Ecclesiastes 7:20 (DRB)

Passage

Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:18 Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest thou die before thy time.

Ecclesiastes 7:19 It is good that thou shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.

Ecclesiastes 7:21 For there is no just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.

Ecclesiastes 7:22 But do not apply thy heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant reviling thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wisdom", "hath", "strengthened", "wise", "than", "princes", and "city". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wisdom" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "It is good that thou shouldst hold..." into verse 21's "For there is no just man upon...", so "wisdom" and "hath" belong inside that flow. In Ecclesiastes context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wisdom" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.