Verse 19
THREE PROVERBS
"Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city. Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. Also take not heed to all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee; for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others."
"Wisdom is a strength ... more than ten rulers" (Ecclesiastes 7:19). The statement here is a variation of what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 21:22. The story of Job's capture of the ancient stronghold of Salem (Jerusalem) is an illustration of this truth.
"There is not a righteous man ... that sinneth not" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). New Testament writers echo this same conviction (Romans 3:10-12; 1 John 1:10). This is also exactly the same thing that Solomon said in 1 Kings 8:46. Eaton pointed out that this charge of man's sinfulness, "Includes both sins of commission (doeth good), and sins of omission (sinneth not)."[30]
"Take not heed unto all the words that are spoken" (Ecclesiastes 7:21) "... thine own heart knoweth" (Ecclesiastes 7:22). These verses are an appeal to man's conscience. "The Hebrews had no word for conscience, and they used heart as an equivalent. One knows how little meaning attaches to many of one's own idle words, and should not therefore pay any attention to the idle words of others."[31]
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