Ecclesiastes 9:14
New International Version
There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it.

New Living Translation
There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it.

English Standard Version
There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it.

Berean Standard Bible
There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.

King James Bible
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

New King James Version
There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.

New American Standard Bible
there was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and constructed large siegeworks against it.

NASB 1995
There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it.

NASB 1977
There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and constructed large siegeworks against it.

Legacy Standard Bible
There was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and built large siegeworks against it.

Amplified Bible
There was a little city with few men in it and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great battlements against it.

Christian Standard Bible
There was a small city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege works against it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
There was a small city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege works against it.

American Standard Version
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

Contemporary English Version
It happened when a powerful ruler surrounded and attacked a small city where only a few people lived. The enemy army was getting ready to break through the city walls.

English Revised Version
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
There was a small town with a few soldiers in it, and a powerful king came to attack it. He surrounded it and blockaded it.

Good News Translation
There was a little town without many people in it. A powerful king attacked it. He surrounded it and prepared to break through the walls.

International Standard Version
There was a little city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built massive siege ramps against it.

Majority Standard Bible
There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.

NET Bible
There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it.

New Heart English Bible
There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great siege works against it.

Webster's Bible Translation
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

World English Bible
There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A little city, and few men in it, and a great king has come to it, and has surrounded it, and has built against it great bulwarks;

Young's Literal Translation
A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;

Smith's Literal Translation
A little city, and men in it few; and a great king came against it, and surrounded it, and built against it great entrenchments:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.

Catholic Public Domain Version
There was a small city, with a few men in it. There came against it a great king, who surrounded it, and built fortifications all around it, and the blockade was completed.

New American Bible
Against a small city with few inhabitants advanced a mighty king, who surrounded it and threw up great siegeworks about it.

New Revised Standard Version
There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
There was a little city and few men in it; and there came a great king against it and beseiged it and built bulwarks against it;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
There was a small city and a few children of men in it, and a great King came to it and he surrounded it and he built bulwarks against it
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
suppose there were a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wisdom is Better than Strength
13I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me: 14There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it. 15Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 20:16-22
a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.” / When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered. / Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled. ...

Judges 9:50-57
Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it. / But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower. / When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire. ...

2 Kings 19:32-36
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city, declares the LORD. / I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’” ...

Proverbs 21:22
A wise man scales the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

2 Chronicles 32:1-22
After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself. / When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to make war against Jerusalem, / he consulted with his leaders and mighty men about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out. ...

Isaiah 37:33-36
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city,’ declares the LORD. / ‘I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’” ...

2 Samuel 20:15
And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,

2 Kings 6:14-23
the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city. / When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, behold, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” / “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” ...

2 Kings 7:6-7
For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.” / Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives.

Proverbs 24:5-6
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength. / Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.

1 Samuel 23:7-13
When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” / Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men. / When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” ...

1 Kings 20:1-21
Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it. / Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, / saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’” ...

Luke 14:31-32
Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? / And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.

Matthew 5:13-16
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. / You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. / Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ...

1 Corinthians 1:25-29
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. / Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. / But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ...


Treasury of Scripture

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

there was

2 Samuel 20:15-22
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down…

2 Kings 6:24-33
And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria…

2 Kings 7:1
Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

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Attack Besieged Building Built Bulwarks City Constructed Encompassed Few Great Little Once Powerful Siegeworks Small Surrounded War Within Works
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














There was a small city
The phrase "small city" suggests a place of limited resources and defenses. In the Hebrew context, a "city" (עִיר, 'ir) often referred to a fortified settlement, but here it is described as "small," indicating vulnerability. This imagery sets the stage for a narrative of unexpected wisdom and deliverance, emphasizing that size and strength are not always determinants of success or survival. Historically, small cities in ancient Israel were often overshadowed by larger, more powerful neighbors, yet they held strategic importance and were frequently the sites of significant biblical events.

with few men in it
The description "with few men" highlights the city's lack of manpower, which in ancient times was crucial for defense and labor. The Hebrew word for "men" (אֲנָשִׁים, 'anashim) can also imply warriors or defenders. This scarcity underscores the city's helplessness against external threats, setting up a contrast between human weakness and divine wisdom. In the biblical narrative, God often uses the weak and the few to accomplish His purposes, as seen in accounts like Gideon's army (Judges 7).

