Ecclesiastes 9:17 - Exposition

The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools . This verse would be better translated, Words of the wise in quiet are heard better than the shout of a chief among fools . The Vulgate takes the tranquility to appertain to the hearers, thus: Verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio ; but, as Delitzsch points out, the contrast between "quiet" and "cry" shows that it is the man, and not his auditors, who is quiet. The sentence says that a wise man's words, uttered calmly, deliberately, without pompous declamation or adventitious aids, are of more value than the blustering vociferation of an arch-fool, who seeks to force acceptance for his folly by loudness and swagger (comp. Isaiah 30:15 ; and see Isaiah 42:2 and Matthew 12:19 , passages which speak of the peacefulness, reticence, and unobtrusiveness of true wisdom, as seen in the Son of God). The verse introduces a kind of exception to the general rejection of wisdom mentioned above. Though the multitude turn a deaf ear to a wise man's counsel, yet this tells in the long run, and there are always some teachable persons-who sit at his feet and learn from him. "He that ruleth among fools" is not one that governs a silly people, but one who is a prince of fools, who takes the highest place among such.