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Texts -- Ecclesiastes 9:17--10:1 (NET)

Context
Wisdom versus Fools, Sin, and Folly
9:17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet , more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools . 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war , but one sinner can destroy much that is good . 10:1 One dead fly makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench , so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Instruction

    [nave] INSTRUCTION From nature, Prov. 24:30-34; Eccl. 1:13-18; 3; 4:1; Matt. 6:25-30. See: Parables. From the study of human nature, Eccl. 3-12. By Object Lessons: The pot of maa, Ex. 16:32. The pillar of twelve stones at the f...

  • APOTHECARY

    [ebd] rendered in the margin and the Revised Version "perfumer," in Ex. 30:25; 37:29; Eccl. 10:1. The holy oils and ointments were prepared by priests properly qualified for this office. The feminine plural form of the Hebrew word...
    [isbe] APOTHECARY - a-poth'-e-ka-ri: Found in English Versions of the Bible eight times in the Old Testament and Apocrypha for Hebrew word rendered more accurately "perfumer" by the Revised Version (British and American) in Ex 30:2...

  • War

    [nave] WAR Divine approval of, 2 Sam. 22:35. Civil, Judg. 12:1-6; 20; 2 Sam. 2:12-31; 3:1; 20; 1 Kin. 14:30; 16:21; Isa. 19:2; forbidden, 2 Chr. 11:4; averted, Josh. 22:11-34. Enemy harangued by general of opposing side, 2 Kin. 1...

  • Wisdom

    [nave] WISDOM Of Joseph, Gen. 41:16, 25-39; Acts 7:10. Of Moses, Acts 7:22. Of Bezaleel, Ex. 31:3-5; 35:31-35; 36:1. Of Aholiab, Ex. 31:6; 35:34, 35; 36:1; of other skilled artisans, Ex. 36:2; of women, Ex. 35:26. Of Hiram, 1 K...

  • Flies

    [nave] FLIES, Eccl. 10:1. Plague of, Ex. 8:21-31; Psa. 78:45; 105:31. Figurative Isa. 7:18.

  • Ointment

    [nave] OINTMENT. Not Sacred 2 Kin. 20:13; Esth. 2:12; Eccl. 7:1; 10:1; Song 1:3; 4:10; Amos 6:6; Mark 14:3-5; John 12:3-5. The alabaster box of, Matt. 26:7. Sacred Formula for, Ex. 30:23-25. Uses of, Ex. 30:26-33. Compounded...

  • Prudence

    [nave] PRUDENCE. Job 34:3, 4; Psa. 39:1; Psa. 112:5; Prov. 6:1, 2; Prov. 8:12; Prov. 11:13, 15, 29; Prov. 12:8, 23; Prov. 13:16; Prov. 14:8, 15, 16, 18; Prov. 15:5, 22; Prov. 16:20, 21; Prov. 17:2, 18; Prov. 18:15, 16; Prov. 19:2;...

  • Speaking

    [nave] SPEAKING. Evil Ex. 22:28; Job 19:18; Psa. 10:7, 8; Psa. 12:3, 4; Psa. 34:13; Psa. 35:21; Psa. 41:5-9; Psa. 52:2-4; Psa. 59:12; Psa. 64:2-5; Psa. 69:12, 26; Psa. 70:3; Psa. 102:8; Psa. 106:33; Psa. 119:23; Psa. 120:1-7; Psa...

  • Associations

    [nave] ASSOCIATIONS, Evil Gen. 19:15; Gen. 49:6; Ex. 23:2, 32, 33 Ex. 34:12-15; Deut. 7:2-4; Josh. 23:6-13. Lev. 18:3 Lev. 20:23. Num. 16:26 vs. 21-26.; Num. 33:55 Judg. 2:1-3. Deut. 12:30; 2 Sam. 23:6, 7; 2 Chr. 19:2; Ezra 9:14;...

  • Perfumer

    [nave] PERFUMER a compounder of drugs, Ex. 30:25, 35; 37:29; 2 Chr. 16:14; Neh. 3:8. Ointment of, Eccl. 10:1.

  • HANDICRAFT

    [smith] (Acts 18:3; 19:25; Revelation 18:22) A trade was taught to ail the Jewish boys as a necessary part of their education. Even the greatest rabbis maintained themselves by trades (Delitzsch). Says Rabbi Jehuda, "He who does not ...

