qovetz echad): The Hebrew וְקֹבֵץ (weqovetz) literally means "and one who gathers." While its precise nuance here is debated (some suggesting "one careless person" or "one destroyer"), the Septuagint's translation "ἁμαρτωλός" (hamartolos, "sinner") conveys the essence. It points to an individual whose actions—whether intentionally wicked, carelessly reckless, or profoundly negligent—are inherently destructive, causing damage out of proportion to their individual presence. The singular "one" emphasizes the potent impact a single person's negative choices or character can have.
• destroys (יְאַבֵּד, y'abed): A robust verb indicating total ruin, annihilation, or utter undoing. It conveys an active, decisive destruction, rather than a passive decay or fading.
• much good (טוֹבָה הַרְבֵּה, tovah harbeh): Refers to a great quantity of beneficial outcomes, accumulated prosperity, communal welfare, or virtuous achievements. The emphasis is on the vastness of the good undone by one source of evil, powerfully underscoring the disproportionality.
• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "Wisdom is better than weapons of war": This powerful declarative phrase challenges the common societal tendency to prioritize physical strength, military prowess, or tangible resources as the ultimate source of security and power. It elevates intellectual, moral, and strategic wisdom as fundamentally more valuable for fostering well-being, resolving conflict, and building enduring peace than any instrument of force. This sentiment aligns with prophetic messages emphasizing righteousness over military might.
  • "but one sinner destroys much good": This serves as a jarring and critical antithesis to the preceding truth. The immediate shift highlights the precarious nature of wisdom's achievements in a flawed world. It exposes a profound societal vulnerability: despite all the collective effort, wise planning, and painstaking good that is built, a single act of maliciousness, foolishness, or deep depravity from one individual can disproportionately dismantle, negate, and ruin a vast quantity of positive achievements. This stark observation underscores the Preacher's "under the sun" perspective, where the world is marked by pervasive evil that frequently negates diligent effort.

Ecclesiastes 9 18 Bonus section

• The tension in this verse between wisdom's undisputed value and its ultimate vulnerability underscores the Preacher's consistent theme of life's enigmas and frustrations from an "under the sun" perspective. He notes real-world observations without always offering easy theological resolutions within the immediate text, preferring to reflect accurately the challenging nature of human existence.
• The "sinner" (qovetz) here can be understood broadly to mean anyone whose actions cause societal detriment, whether through deliberate malice, profound negligence, or fundamental ethical corruption. This warns that even seemingly small, singular acts can have massive, unforeseen consequences, highlighting the importance of personal responsibility for all.
• This verse has enduring relevance in fields like ethical leadership, community development, and public policy, illustrating how diligent efforts towards improvement and progress are always at risk from isolated acts of destructive behavior or deeply rooted corruption within individuals, requiring constant vigilance and a robust ethical foundation.

Ecclesiastes 9 18 Commentary

Ecclesiastes 9:18 presents a paradox central to the Preacher's observations "under the sun." It begins by affirming wisdom's profound superiority: it truly is more effective and beneficial than physical might or the implements of conflict. Wisdom, embodying sound judgment and strategic action, builds and preserves society in ways that force never can. However, the verse abruptly introduces a chilling caveat. It reveals the devastating fragility of this invaluable asset; the extensive good accomplished by collective wisdom can be unravelled and destroyed by the actions of merely one "sinner." This points to the disproportionate power of folly and wickedness, where a single act of moral failure or extreme carelessness can precipitate a collapse of significant achievements. It's a pragmatic lament on the world's unfairness, where human depravity often holds an outsized destructive influence over painstakingly created good, mirroring life's frequent resistance to the righteous and wise path.