Instruction (10:1-4) Observation (10:5-19) Instruction (10:20-12:8) Conclusion (12:9-14) Money will answer everything. _A little folly mars the effect of wisdom, _and is sure to The scope of these verses is to keep subjects loyal and dutiful to the government. And as he drifts further to the left (away from the right), the more evident it becomes, even leading to the madness and evil outlined throughout Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 4-6 - Unsatisfying Wealth A. When fools are exalted and wise men are humiliated this is an evil error in the Preachers mind. Unfortunately, fools often get into places of authority, but more capable people are not given a chance (4-7). But this time he wants to tell us about wisdom and folly again but specifically as it applies to rulers. Ecclesiastes 10 is the tenth chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. 3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith [by demonstration] to every one that he is a fool. This chapter contains a series of proverbs, expressing the wisdom and Psalms 16:8; Psalms 110:5; Psalms 121:5). Thats exactly what happens when foolishness enters into a man whos known for his wisdom and honor. The preacher shows that its first People talk so confidently of the future and all. THE SPIRIT; the passion or wrath, as is manifest from the following Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. The labor of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knows not how to go to the city. And reality will hit hard for them and their country someday. Even when a fool walks along the way, Sometimes those who shouldnt be ruling are. Proud member Ecclesiastes 10:1-4 meaning Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom and its effects/consequences are readily apparent. 1 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler [rulers make]: So, whatever is to come is viewed by the Preacher as evil. Do not leave your post; (See Proverbs 15:4.) But thats not the way it works in this sin-cursed world. Hebrew. leave H3240 (H8686) post H4725 conc. b. Because of laziness the building decays: Lazy rulers bring down the great house of the nation, as a lazy householder lets the beams of his house collapse so that the roof sags and lets in the rain. (Wright). If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, Illustration of the conduct of wisdom under capricious rulers, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. _Lit_., Flies of death; because, Leave not In anger or discontent. A little bird told me is a proverb which appears in a variety of forms and cultures, including Aristophanes The Birds and the Hittite Take of Elkuhirsa. (Eaton). So, the speech of the wise is gracious and by it he receives favor from others. RSV is a child refers not to age but to general maturity. (Eaton). They live their life as if it were meaningless, directionless. let not subjects carry on a quarrel with their prince upon any private personal disgust ( ecclesiastes 10:4 ecclesiastes 10:4 ): " if the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, if upon some misinformation given him, or some mismanagement of thine, he is displeased at thee, and threaten thee, yet leave not thy place, forget not the duty of a If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. KJV Ecclesiastes 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary [perfume] to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for [is weightier than] wisdom and honour. He doesnt even know how to get to the city to work! They think money will solve all their problems. DEAD FLIES.] But a fools heart at his left. But unfortunately, life with its unpredictability sometimes nullifies the benefits of wisdom. He who digs a pit will fall into it: Solomon listed several examples of those who did wrong or foolish things and then suffered because of it. Ecclesiastes 10:4 now concerns what to do when there is some point of offense. Trying to somehow it's amazing to me what dumb things wise men can do and leaders can do and all.When we were little kids, we would make up our clubs with our secret oaths and our initiations and our passwords, and you know, the whole thing. In Solomon's reign the people were very rich, and lived in prosperity, which perhaps made them proud and petulant, and when the taxes were high, though they had enough to pay them with, it is probable that many conducted themselves . If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. He tries achievement and engages in vast building projects. Old Testament Poetry Well, that's great when you're a little boy and living in a world of unreal fantasies. quietly, making no returns, or at least giving soft answers, and what the fool is talking of; what is the drift of his discourse; or where it will end, and what he will bring it to, it is so noisy, confused, and incoherent: or no man can tell future things, or what will come to pass; nor can any man inform another of future events; Now my wife believes that this is a scriptural truth. or if he fall into outward distress, poverty, and want, his spiritual friend or friends will distribute to his necessity; if he falls into errors, as a good man may, such as are of the same religious society with him will take some pains to convince him of the error of his way, and to convert him from it, and to save a soul from death, and cover It is likewise profitable to direct the subjects how to act towards a prince that is inclined to bear hard upon them, so as not to alienate his affections from them, but to win upon him by humble remonstrances (not insolent demands, such as the people made upon Rehoboam), by patient submissions and peaceable expedients. 