“For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”

Context & Editorial Note

This verse appears in Ecclesiastes, a wisdom text that reflects on human conduct, uncertainty, and the limits of earthly pursuits. In the King James Version, published in 1611, it contrasts the protective functions associated with wisdom and money while assigning distinctive value to knowledge through its life-giving effect. The wording is presented here as a source-based literary observation, without extending its theological claims into financial guidance or modern economic interpretation.