Verse (Click for Chapter) 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 VersionA 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 BibleA 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 BibleThere 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 1917there 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 Strength13I 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. Jump to Previous Attack Besieged Building Built Bulwarks City Constructed Encompassed Few Great Little Once Powerful Siegeworks Small Surrounded War Within WorksJump to Next Attack Besieged Building Built Bulwarks City Constructed Encompassed Few Great Little Once Powerful Siegeworks Small Surrounded War Within WorksEcclesiastes 9 1. like things happen to good and bad4. 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 and a mighty king came against it surrounded it and built large siege works against it Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew There was a smallקְטַנָּ֔ה (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 Links Ecclesiastes 9:14 NIVEcclesiastes 9:14 NLT Ecclesiastes 9:14 ESV Ecclesiastes 9:14 NASB Ecclesiastes 9:14 KJV Ecclesiastes 9:14 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 9:14 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 9:14 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 9:14 French Bible Ecclesiastes 9:14 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 9:14 There was a little city and few (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) |