Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war
And does what they cannot do; of which the wisdom of the poor
wise man is a full proof, which delivered the city from a potent
prince, when weapons of war could not: see ( Ecclesiastes
7:10 ) ; but one sinner destroyeth much
good:
his own soul by his sins, and the souls of others by his
counsels, example, and conversation, which corrupt good manners;
so does one sinner in a family, neighbourhood, and town; as one
poor wise man does much good, one sinner mars much; one Achan in
a camp or army, one bad counsel for in a cabinet, one false
teacher in the church, will do a great deal of mischief, as well
as one debauchee in a town or city. The Vulgate Latin version is,
"who sins in one"; offends or sins in one, as in ( James 2:10 ) ; so the
Syriac version, "one sin destroys much good", or many good
things; and to the same purpose the Arabic version, "he that
committeth one sin".