Ecclesiastes 4:13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.

◄ Ecclesiastes 4:13 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.

English Standard Version
Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.

New American Standard Bible
A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.

King James Bible
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer pays attention to warnings.

International Standard Version
A poor but wise youth is better than an old but foolish king who will no longer accept correction.

American Standard Version
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Better is a child that is poor and wise, than a king that is old and foolish, who knoweth not to foresee for hereafter.

Darby Bible Translation
Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.

Young's Literal Translation
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who hath not known to be warned any more.

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

4:13-16 People are never long easy and satisfied; they are fond of changes. This is no new thing. Princes see themselves slighted by those they have studied to oblige; this is vanity and vexation of spirit. But the willing servants of the Lord Jesus, our King, rejoice in him alone, and they will love Him more and more to all eternity.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

13. The "threefold cord" [Ec 4:12] of social ties suggests the subject of civil government. In this case too, he concludes that kingly power confers no lasting happiness. The "wise" child, though a supposed case of Solomon, answers, in the event foreseen by the Holy Ghost, to Jeroboam, then a poor but valiant youth, once a "servant" of Solomon, and (1Ki 11:26-40) appointed by God through the prophet Ahijah to be heir of the kingdom of the ten tribes about to be rent from Rehoboam. The "old and foolish king" answers to Solomon himself, who had lost his wisdom, when, in defiance of two warnings of God (1Ki 3:14; 9:2-9), he forsook God.

will no more be admonished—knows not yet how to take warning (see Margin) God had by Ahijah already intimated the judgment coming on Solomon (1Ki 11:11-13).