Ecclesiastes 7:12 (YLT)

Passage

For wisdom <FI>is<Fi> a defense, money <FI>is<Fi> a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom <FI>is<Fi> , She reviveth her possessors.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:10 Say not thou, `What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

Ecclesiastes 7:11 Wisdom <FI>is<Fi> good with an inheritance, And an advantage <FI>it is<Fi> to those beholding the sun.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom <FI>is<Fi> a defense, money <FI>is<Fi> a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom <FI>is<Fi> , She reviveth her possessors.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

Ecclesiastes 7:14 In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wisdom", "defense", "money", "defence", "advantage", "knowledge", and "reviveth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wisdom" and "defense", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Wisdom FI is Fi good with an..." into verse 13's "See the work of God For who...", so "wisdom" and "defense" 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 "defense" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.