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Selected Verse: Proverbs 21:22 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Pr 21:22 |
King James |
A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
"Wisdom is better than strength" (Ecc 7:19; Ecc 9:15).
strength . . . thereof--that in which they confide. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
| Even in war, counsel does more than brute strength. So of the warfare which is carried on in the inner battlefield of the soul. There also wisdom is mighty to the "pulling down of strongholds" (Co2 10:4, where Paul uses the very words of the Septuagint Version of this passage), and the wise man scales and keeps the city which the strong man armed has seized and made his own. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
22 A wise man scaleth a city of the mighty;
And casteth down the fortress in which they trusted.
Ecc 9:14. is a side-piece to this, according to which a single wise man, although poor, may become the deliverer of a city besieged by a great army, and destitute of the means of defence. עלה, seq. acc., means to climb up, Joe 2:7; here, of the scaling of a fortified town, viz., its fortress. עז is that which makes it עיר עז, Isa 26:1 : its armour of protection, which is designated by the genit. מבטחה, as the object and ground of their confidence. The vocalization מבטחה, for mibtachcha (cf. Jer 48:13 with Job 18:14), follows the rule Gesen. 27, Anm. 2b. The suff., as in לאתננּה, Isa 23:17, is lightened, because if its mappik, Michlol 30b; vid., regarding the various grounds of these formae raphatae pro mappicatis, Bttcher, 418. If a city is defended by ever so many valiant men, the wise man knows the point where it may be overcome, and knows how to organize the assault so as to destroy the proud fortress. With ויּרד, he brings to ruin, cf. עד רדתּהּ, Deu 20:20. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| The strength - The strongest sorts to which the citizens trust. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty - Wisdom is in many respects preferable to strength, even in the case of defense. See what skill does in the fortification and reduction of strong places. |
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
14 His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.
13 And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: