Ecclesiastes 9

11–12 Here the Teacher gives a further example of natural “wisdom”: everything in life is determined by chance, by fate.²¹ Speed, strength, wisdom and brains do not determine the outcome of our lives; the fastest man in the race can stumble and fall. At any moment, evil times can come upon us unexpectedly (verse 12).

Wisdom Better Than Folly (9:13–18)

13–18 In this section, the Teacher tells a story illustrating both the benefits and the limitations of wisdom. First, his story shows the superiority of wisdom over strength (Ecclesiastes 7:19): the poor wise man prevailed over the powerful king (verses 14–15). Later on, however, the wise man was forgotten and his wisdom was despised (verse 16). Wisdom may be better than weapons of war (verse 18), but it can be shouted down by fools—even by one sinner.