and a mighty king came against it
The "mighty king" represents overwhelming power and authority. The Hebrew term for "mighty" (גָּדוֹל, gadol) conveys greatness in size, strength, or importance. This king's approach signifies an impending threat, a common occurrence in the ancient Near East where powerful empires frequently besieged smaller cities. Theologically, this can be seen as a metaphor for the trials and challenges that believers face, reminding them of the need for reliance on God's wisdom rather than human strength.

surrounded it
To "surround" (סָבַב, sabab) a city was a common military tactic, cutting off supplies and escape routes to force surrender. This action indicates a strategic and calculated approach by the king, emphasizing the city's dire situation. In a spiritual sense, being surrounded can symbolize the pressures and encroachments of worldly challenges on a believer's life, calling for steadfast faith and divine intervention.

and built large siege works against it
"Siege works" (מְצוֹדָה, metzodah) were structures or devices used to breach city walls, such as ramps or towers. The construction of "large" siege works implies a significant investment of resources and determination to conquer the city. Historically, sieges were prolonged and devastating, often leading to famine and despair within the besieged city. This imagery serves as a powerful reminder of the relentless nature of spiritual warfare and the need for divine wisdom and protection. In the broader biblical narrative, it underscores the theme of God's deliverance against seemingly insurmountable odds, as seen in the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege in the time of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19).

(14) Idle attempts have been made to find a historic reference in this passage. What is here told is so like the story (2 Samuel 20) of the deliverance of Abel-beth-Maachah by a wise woman, whose name, nevertheless, has not been preserved, that we cannot even be sure that the writer had any other real history in his mind.

Verse 14. - There was a little city. The substantive verb is, as commonly, omitted. Commentators have amused themselves with endeavoring to identify the city here mentioned. Thus some see herein Athens, saved by the counsel of Themistocles, who was afterwards driven from Athens and died in misery (Justin., 2:12); or Dora, near Mount Carmel, besieged unsuccessfully by Antiochus the Great, B.C. 218, though we know nothing of the circumstances (Polyb., 5:66); but see note on ver. 13. The Septuagint takes the whole paragraph hypothetically, "Suppose there was a little city," etc. Wright well compares the historical allusions to events fresh in the minds of his hearers made by our Lord in his parable of the pounds (Luke 19:12, 14, 15, 27). So we may regard the present section as a parable founded on some historical fact well known at the time when the book was written. A great king. The term points to some Persian or Assyrian potentate; or it may mean merely a powerful general (see 1 Kings 11:24; Job 29:25). Built great bulwarks against it. The Septuagint has χάρακας μεγάλους, "great palisades;" the Vulgate, Extruxitque munitiones per gyrum. What are meant are embankments or mounds raised high enough to overtop the walls of the town, and to command the positions of the besieged. For the same purpose wooden towers were also used (see Deuteronomy 20:20; 2 Samuel 20:15; 2 Kings 19:32; Jeremiah lit. 4). The Vulgate rounds off the account in the text by adding, et perfects est obsidio, " and the beleaguering was completed."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
There was a small
קְטַנָּ֔ה (qə·ṭan·nāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant

city
עִ֣יר (‘îr)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

with few men.
מְעָ֑ט (mə·‘āṭ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

A mighty
גָּדוֹל֙ (gā·ḏō·wl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

king
מֶ֤לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

came
וּבָֽא־ (ū·ḇā-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

against it,
אֵלֶ֜יהָ (’ê·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

surrounded it,
וְסָבַ֣ב (wə·sā·ḇaḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround

and built
וּבָנָ֥ה (ū·ḇā·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

large
גְּדֹלִֽים׃ (gə·ḏō·lîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

siege ramps
מְצוֹדִ֥ים (mə·ṣō·w·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4685: A net, a, fastness, tower

against it.
עָלֶ֖יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 9:14 There was a little city and few (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 9:13
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