Ecclesiastes 9:13-16 Meaning: Why the Poor Wise Man Was Forgotten
13I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
15Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
13I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed great unto me:
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
13This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.
14A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;
15and there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!
16And I said, `Better is wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' --
13This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.
16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Meaning in one sentence
The Preacher tells of a poor wise man who saves a city yet is forgotten. Discover why this story matters for how we value wisdom under the sun.
Context
Ecclesiastes is a book of wisdom that looks at life “under the sun”, from a human perspective, where not everything turns out as it should. By chapter 9, the Preacher (traditionally Solomon) has been wrestling with death, unfair timing, and the limits of human effort. Just before this passage, he said the race does not always go to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Now he offers a specific example: a small city, a great king, and a poor wise man nobody remembers afterward. It is a story that feels true to life, whether it happened exactly or stands as a kind of parable. The Preacher holds it up as wisdom that seemed great to him, and then he lets it sit unfinished, the way many wise acts sit in our own world.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words in this passage deserve a closer look. The man is called “poor” (miskēn), not just someone without money, but a person of low status, easily overlooked. The same root appears twice: the poor wise man, and then “the poor man’s wisdom is despised.” The word for “despised” (bāzāh) means to hold someone as light, worthless, of no account. It is the opposite of honoring. And then there is “remembered” (zākhar), the city did not recollect him, did not call him to mind. These three words together tell the whole sorrow: the man was poor, so his wisdom counted for nothing in people’s eyes, and he slipped from memory. Yet the Preacher still calls this wisdom, and says it seemed great to him. That is the tension the passage asks us to sit with.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this little story in different ways. Some, like John Gill, see it as a picture of Christ, the poor wise man who delivers his people yet is despised and rejected. Others, like Adam Clarke, warn against spiritualizing the details that way, preferring to take it as a straightforward observation about how the world works. The Cambridge Bible notes that the story may refer to a known event, perhaps the siege of Dora or a similar incident. Matthew Henry uses it to encourage believers that wisdom is still valuable even when it goes unrewarded on earth. Across these readings, all agree that the Preacher's point stands: wisdom is better than strength, even when no one thanks the wise.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the Preacher is saying wisdom is useless because the poor man's help was forgotten. But that misses his main point. He still declares, “Wisdom is better than strength.” The forgetfulness of people does not change the true value of wisdom. The mistake is to measure wisdom by how much applause it receives.
Living This Out
This week, you may find yourself doing something wise that no one notices. Maybe you prevent a conflict at work with a quiet word, or you give good counsel to a friend who never mentions it again. The passage gives you permission to let that be enough. God sees what was done, and calls it wisdom, even if no human remembers. You can also look for the forgotten people around you. Is there someone whose help you once received but never thanked? A small gesture of gratitude now can break the pattern of forgetting.
Main takeaway: A wise act that goes unrecognized is still wiser than strength that everyone applauds.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
There was a poor man who was very wise. He saved a whole city! But then nobody said thank you, and they forgot all about him. God never forgets the good things you do, even when other people do.
For ages 9, 12
The poor wise man saved the city, but because he was poor and not important, people forgot him. That doesn't mean his wisdom was worthless. Sometimes you will do the right thing and nobody will clap. But God knows, and His opinion is the one that counts. You can also be the kind of person who remembers and thanks the people who help you, especially the quiet ones.
Questions People Ask
Is the story of the poor wise man a real historical event?
The commentators are divided. Some, like Barnes, think it is a parable without fact. Others suggest it may refer to events like the siege of Dora (218 BC) or the wise woman of Abel in 2 Samuel 20. The Preacher does not give names or places, so we cannot be sure. What matters is that the pattern is true: wisdom saves, but the wise are often forgotten.
What does 'under the sun' mean in Ecclesiastes?
It is the Preacher's repeated phrase for life seen from a human perspective, without taking eternity into account. It is the world of time, chance, and death. The phrase sets the limits of his observation: he is describing how things look when we only look horizontally.
Does this passage mean wisdom is useless?
No. The Preacher clearly says 'wisdom is better than strength.' But he also admits that wisdom does not guarantee fame or gratitude. The value of wisdom is real, but it is not always rewarded by people. That is part of the 'vanity' he describes, the frustration of living in a world where good things go unrecognized.
Why does the Preacher call this wisdom 'great' when it ends in forgetfulness?
Because he sees the intrinsic worth of wisdom itself. The man saved the city. That is a genuinely good outcome. The forgetfulness of the people does not undo the deliverance. The Preacher holds both truths together: wisdom works, and wisdom is often despised. He calls it great because it is great, even if people are ungrateful.
Who is the poor wise man? Could it be Christ?
Some Christian interpreters, like John Gill, see Christ foreshadowed here: the one who became poor, who delivered his people, and was despised and rejected. Others, like Adam Clarke, warn against spiritualizing the text this way. Across Christian history, both readings have existed. The passage does not name the man, so it remains open.
For pastors & researchers
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