Ecclesiastes 10:4-10

Context

10:4 If the anger¹ of the ruler flares up² against you, do not resign³ from your position,⁴

for a calm⁵ response⁶ can undo⁷ great offenses.

10:5 I have seen another⁸ misfortune⁹ on the earth:¹⁰

It is an error a ruler makes.¹¹

10:6 Fools¹² are placed in many positions of authority,¹³

while wealthy men sit in lowly positions.

10:7 I have seen slaves¹⁴ on horseback

and princes walking on foot¹⁵ like slaves.

Wisdom is Needed to Avert Dangers in Everyday Life

10:8 One who digs a pit may¹⁶ fall into it,

and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.¹⁷

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 axhead¹⁸ is blunt and a workman¹⁹ does not sharpen²⁰ its edge,²¹

he must exert a great deal of effort;²²

so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

[10:4] ¹tn Heb “spirit.”

[10:4] ²tn Heb “rises up.”

[10:4] ³tn Heb “Do not leave.”

[10:4] ⁴tn Heb “your place.” The term מָקוֹם (maqom, “place”) denotes a position, post or office (1 Kgs 20:24; Eccl 8:3; 10:4; BDB 879 s.v. מָקוֹם 1.c).

[10:4] ⁵tn The noun II מַרְפֵּא (marpe’, “calmness”) is used in reference to keeping one’s composure with a peaceful heart (Prov 14:30) and responding to criticism with a gentle tongue (Prov 15:4); cf. HALOT 637 s.v. II מַרְפֵּא. It is used in reference to keeping one’s composure in an emotionally charged situation (BDB 951 s.v. מַרְפֵּא 2). The term “calmness” is used here as a metonymy of association, meaning “calm response.”

[10:4] ⁶tn The term “response” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (see preceding note on the word “calm”).

[10:4] ⁷tn The verbal root נוח means “to leave behind; to leave untouched” (HALOT 680 s.v. I נוח 2) in general, and in this passage, “to undo” or “to allay” offenses (HALOT 680 s.v. I נוח 3; BDB 629 s.v. נוּחַ 5) or “to avoid” offenses (BDB 629 נוּחַ 5). The point is either that (1) a composed response can calm or appease the anger of the ruler, or (2) a calm heart will help one avoid great sins that would offend the king. The root נוח (“to rest”) is repeated, creating a wordplay: “Do not leave” (אַל־תַּנַּח, ’al-tannakh) and “to avoid; to allay” (יַנִּיחַ, yanniakh). Rather than resigning (i.e., leaving), composure can appease a king (i.e., cause the anger of the king to leave).

[10:5] ⁸tn The term “another” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that this is not the first “misfortune” described by the Teacher. See 5:13, 16; 6:1-2.

[10:5] ⁹tn Heb “an evil.”

[10:5] ¹⁰tn Heb “under the sun.”

[10:5] ¹¹tn Heb “like an error that comes forth from the presence of a ruler.”

[10:6] ¹⁵tn Heb “folly.”

[10:6] ¹⁶tn Heb “high places.”

[10:7] ²²tn Or “servants,” so KJV, ASV, NCV, NLT (also in the following line).

[10:7] ²³tn Heb “upon the earth.”

[10:8] ²⁹tn The four imperfect verbs in vv. 8-9 may be nuanced as indicatives (“will…”) or in a modal sense denoting possibility (“may…”). The LXX rendered them with indicatives, as do many English translations (KJV, RSV, NRSV, ASV, MLB, YLT, NJPS). However, it is better to take them in a modal sense (NEB, NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT). One who digs a pit does not necessarily fall into it, but he may under the right conditions.

[10:8] ³⁰tn Heb “a serpent will bite him.” The clause “he who breaks through a wall” (וּפֹרֵץ גָּדֵר, uforets gader) is a nominative absolute – the casus pendens is picked up by the resumptive pronoun in the following clause “a serpent will bite him” (יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָשׁ, yishÿkhennu nakhash). This construction is used for rhetorical emphasis (see IBHS 76-77 §4.7c).

[10:10] ³⁶tn The term “ax head” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. The preceding noun “iron” functions as a metonymy of material (i.e., iron) for the object with which it is associated (i.e., ax head).

[10:10] ³⁷tn Heb “he”; the referent (the workman) is implied, and has been specified in the translation for clarity

[10:10] ³⁸tn The verb קלל in the Pilpel means “to sharpen; to make a blade sharp” (HALOT 1104 s.v. קלל 1).This denominative verb is derived from the rare noun II קָלַל “smooth; shiny” (referring to bronze; Ezek 1:7; Dan 10:6; HALOT 1105 s.v.). Sharpening the blade or head of a bronze ax will make it smooth and shiny. It is not derived from I קָלַל (qalal) “to treat light” or the noun I קְלָלָה (qÿlalah) “curse.” Nor is it related to I קָלַל “to shake” (Ezek 21:26); cf. HALOT 1104. BDB 886 s.v. קָלַל 2 erroneously relates it to I קָלַל, suggesting “to whet” or “to move quickly to and fro.”

[10:10] ³⁹tn Heb “face.”

[10:10] ⁴⁰tn Heb “strength.” The term וַחֲיָלִים (vakhayalim, conjunction + plural noun from חַיִל, khayil, “strength; efficiency”) is an example of a plural of intensification (GKC 397-98 §124.e). The point is that it is a waste of a great deal of strength and energy. If a person is not smart, he will have to use a lot of energy and waste his efficiency.