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Text -- Ecclesiastes 10:1-19 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
10:1 One dead fly makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench , so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom .
Wisdom Can Be Nullified By the Caprice of Rulers
10:2 A wise person’s good sense protects him, but a fool’s lack of sense leaves him vulnerable .
10:3 Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense , and shows everyone what a fool he is.
10:4 If the anger of the ruler flares up against you, do not resign from your position , for a calm response can undo great offenses .
10:5 I have seen another misfortune on the earth : It is an error a ruler makes .
10:6 Fools are placed in many positions of authority , while wealthy men sit in lowly positions .
10:7 I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking on foot like slaves .
Wisdom is Needed to Avert Dangers in Everyday Life
10:8 One who digs a pit may fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake .
10:9 One who quarries stones may be injured by them; one who splits logs may be endangered by them.
10:10 If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge , he must exert a great deal of effort ; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success .
10:11 If the snake should bite before it is charmed , the snake charmer is in trouble .
Words and Works of Wise Men and Fools
10:12 The words of a wise person win him favor , but the words of a fool are self-destructive .
10:13 At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness ,
10:14 yet a fool keeps on babbling . No one knows what will happen ; who can tell him what will happen in the future ?
10:15 The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city .
The Problem with Foolish Rulers
10:16 Woe to you, O land , when your king is childish , and your princes feast in the morning !
10:17 Blessed are you, O land , when your king is the son of nobility , and your princes feast at the proper time – with self-control and not in drunkenness .
10:18 Because of laziness the roof caves in , and because of idle hands the house leaks .
10:19 Feasts are made for laughter , and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything .
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Instruction |
Serpent |
Rulers |
Fool |
Speaking |
Wisdom |
Fence |
Words |
BANQUETS |
Meekness |
Prudence |
Slander |
APOTHECARY |
Flies |
Citizenship |
HANDICRAFT |
FLY, FLIES |
ENCHANTMENTS |
MEDICINE |
Loyalty |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Ecc 10:1; Ecc 10:1; Ecc 10:1; Ecc 10:1; Ecc 10:1; Ecc 10:2; Ecc 10:2; Ecc 10:3; Ecc 10:3; Ecc 10:3; Ecc 10:4; Ecc 10:4; Ecc 10:4; Ecc 10:4; Ecc 10:4; Ecc 10:4; Ecc 10:4; Ecc 10:5; Ecc 10:5; Ecc 10:5; Ecc 10:5; Ecc 10:6; Ecc 10:6; Ecc 10:7; Ecc 10:7; Ecc 10:8; Ecc 10:8; Ecc 10:10; Ecc 10:10; Ecc 10:10; Ecc 10:10; Ecc 10:10; Ecc 10:11; Ecc 10:11; Ecc 10:11; Ecc 10:12; Ecc 10:12; Ecc 10:12; Ecc 10:12; Ecc 10:12; Ecc 10:13; Ecc 10:13; Ecc 10:13; Ecc 10:13; Ecc 10:14; Ecc 10:14; Ecc 10:15; Ecc 10:15; Ecc 10:15; Ecc 10:16; Ecc 10:17; Ecc 10:17; Ecc 10:17; Ecc 10:18; Ecc 10:18; Ecc 10:19; Ecc 10:19; Ecc 10:19; Ecc 10:19
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NET Notes: Ecc 10:2 Heb “and the heart of a fool is at his left hand.” The fool lacks the protection of wisdom which is at the right-hand side of the wise man...
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NET Notes: Ecc 10:3 A fool’s lack of wisdom is obvious to everyone, even when he is engaged in the simple, ordinary actions of life.
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NET Notes: Ecc 10:4 The verbal root נוח means “to leave behind; to leave untouched” (HALOT 680 s.v. I נוח 2) in general, a...
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NET Notes: Ecc 10:8 Heb “a serpent will bite him.” The clause “he who breaks through a wall” (וּפֹרֵץ ...
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NET Notes: Ecc 10:10 Heb “strength.” The term וַחֲיָלִים (vakhayalim, conjunction + plural noun fro...
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NET Notes: Ecc 10:12 Heb “consume him”; or “engulf him.” The verb I בלע (“to swallow”) creates a striking wordplay on...
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NET Notes: Ecc 10:16 Or “a child”; or “a servant.” The term נַעַר (na’ar) has a wide range of meanings (HALOT 7...
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NET Notes: Ecc 10:17 Heb “for strength and not for drunkenness”; or “as heroes and not as drunkards”; or “for nourishment and not for drunken...
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