Ecc 9:13-16 | NETfull | STEP | This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, and it is a great burden to me:

Ecclesiastes 9:13-16

Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel

13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, ^{▼▼ Heb “under the sun.”}
and it is a great burden ^{▼▼ The term “burden” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.} to me:
14 There was once ^{▼▼ The verbs in this section function either as past definite actions (describing a past situation) or as hypothetical past actions (describing an imaginary hypothetical situation for the sake of illustration). The LXX uses subjunctives throughout vv. 14–15 to depict the scenario as a hypothetical situation: “Suppose there was a little city, and a few men [lived] in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great siege-works against it; and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom; yet no man would remember that poor man.”} a small city with a few men in it,
and a mighty king attacked it, besieging ^{▼▼ The two perfect tense verbs וְסָבַב (v^esavav, “he besieged”) and וּבָנָה (uvanah, “he built”) may be taken in a complementary sense, qualifying the action of the main perfect tense verb וּבָא (uva’, “he attacked it”).} it and building strong ^{▼▼ The root גדל (“mighty; strong; large”) is repeated in 9:13b for emphasis: “a mighty (גָדוֹל, gadol) king…building strong (גְדֹלִים, g^edolim) siege works.” This repetition highlights the contrast between the vast power and resources of the attacking king, and the meager resources of the “little” (קְטַנָּה, q^etannah) city with “few” (מְעָט, m^e’at) men in it to defend it.} siege works against it.
15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, ^{▼▼ Heb “was found in it”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.}
and he could have delivered ^{▼▼ Or “he delivered.” The verb וּמִלַּט (umillat, from מָלַט, malat, “to deliver”) is functioning either in an indicative sense (past definite action: “he delivered”) or in a modal sense (past potential: “he could have delivered”). The literal meaning of זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”) in the following line harmonizes with the indicative: “but no one remembered that poor man [afterward].” However, the modal is supported by v. 16: “A poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.” This approach must nuance זָכַר (“to remember”) as “[no one] listened to [that poor man].” Most translations favor the indicative approach: “he delivered” or “he saved” (KJV, RSV, NRSV, NAB, ASV, NASB, MLB, NIV); however, some adopt the modal nuance: “he might have saved” (NEB, NJPS, NASB margin).} the city by his wisdom,
but no one listened ^{▼▼ Heb “remembered.”} to that poor man.
16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, ^{▼▼ Or “power.”}
but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens ^{▼▼ The participle form נִשְׁמָעִים (nishma’im, Niphal participle mpl from שָׁמַע, “to listen”) is used verbally to emphasize a continual, durative, gnomic action.} to his advice. ^{▼▼ Heb “his words are never listened to.”}