6 Folly H5529 is set H5414 in great H7227 dignity, H4791 and the rich H6223 sit H3427 in low place. H8216
When righteous H6662 men do rejoice, H5970 there is great H7227 glory: H8597 but when the wicked H7563 rise, H6965 a man H120 is hidden. H2664
Then said H559 all the trees H6086 unto the bramble, H329 Come H3212 thou, and reign H4427 over us. And the bramble H329 said H559 unto the trees, H6086 If in truth H571 ye anoint H4886 me king H4428 over you, then come H935 and put your trust H2620 in my shadow: H6738 and if not, let fire H784 come out H3318 of the bramble, H329 and devour H398 the cedars H730 of Lebanon. H3844 Now therefore, if ye have done H6213 truly H571 and sincerely, H8549 in that ye have made Abimelech H40 king, H4427 and if ye have dealt H6213 well H2896 with Jerubbaal H3378 and his house, H1004 and have done H6213 unto him according to the deserving H1576 of his hands; H3027 (For my father H1 fought H3898 for you, and adventured H7993 his life H5315 far, H5048 and delivered H5337 you out of the hand H3027 of Midian: H4080 And ye are risen up H6965 against my father's H1 house H1004 this day, H3117 and have slain H2026 his sons, H1121 threescore and ten H7657 persons, H376 upon one H259 stone, H68 and have made Abimelech, H40 the son H1121 of his maidservant, H519 king H4427 over the men H1167 of Shechem, H7927 because he is your brother;) H251 If ye then have dealt H6213 truly H571 and sincerely H8549 with Jerubbaal H3378 and with his house H1004 this day, H3117 then rejoice H8055 ye in Abimelech, H40 and let him also rejoice H8055 in you: But if not, let fire H784 come out H3318 from Abimelech, H40 and devour H398 the men H1167 of Shechem, H7927 and the house H1004 of Millo; H4407 H1037 and let fire H784 come out H3318 from the men H1167 of Shechem, H7927 and from the house H1004 of Millo, H4407 H1037 and devour H398 Abimelech. H40
And the king H4428 answered H6030 the people H5971 roughly, H7186 and forsook H5800 the old men's H2205 counsel H6098 that they gave H3289 him; And spake H1696 to them after the counsel H6098 of the young men, H3206 saying, H559 My father H1 made H3513 your yoke H5923 heavy, H3513 and I will add H3254 to your yoke: H5923 my father H1 also chastised H3256 you with whips, H7752 but I will chastise H3256 you with scorpions. H6137
When the wicked H7563 rise, H6965 men H120 hide H5641 themselves: but when they perish, H6 the righteous H6662 increase. H7235
And G2532 ye have respect G1914 to G1909 him that weareth G5409 the gay G2986 clothing, G2066 and G2532 say G2036 unto him, G846 Sit G2521 thou G4771 here G5602 in a good place; G2573 and G2532 say G2036 to the poor, G4434 Stand G2476 thou G4771 there, G1563 or G2228 sit G2521 here G5602 under G5259 my G3450 footstool: G5286 Are ye G1252 not G3756 then G2532 partial G1252 in G1722 yourselves, G1438 and G2532 are become G1096 judges G2923 of evil G4190 thoughts? G1261 Hearken, G191 my G3450 beloved G27 brethren, G80 Hath G1586 not G3756 God G2316 chosen G1586 the poor G4434 of this G5127 world G2889 rich G4145 in G1722 faith, G4102 and G2532 heirs G2818 of the kingdom G932 which G3739 he hath promised G1861 to them that love G25 him? G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Ec 10:1-20.
1. Following up Ec 9:18.
him that is in reputation—for example, David (2Sa 12:14); Solomon (1Ki 11:1-43); Jehoshaphat (2Ch 18:1-34; 19:2); Josiah (2Ch 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 (1Co 5:6); also, "Beelzebub" means prince of flies. "Ointment" answers to "reputation" (Ec 7:1; Ge 34:30). The verbs are singular, the noun plural, implying that each of the flies causes the stinking savor.
