A Brief Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Commentary on Ecclesiastes · Verses 54
Eccleſ. 9.13, to 18.
13 This wiſdom have I ſeene alſo under the ſun, and it ſeemed great unto me:
14 There was a little city, and few men within it, and there came a great King againſt it, and beſieged it, and built great bulwarkes againſt it.
15 Now there was found in it a poor wiſe man, and he by his wiſdom delivered the city, yet no man remembred that ſame poor man.
16 Then ſaid I, wiſdom is better then ſtrength: nevertheſeſse the poor mans wiſdom is deſpiſed, and his words are not heard.
17 The words of wiſe men are heard in quiet more then the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Wiſdom is better then weapons of war: but one ſinner deſtroyeth much good.
SOlomon having obſerved in, v. 11. that the battell is not to the ſtrong; bread is not to the wiſe; In theſe two verſes he giveth an inſtance of the diſappointment of great ſtrength (by ſuch a ſubject as was leaſt able to reſiſt it) to wit, by weak means in a weak ſubject; and of the neglect of ſuch a wiſe man. The weak ſubject is, firſt, A little City; ſecondly, few men in it. The great ſtrength againſt it, firſt, There came a great King againſt it; ſecondly, he beſieged it; thirdly, he built great bulwarks againſt it, v. 14. The weak means, A poor wiſe man found in the City, and by his wiſdom delivered the City, v. 15. Which act of the poor man is amplied by the ſlender requital of that poor man, expreſſed in an argument à Diverſis: yet no man remembred that poor man, v. 15. All which paſſages Solomon ſetteth forth, firſt, by the Adjunct, wiſdom, great wiſdom, which he obſerved in it, v. 13. Secondly, By the wiſe obſervations which he gathered from it: Firſt, that wiſdom is better then ſtrength. Secondly, That a poor mans wiſdom is neglected, v. 16. Thirdly, that the words of the wiſe are more heard in quiet, then the cry of a Ruler among fools, v. 17. Fourthly, That wiſdom is better then weapons of war. Fifthly, that one ſinner deſtroyeth much good, v. 18.
Doctr. It is a matter of much wiſdom (or a matter affording much wiſdom to the obſervers of it) A little City of ſmall ſtrength, and few inhabitants, beſieged by a great King, with ſtrong bulwarks, to be preſerved and delivered by one poor man; and yet the poor man to be neglected. So Abel (in Beth-maacha) by a wiſe woman, 2 Sam. 20.15, &c. Samaria by Eliſha, 2 Kings 7.1, &c. Hieruſalem by Iſaiah, 2 Kings 19.2, &c. Thebes by Epaminondas, Lampſacum from Alexander the great by Anaximenes, Siracuſe by Archimedes, from Marcellus. Alexandria by Anatolius from the Roman forces. See Valer. Max. l. 7. c. 3. Euſeb. lib. 7. c. 26.
Reaſons of this power of wiſdom: Firſt, Gods pleaſure to magnifie and exalt gifts of mind above gifts of body; as the ſoule it ſelfe is more excellent then the body, Prov. 21.22. Eccleſ. 7.19. Secondly, From the wiſdome of ſpirituall wiſdom, to entruſt God with the cauſe of the City it ſelfe, 2 Chron. 20.12, 15. Prov. 18.10. [Prov. 30.26.]
Reaſon of neglect of the wiſe poor: Firſt, the envy of the rich. Secondly, the conceit of his want of means to get any wiſdom but by ſome chance hapning on a good courſe, Matth. 13.54, 55. Thirdly, from the vanity incident to all the good things of man by the fall, Eccleſ. 1.2. Fourthly, from the wiſdome of God to prevent a poor wiſe mans pride.
Ʋſe 1. To teach wiſe men to obſerve the greater wiſdom in the greater paſſages of humane affaires, by weaker means verſ. 13. Where God ſoweth much, we ſhould reap the more.
Ʋſe 2. To teach us Wiſdom is better then ſtrength or weapons of war, v. 16, 18.
Ʋſe 3. To obſerve the neglected condition of a poor wiſe man, v. 15, 16.
Ʋſe 4. To obſerve a time of ſilence and quietneſſe wherein to utter words of wiſdom.
Ʋſe 5. To teach us that as one poor wiſe man may doe his Countrey much good; ſo may a ſinner by his wickedneſſe doe his Countrey much hurt, v. 18. Achan did much hurt, Joſh. 7.11, 12. Jonah alſo, though a good man, yet erring out of the way, and wandring in ſin, Jonah 1.11.
Reaſon. From the contagion of ſin, 1 Cor. 5.6. The troublers of Iſrael, are the ſinners in Zion, 1 Kings 18.17, 18.