ECCLESIASTES 4:13

KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)

TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT

To get what Ecclesiastes 4:13 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity.

“Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.”

Medium popularity: 110 searches a month
Popularity relative to other verses in Ecclesiastes chapter 4 using average monthly Google searches.

Ecclesiastes 4:13 Translation & Meaning

What does this verse really mean? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. Use this reference information to gain deeper insight into the Bible and enrich your understanding. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1].

KJV Verse Original Hebrew Meaning/ Definition
This is a simplified translation of the original Hebrew word. Follow the buttons on the right to get more detail.
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Use the buttons below to get details on the Hebrew word and view related Bible verses that use the same root word.
Better ט֛וֹב Good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well) Better
is (No Hebrew definition. English implied.)
a poor מִסְכֵּ֖ן Indigent poor
and a wise וְחָכָ֑ם Wise, (i.e., intelligent, skilful or artful) wise
child יֶ֥לֶד Something born, i.e., a lad or offspring child
than an old זָקֵן֙ Old than old
and foolish וּכְסִ֔יל Properly, fat, i.e., (figuratively) stupid or silly foolish
king, מִמֶּ֤לֶךְ A king king
who אֲשֶׁ֛ר Who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc who
will יָדַ֥ע To know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) will
no לֹא Not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles no
more עֽוֹד׃ Properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more more
be admonished. לְהִזָּהֵ֖ר To gleam admonished

Verse Context

See Ecclesiastes 4:13 with its adjacent verses in bold below. Follow either of the two large buttons below to see these verses in their broader context of the King James Bible or a Bible concordance.

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  • 11  Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

  • 12  And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

  • 13  Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

  • 14  For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

  • 15  I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.




Sources:

The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.


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