The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 9:16 Explained

Ecclesiastes 9:16

KJV: Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

YLT: And I said, 'Better is wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' --

Darby: Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

ASV: Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  I, Wisdom  [is] better  than strength:  nevertheless the poor man's  wisdom  [is] despised,  and his words  are not heard. 

What does Ecclesiastes 9:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 9

1  like things happen to good and bad
4  there is a necessity of death unto men
7  Comfort is all their portion in this life
11  God's providence rules over all
13  wisdom is better than strength

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 9:16 mean?

And said I [is] better Wisdom than strength And nevertheless wisdom of the poor man [is] despised and his words not are heard
וְאָמַ֣רְתִּי אָ֔נִי טוֹבָ֥ה חָכְמָ֖ה מִגְּבוּרָ֑ה וְחָכְמַ֤ת הַמִּסְכֵּן֙ בְּזוּיָ֔ה וּדְבָרָ֖יו אֵינָ֥ם נִשְׁמָעִֽים

וְאָמַ֣רְתִּי  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
טוֹבָ֥ה  [is]  better 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
חָכְמָ֖ה  Wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
מִגְּבוּרָ֑ה  than  strength 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גְּבוּרָה  
Sense: strength, might.
וְחָכְמַ֤ת  And  nevertheless  wisdom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
הַמִּסְכֵּן֙  of  the  poor  man 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מִסְכֵּן  
Sense: poor, poor man.
בְּזוּיָ֔ה  [is]  despised 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: בָּזָה 
Sense: to despise, hold in contempt, disdain.
וּדְבָרָ֖יו  and  his  words 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
נִשְׁמָעִֽים  are  heard 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.