Ecclésiaste 7:19

19 La sagesse donne plus de force au sage que dix gouverneurs qui seraient dans une ville.

Ecclésiaste 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.''

Ecclésiaste 7:19 In-Context

17 Ne sois pas méchant à l'excès, et ne sois point insensé; pourquoi mourrais-tu avant ton temps?
18 Il est bon que tu retiennes ceci, et que tu ne négliges pas cela; car celui qui craint Dieu, sort de toutes ces choses.
19 La sagesse donne plus de force au sage que dix gouverneurs qui seraient dans une ville.
20 Certainement il n'y a point d'homme juste sur la terre, qui fasse le bien et qui ne pèche point.
21 Aussi ne fais point attention à toutes les paroles qu'on dira, de peur que tu n'entendes ton serviteur parler mal de toi.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.