Ecclesiastes 4:13 - Meaning and Application

Solomon was a king himself, so he could speak freely about how empty royal power and status can be. He had already said something similar, “The crown does not last for every generation” (Proverbs 27:24), and his son learned that for himself. Nothing is more unstable than the highest place of honor, unless it is joined with wisdom and the people’s love.

A king is not truly happy unless he has wisdom (Ecclesiastes 4:13, Ecclesiastes 4:14). A person who is truly wise, sensible, and godly may be poor and very young, and so be ignored by others. Yet he is better, more valuable, and more worthy of respect than a king who is old but foolish. Such a wise person is more likely to help himself well and to be a greater blessing to his generation. By contrast, a foolish king does not know how to manage public affairs, and he will not listen to warning or advice. To be “not admonished” means he will not allow counsel to be given, or he will not pay attention when it is given. That is not a royal honor. It is one of the greatest shames a king can have.

Foolishness and stubbornness usually go together. Those who most need correction are often least able to bear it. But neither age nor a title can keep people in respect if they do not have true wisdom and virtue. Wisdom and virtue, on the other hand, can win honor even when a person is young and poor. To show that a wise child is better than a foolish king, Solomon points to what happens to each one in the end (Ecclesiastes 4:14).

A poor person may rise by wisdom, as Joseph did. Joseph was young and had been in prison, yet he was brought out and made second in the kingdom. Solomon seems to be thinking of that story. God sometimes lifts the poor from the dust and sets them among princes (Psalm 113:7, Psalm 113:8). Wisdom has lifted people not only from weakness and shame, but even from the dungeon to the throne.

A king, by foolishness and stubbornness, can also fall into poverty. He may have been born into the kingdom, received it by inheritance, and lived long enough to build up great wealth. But if he follows a bad path and refuses advice, thinking that age makes him beyond correction, he may become poor. His treasury can be emptied, and he may even be forced to give up his crown and live in private life.

A king also needs to remember that he will be followed by another ruler, a second child who will stand in his place. This may mean his own son, or it may mean the poor and wise child mentioned earlier (Ecclesiastes 4:13). Old kings must face the humbling sight of those who will push them aside and take their place.

People often praise whoever is rising, like a sun that is just coming up. “All the living who walk under the sun” side with the second child. They favor him, spend time with him, and court his favor more than the father’s. They assume the older ruler is already fading, and they look down on him because his best days are over. Solomon had seen this in his own people, and it appeared right after his death, when they complained about his rule and wanted change.

People are never settled for long. There is no end, no rest, to their changing desires. They are always eager for something new, and they do not even know what they want. This is not something new either. It has happened in every age, and even Samuel and David could not keep everyone pleased. What has happened before will likely happen again. Those who come after will have the same spirit, and they will not stay long in the praise they first seemed to give. Today they cry, “Hosanna,” and tomorrow, “Crucify.”

For princes, this must be deeply painful. They have worked to please people and have depended on them, yet they are often treated lightly by the same people. There is no trust in man, no steady faithfulness. This, too, is vanity and a grief that weighs on the spirit.