Ecclesiastes 7:19

19 bonum est te sustentare iustum sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam quia qui Deum timet nihil neglegit

Ecclesiastes 7:19 Meaning and Commentary

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 Ecclesiastes 9:18 ) ; 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 valiant men: Christ, and grace from him, strengthen more than ten mighty [men] which are in the city;
that is, than many mighty men, or men of war, which guard a city; the city of Jerusalem, or any other. The Targum applies this to Joseph, and paraphrases it,

``the wisdom of Joseph the son of Jacob helped him to make him wiser than all his ten righteous brethren.''

Ecclesiastes 7:19 In-Context

17 noli esse iustus multum neque plus sapias quam necesse est ne obstupescas
18 ne impie agas multum et noli esse stultus ne moriaris in tempore non tuo
19 bonum est te sustentare iustum sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam quia qui Deum timet nihil neglegit
20 sapientia confortabit sapientem super decem principes civitatis
21 non est enim homo iustus in terra qui faciat bonum et non peccet
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.