2. (Ec 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.
3. by the way—in his ordinary course; in his simplest acts (Pr 6:12-14). That he "saith," virtually, "that he" himself, &c. [Septuagint]. But Vulgate, "He thinks that every one (else whom he meets) is a fool."
4. spirit—anger.
yielding pacifieth—(Pr 15:1). This explains "leave not thy place"; do not in a resisting spirit withdraw from thy post of duty (Ec 8:3).
5. as—rather, "by reason of an error" [Maurer and Holden].
6. 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 (Isa 32:5). Mordecai and Haman (Es 3:1, 2; 6:6-11).
7. servants upon horses—the worthless exalted to dignity (Jer 17:25); and vice versa (2Sa 15:30).
8. The fatal results to kings of such an unwise policy; the wrong done to others recoils on themselves (Ec 8:9); they fall into the pit which they dug for others (Es 7:10; Ps 7:15; Pr 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 (Ps 80:12), which he maliciously pulls down (Am 5:19).
9. 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.
10. iron … blunt—in "cleaving wood" (Ec 10:9), answering to the "fool set in dignity" (Ec 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 counsellors, which entailed the pushing of matters by force, proved to be the "hurt" of Rehoboam (1Ki 12:1-33).
wisdom is profitable to direct—to a prosperous issue. Instead of forcing matters by main "strength" to one's own hurt (Ec 9:16, 18).
11. 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 (Ps 58:4, 5), so one may escape the sting of a calumniator by discretion (Ec 10:12), [Holden]. Thus, "without enchantment" answers to "not whet the edge" (Ec 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. Ec 10:8-10, caution in acting; Ec 10:11 and following verses, caution in speaking.
12. gracious—Thereby he takes precaution against sudden injury (Ec 10:11).
swallow up himself—(Pr 10:8, 14, 21, 32; 12:13; 15:2; 22:11).
13. Illustrating the folly and injuriousness of the fool's words; last clause of Ec 10:12.
14. full of words—(Ec 5:2).
a man cannot tell what shall be—(Ec 3:22; 6:12; 8:7; 11:2; Pr 27:1). If man, universally (including the wise man), cannot foresee the future, much less can the fool; his "many words" are therefore futile.
15. labour … wearieth—(Isa 55:2; Hab 2:13).
knoweth not how to go to the city—proverb for ignorance of the most ordinary matters (Ec 10:3); spiritually, the heavenly city (Ps 107:7; Mt 7:13, 14). Maurer connects Ec 10:15 with the following verses. The labor (vexation) caused by the foolish (injurious princes, Ec 10:4-7) harasses him who "knows not how to go to the city," to ingratiate himself with them there. English Version is simpler.
16. 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 (Jer 21:12); here, given to feasting (Isa 5:11; Ac 2:15).
17. son of nobles—not merely in blood, but in virtue, the true nobility (So 7:1; Isa 32:5, 8).
in due season—(Ec 3:1), not until duty has first been attended to.
for strength—to refresh the body, not for revelry (included in "drunkenness").
18. building—literally, "the joining of the rafters," namely, the kingdom (Ec 10:16; Isa 3:6; Am 9:11).
hands—(Ec 4:5; Pr 6:10).
droppeth—By neglecting to repair the roof in time, the rain gets through.
19. Referring to Ec 10:18. Instead of repairing the breaches in the commonwealth (equivalent to "building"), the princes "make a feast for laughter (Ec 10:16), and wine maketh their life glad (Ps 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 (Ec 10:5, 6; 3:16; Isa 1:23; 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 (1Ki 12:4, &c.).
20. 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 (Ps 139:1-24), whose consciousness of every evil thought we should ever realize.
bed-chamber—the most secret place (2Ki 6:12).
bird of the air, &c.—proverbial (compare Hab 2:11; Lu 19:40); in a way as marvellous 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).