Bible Commentaries

Following up Ecclesiastes 9:18.

him that is in reputation — for example, David (2 Samuel 12:14); Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-43); Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 18:1-34; 2 Chronicles 19:2); Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:22). The more delicate the perfume, the more easily spoiled is the ointment. Common oil is not so liable to injury. So the higher a man‘s religious character is, the more hurt is caused by a sinful folly in him. Bad savor is endurable in oil, but not in what professes to be, and is compounded by the perfumer (“apothecary”) for, fragrance. “Flies” answer to “a little folly” (sin), appropriately, being small (1 Corinthians 5:6); also, “Beelzebub” means prince of flies. “Ointment” answers to “reputation” (Ecclesiastes 7:1; Genesis 34:30). The verbs are singular, the noun plural, implying that each of the flies causes the stinking savor.

(Ecclesiastes 2:14).

right — The right hand is more expert than the left. The godly wise is more on his guard than the foolish sinner, though at times he slip. Better a diamond with a flaw, than a pebble without one.

by the way — in his ordinary course; in his simplest acts (Proverbs 6:12-14). That he “saith,” virtually, “that he” himself, etc. [Septuagint]. But Vulgate, “He thinks that every one (else whom he meets) is a fool.”

spirit — anger.

yielding pacifieth — (Proverbs 15:1). This explains “leave not thy place”; do not in a resisting spirit withdraw from thy post of duty (Ecclesiastes 8:3).

as — rather, “by reason of an error” [Maurer and Holden].

rich — not in mere wealth, but in wisdom, as the antithesis to “folly” (for “foolish men”) shows. So Hebrew, rich, equivalent to “liberal,” in a good sense (Isaiah 32:5). Mordecai and Haman (Esther 3:1, Esther 3:2; Esther 6:6-11).

servants upon horses — the worthless exalted to dignity (Jeremiah 17:25); and vice versa (2 Samuel 15:30).

The fatal results to kings of such an unwise policy; the wrong done to others recoils on themselves (Ecclesiastes 8:9); they fall into the pit which they dug for others (Esther 7:10; Psalm 7:15; Proverbs 26:27). Breaking through the wise fences of their throne, they suffer unexpectedly themselves; as when one is stung by a serpent lurking in the stones of his neighbor‘s garden wall (Psalm 80:12), which he maliciously pulls down (Amos 5:19).

removeth stones — namely, of an ancient building [Weiss]. His neighbor‘s landmarks [Holden]. Cuts out from the quarry [Maurer].

endangered — by the splinters, or by the head of the hatchet, flying back on himself. Pithy aphorisms are common in the East. The sense is: Violations of true wisdom recoil on the perpetrators.

blunt — in “cleaving wood” (Ecclesiastes 10:9), answering to the “fool set in dignity” (Ecclesiastes 10:6), who wants sharpness. More force has then to be used in both cases; but “force” without judgment “endangers” one‘s self. Translate, “If one hath blunted his iron” [Maurer]. The preference of rash to judicious counselors, which entailed the pushing of matters by force, proved to be the “hurt” of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1-33).

wisdom is profitable to direct — to a prosperous issue. Instead of forcing matters by main “strength” to one‘s own hurt (Ecclesiastes 9:16, Ecclesiastes 9:18).

A “serpent will bite” if “enchantment” is not used; “and a babbling calumniator is no better.” Therefore, as one may escape a serpent by charms (Psalm 58:4, Psalm 58:5), so one may escape the sting of a calumniator by discretion (Ecclesiastes 10:12), [Holden]. Thus, “without enchantment” answers to “not whet the edge” (Ecclesiastes 10:10), both expressing, figuratively, want of judgment. Maurer translates, “There is no gain to the enchanter” (Margin, “master of the tongue”) from his enchantments, because the serpent bites before he can use them; hence the need of continual caution. Ecclesiastes 10:8-10, caution in acting; Ecclesiastes 10:11 and following verses, caution in speaking.

gracious — Thereby he takes precaution against sudden injury (Ecclesiastes 10:11).

swallow up himself — (Proverbs 10:8, Proverbs 10:14, Proverbs 10:21, Proverbs 10:32; Proverbs 12:13; Proverbs 15:2; Proverbs 22:11).

Illustrating the folly and injuriousness of the fool‘s words; last clause of Ecclesiastes 10:12.

full of words — (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

a man cannot tell what shall be — (Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 8:7; Ecclesiastes 11:2; Proverbs 27:1). If man, universally (including the wise man), cannot foresee the future, much less can the fool; his “many words” are therefore futile.

wearieth — (Isaiah 55:2; Habakkuk 2:13).

knoweth not how to go to the city — proverb for ignorance of the most ordinary matters (Ecclesiastes 10:3); spiritually, the heavenly city (Psalm 107:7; Matthew 7:13, Matthew 7:14). Maurer connects Ecclesiastes 10:15 with the following verses. The labor (vexation) caused by the foolish (injurious princes, Ecclesiastes 10:4-7) harasses him who “knows not how to go to the city,” to ingratiate himself with them there. English Version is simpler.

a child — given to pleasures; behaves with childish levity. Not in years; for a nation may be happy under a young prince, as Josiah.

eat in the morning — the usual time for dispensing justice in the East (Jeremiah 21:12); here, given to feasting (Isaiah 5:11; Acts 2:15).

son of nobles — not merely in blood, but in virtue, the true nobility (Song of Solomon 7:1; Isaiah 32:5, Isaiah 32:8).

in due season — (Ecclesiastes 3:1), not until duty has first been attended to.

for strength — to refresh the body, not for revelry (included in “drunkenness”).

building — literally, “the joining of the rafters,” namely, the kingdom (Ecclesiastes 10:16; Isaiah 3:6; Amos 9:11).

hands — (Ecclesiastes 4:5; Proverbs 6:10).

droppeth — By neglecting to repair the roof in time, the rain gets through.

Referring to Ecclesiastes 10:18. Instead of repairing the breaches in the commonwealth (equivalent to “building”), the princes “make a feast for laughter (Ecclesiastes 10:16), and wine maketh their life glad (Psalm 104:15), and (but) money supplieth (answereth their wishes by supplying) all things,” that is, they take bribes to support their extravagance; and hence arise the wrongs that are perpetrated (Ecclesiastes 10:5, Ecclesiastes 10:6; Ecclesiastes 3:16; Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 5:23). Maurer takes “all things” of the wrongs to which princes are instigated by “money”; for example, the heavy taxes, which were the occasion of Rehoboam losing ten tribes (1 Kings 12:4, etc.).

thought — literally, “consciousness.”

rich — the great. The language, as applied to earthly princes knowing the “thought,” is figurative. But it literally holds good of the King of kings (Psalm 139:1-24), whose consciousness of every evil thought we should ever realize.

bed-chamber — the most secret place (2 Kings 6:12).

bird of the air, etc. — proverbial (compare Habakkuk 2:11; Luke 19:40); in a way as marvelous and rapid, as if birds or some winged messenger carried to the king information of the curse so uttered. In the East superhuman sagacity was attributed to birds (see on Job 28:21; hence the proverb).