wisdom (in a good sense) · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
strengtheneth
תָּעֹ֣זta.'Oz
H5810
to be stout (literally or figuratively) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
wise
לֶחָכָ֑םle.cha.Kham
H2450
wise · preposition with the article + adjective, masculine singular absolute
ten
מֵֽעֲשָׂרָה֙me.'a.sa.Rah
H6235
ten (as an accumulation to the extent of the digits) · preposition + noun, common feminine singular absolute
mighty
שַׁלִּיטִ֔יםsha.li.Tim
H7989
potent · adjective, masculine plural absolute
city
בָּעִֽירba.'Ir
H5892
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Proverbs 21:22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.
Colossians 1:9-11 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of…
Proverbs 24:5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
2 Samuel 20:16-22 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 7:11-22
Solomon, in these verses, recommends wisdom to us as the best antidote against those distempers of mind which we are liable to, by reason of the vanity and vexation of spirit that there are in the things of this world. Here are some of the praises and the precepts of wisdom.
I. The praises of wisdom. Many things are here said in its commendation, to engage us to get and retain wisdom. 1. Wisdom is necessary to the right managing and improving of our worldly possessions: Wisdom is good with an inheritance, that is, an inheritance is good for little without wisdom. Though a man have a great estate, though it come easily to him, by descent from his ancestors, if he have not wisdom to use it for…
Hebrew, "The wisdom," that is, the true wisdom, religion (Ti2 3:15).
than ten mighty--that is, able and valiant generals (Ecc 7:12; Ecc 9:13-18; Pro 21:22; Pro 24:5). These "watchmen wake in vain, except the Lord keep the city" (Psa 127:1).
John Gill on Ecclesiastes 7:19
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise,.... Against such extremes as before mentioned; it is a guard about him, as well as a guide unto him; it is a defence unto him, as before observed, Ecclesiastes 7:12; and is better than strength of body, or weapons of war, Ecclesiastes 9:16; and a wise man does greater things by it than a strong man with them, and is safer with it than he can be by them. Some understand this of Christ, the Wisdom of God, without whom a good man can do nothing, but all things through him strengthening him; and who being a strong tower and place of refuge to him, he is safer in him than if he was in the strongest garrison, and under the protection of ever so large a number of vali…
"Wisdom affords strong protection to the wise man more than ten mighty men who are in the city." We have to distinguish, as is shown under Psa 31:3, the verbs עזז, to be strong, and עוּז, to flee for refuge; תּעז is the fut. of the former, whence מעז, stronghold, safe retreat, protection, and with ל, since עזז means not only to be strong, but also to show oneself strong, as at Eccl 9:20, to feel and act as one strong; it has also the trans. meaning, to strengthen, as shown in Psa 68:29, but here the intrans. suffices: wisdom proves itself strong for the wise man. The ten shallithim are not, with Ginsburg, to be multiplied indefinitely into "many mighty men." And it is not necessary, with Des…
The Church Fathers
The inhabited world arises in no other way than in the wisdom of God. For "wisdom gives strength to the wise beyond ten rulers who live in the city." "And the one who despises wisdom and instruction is miserable, and his hope empty, and his labors unprofitable, and his works useless," says the Book of Wisdom ascribed to Solomon. Hence insofar as possible, since the inhabited world is set aright in the wisdom of God, let us ourselves desire that our inhabited world, which perhaps has fallen, be set aright. For this inhabited world has fallen whenever we went to the place of affliction. This inhabited world has fallen whenever "we sinned, did wrong, acted wickedly," and it has need of being set aright.
Look for the might of a general in his wisdom rather than in the size of his troops.… If a city has many mighty men but lacks wisdom, these cannot help the city. In a spiritual exegesis the world is called city, that is, the earthly realm around us. No one can live without harm, if he is not given divine wisdom. If wisdom does not help, the mighty ones cannot do anything, whether you mean angels or holy men. If wisdom does not help, the city will not be saved. One can also see the soul of every human being as a city. Even if one had a thousand earthly thoughts that could help a city, it cannot be helped if God's wisdom is not sent down to help and to create and sustain order.
Perhaps a person possesses no bread to extend as an alms to the needy, but still greater is what a person who has a tongue is able to give. It is more important to refresh a mind that will live forever with the food of the word than to satisfy with earthly food the stomach of a body that is going to die. Therefore, brethren, do not take from your neighbors the alms of the word. Paul says, "If we have sown for you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap from you carnal things?" "Do good to the just, and you shall find great recompense: and if not of him, assuredly of God." "It is good that you should hold up the just, and from him withdraw not your hand, for he that fears God neglects nothing."
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
One wise person: E.g., see 9:14-15; 2 Sam 20:15-22.
Rashi on Ecclesiastes 7:19
Wisdom gives [more] strength to the wise. Since it stated, “be not excessively wicked,”45Above, verse 17. if you have been somewhat wicked, do not add to it, rather examine your deeds and regret the sin. He states, “wisdom gives [more] strength to the wise,” because it leads him to repentance.46Rashi explains the juxtaposition of verse 17 with this verse is to teach that in the event a person sinned slightly, his wisdom will encourage him to repent his way. (Sifsei Chachomim)
Than ten rulers. We find regarding Yoshiyahu, that Scripture testified about him, “the likes of him there had never been a king before him, etc.”47II Melochim 23:25. Therefore, his wisdom remained with him, and he exam…