  • FLY; FLIES

    [isbe] FLY; FLIES - fli fliz `arobh (Ex 8:21 ff; Ps 78:45; 105:31; Septuagint kunomuia; "dog-fly"), zebhubh (Eccl 10:1; Isa 7:18; Septuagint muiai, "flies"); compare ba`al-zebhubh, "Baal-zebub" (2 Ki 1:2 ff), and beelzeboul, "Beelz...

  • EDUCATION

    [isbe] EDUCATION - ed-u-ka'-shun: I. EDUCATION DEFINED II. EDUCATION IN EARLY ISRAEL 1. Nomadic and Agricultural Periods 2. The Monarchical Period 3. Deuteronomic Legislation 4. Reading and Writing III. EDUCATION IN LATER ISRAEL 1....

  • Fly

    [ebd] Heb. zebub, (Eccl. 10:1; Isa. 7:18). This fly was so grievous a pest that the Phoenicians invoked against it the aid of their god Baal-zebub (q.v.). The prophet Isaiah (7:18) alludes to some poisonous fly which was believed ...

  • INSECTS

    [isbe] INSECTS - in'-sekts: In English Versions of the Bible, including the marginal notes, we find at least 23 names of insects or words referring to them: ant, bald locust, bee, beetle, cankerworm, caterpillar, creeping thing, cr...

  • PERFUME; PERFUMER

    [isbe] PERFUME; PERFUMER - pur'-ium, per-fum' (qeToreth qaTar literally, "incense"): The ancients were fond of sweet perfumes of all kinds (Prov 27:9), and that characteristic is still especially true of the people of Bible lands. ...

  • FLY, FLIES

    [smith] The two following Hebrew terms denote flies of some kind: Zebub , which occurs only in (Ecclesiastes 10:1) and in Isai 7:18 And is probably a generic name for an insect. ?Arob ("swarms of flies ," "divers sorts of flies ," A...

  • REPUTATION

    [isbe] REPUTATION - rep-u-ta'-shun: the King James Version uses "reputation" where modern English would use "repute," as connoting prominence rather than moral character. Hence, the Revised Version's change to "repute" in Gal 2:2 (...

  • QUIET

    [isbe] QUIET - kwi'-et: Verb or adjective only in English Versions of the Bible, "quietness" being used for the noun. No special Hebrew or Greek words are represented, but in the Old Testament usually for some form or derivative of...

  • MEDICINE

    [smith] Egypt was the earliest home of medical and other skill for the region of the Mediterranean basin, and every Egyptian mummy of the more expensive and elaborate sort involved a process of anatomy. Still we have no trace of any ...

Arts

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • I believe that the message of Ecclesiastes is essentially a positive one. This may seem strange since the vanity of various human endeavors is such a major theme of this book. Nevertheless the total statement that Solomon mad...
  • I. The introductory affirmation 1:1-11A. Title and theme 1:1-21. The title 1:12. The theme 1:2B. The futility of all human endeavor 1:3-111. The vanity of work 1:32. The illustrations from life 1:4-11II. The futility of work ...
  • Clues in the text indicate the value and purpose of 6:10-11:6. The phrases "does not know"and "cannot discover"occur frequently (6:12; 7:14, 24, 28; 8:17; 19:1, 12; 10:14; 11:2, 6). Also the recurrence of "it is good"(7:18) a...
  • The emphasis in this section (9:1-11:6) is on what man does not know because God has not revealed many things. Solomon also emphasized, however, that the remaining mystery in this subject (8:16-17) must not diminish human joy...
  • Solomon's emphasis in 9:2-10 was on the fact that a righteous person could not be more certain of his or her earthly future than the wicked. In 9:11-10:11 his point was that the wise cannot be more sure of his or her earthly ...
  • In 1:12-6:9, Solomon demonstrated that all work is ultimately futile for two reasons. It does not yield anything really permanent under the sun. Moreover we can never be sure we will enjoy the fruits of our labor before we di...
  • In conclusion Solomon repeated his original thesis (v. 8; cf. 1:2) and his counsel in view of life's realities (vv. 13-14). In between these statements he set forth his source of authority for writing what we have in Ecclesia...
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