10 If the iron [axe head] be blunt, and he do not whet [sharpen] the edge, then must he put to [exert] more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct [give success]. The command which the wise man has over his own mind, feelings, passions, c., and the prudence with which he acts. But some people just don't grow up. If its modal, then its less certain and more conditional. ). And it's amazing how that the world thinks that money is a cure-all. The book contains philosophical speeches by a character called ' . CONCLUSION: Fools are apt, at every turn, to proclaim their folly, for Ecclesiastes 10:1 reminds us that even small things have consequences. Laziness and idleness will eventuate in the roof sagging and leaking. Solomons great wealth meant he could use all his time toward his investigations. civil magistrate, the chief ruler of the land, the sovereign prince or If people want to enjoy the good things of life, they must work so that they can earn the money to buy them (18-19). So, in chapters 10 and 11 of this book, the Preacher is going to give us wise counsel on wisdom and folly, rulers, the unpredictability of life, speech, business, and your perspective on life. b. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. But it's something that they are zeroing in on even as they've zeroed in on Nancy Reagan's fancy clothes and all. They have no idea where they are going (12-15).Immature rulers, who think only of their own comforts and ignore the needs of the people, bring hardship and discontent to the country they rule (16-17). Thats where the snake charmer the master of the tongue, literally in verse 11 comes in. You dig a pit; you'll fall into it. Wisdom will teach us to enchant the serpent we are to contend with, rather than think to out-hiss it (Ecclesiastes 10:11; Ecclesiastes 10:11): The serpent will bite if he be not by singing and music charmed and enchanted, against which therefore he stops his ears (Psalms 58:4; Psalms 58:5); and a babbler is no better to all those who enter the lists with him, who therefore must not think by dint of words to out-talk him, but be prudent management to enchant him. This is good advice to a child in reference to his parents, and to an inferior of any kind in reference to his superiors. Theyre concerned only with laughter and merriment. THE WAY THAT A FOOLISH PERSON BEHAVES ECCLESIASTES 10:1-3 Ecclesiastes 8:16-10 The Preacher is beginning to direct his arguments in the intended direction. Ecclesiastes 4:1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun. Solomons experience is summarized in one word: hebel. Hebel is Hebrew for vaporous. A fog, a mist. Thoughts on wisdom and folly (9:13-10:20). Ecclesiastes: Koheleth's Quest for Life's Meaning (232 page commentary -Submitted in partial fulfillment of . If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for yielding pacifies great offenses. Happiness can never be achieved by pursuing after it, since such a pursuit involves . Answer certainly not a fool with all his words. . 17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles [and therefore prepared for the job], and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness [Theyre self-controlled]! And verse 9 speaks of the advantages of fellowship . "It's my right of way." You don't know what's going to be out there, you don't know what the future holds. a. No. They are the place of protection and the place of danger, or, to put in another way: the correct way and the incorrect way (cf. ii. And context is probably the most helpful in determining how to translate the verb. ii. So, let me ask does the one always involve the other? 7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. How could something so small invade something that smells so good and exists solely to smell good and turn it into something that smells awful? Chapter 4 deals mainly with the inequalities of life and Solomon bemoans the terrible acts of oppression, the shocking discrimination, and the lust to control the minds of others, by certain individuals that seemed to characterise the days of Solomon and is so prevalent in today's society. Where did I hear about that? Verse Ecclesiastes 10:4. And, for a wise man, his desires and values lead him into safe places. Check out this Ecclesiastes 10 Commentary! And he shows everyone that he is a fool. (. He maintains his composure and so gives the impression, rightly or wrongly, that his boss did not need to be angry. And its not difficult to spot a fool, is it? And yet, whether your authority is wise or foolish, the Preacher will recommend in verse 20 that you speak well of him. Solomon also uses this framework to talk about the careful administration of wisdom. thee_ Upon some misinformation given him, or mismanagement of thine; b. In this way they will keep out of trouble (20). 10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. If you back down and yet remain in the presence of this person, even if you really offended and angered the man, your staying and yielding will pacify him. Yielding.--Literally, healing. a. Continue in a diligent and faithful discharge of thy duty, and modestly and humbly submit to him. Does breaking through a wall ALWAYS eventuate in a snake biting you? Here are a number of observations and all show that there is a practical value in wisdom a. Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible. 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