15 The labour H5999 of the foolish H3684 wearieth H3021 every one of them, because he knoweth H3045 not how to go H3212 to the city. H5892
They wandered H8582 in the wilderness H4057 in a solitary H3452 way; H1870 they found H4672 no city H5892 to dwell H4186 in.
If the iron H1270 be blunt, H6949 and he do not whet H7043 the edge, H6440 then must he put H1396 to more strength: H2428 but wisdom H2451 is profitable H3504 to direct. H3787
And an highway H4547 shall be there, and a way, H1870 and it shall be called H7121 The way H1870 of holiness; H6944 the unclean H2931 shall not pass over H5674 it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, H1980 though fools, H191 shall not err H8582 therein. No lion H738 shall be there, nor any ravenous H6530 beast H2416 shall go up H5927 thereon, it shall not be found H4672 there; but the redeemed H1350 shall walk H1980 there: And the ransomed H6299 of the LORD H3068 shall return, H7725 and come H935 to Zion H6726 with songs H7440 and everlasting H5769 joy H8057 upon their heads: H7218 they shall obtain H5381 joy H8057 and gladness, H8342 and sorrow H3015 and sighing H585 shall flee away. H5127
The smith H1270 H2796 with the tongs H4621 both worketh H6466 in the coals, H6352 and fashioneth H3335 it with hammers, H4717 and worketh H6466 it with the strength H3581 of his arms: H2220 yea, he is hungry, H7457 and his strength H3581 faileth: H369 he drinketh H8354 no water, H4325 and is faint. H3286 The carpenter H2796 H6086 stretcheth out H5186 his rule; H6957 he marketh it out H8388 with a line; H8279 he fitteth H6213 it with planes, H4741 and he marketh it out H8388 with the compass, H4230 and maketh H6213 it after the figure H8403 of a man, H376 according to the beauty H8597 of a man; H120 that it may remain H3427 in the house. H1004 He heweth him down H3772 cedars, H730 and taketh H3947 the cypress H8645 and the oak, H437 which he strengtheneth H553 for himself among the trees H6086 of the forest: H3293 he planteth H5193 an ash, H766 and the rain H1653 doth nourish H1431 it. Then shall it be for a man H120 to burn: H1197 for he will take H3947 thereof, and warm H2552 himself; yea, he kindleth H5400 it, and baketh H644 bread; H3899 yea, he maketh H6466 a god, H410 and worshippeth H7812 it; he maketh H6213 it a graven image, H6459 and falleth down H5456 thereto. He burneth H8313 part H2677 thereof in H1119 the fire; H784 with part H2677 thereof he eateth H398 flesh; H1320 he roasteth H6740 roast, H6748 and is satisfied: H7646 yea, he warmeth H2552 himself, and saith, H559 Aha, H1889 I am warm, H2552 I have seen H7200 the fire: H217 And the residue H7611 thereof he maketh H6213 a god, H410 even his graven image: H6459 he falleth down H5456 unto it, and worshippeth H7812 it, and prayeth H6419 unto it, and saith, H559 Deliver H5337 me; for thou art my god. H410
Stand H5975 now with thine enchantments, H2267 and with the multitude H7230 of thy sorceries, H3785 wherein H834 thou hast laboured H3021 from thy youth; H5271 if so be thou shalt be able H3201 to profit, H3276 if so be thou mayest prevail. H6206 Thou art wearied H3811 in the multitude H7230 of thy counsels. H6098 Let now the astrologers, H1895 H8064 the stargazers, H2374 H3556 the monthly H2320 prognosticators, H3045 stand up, H5975 and save H3467 thee from these things that shall come H935 upon thee.
Wherefore do ye spend H8254 money H3701 for that which is not bread? H3899 and your labour H3018 for that which satisfieth H7654 not? H3808 hearken H8085 diligently H8085 unto me, and eat H398 ye that which is good, H2896 and let your soul H5315 delight H6026 itself in fatness. H1880
In those days, H3117 and in that time, H6256 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall come, H935 they and the children H1121 of Judah H3063 together, H3162 going H1980 and weeping: H1058 they shall go, H3212 and seek H1245 the LORD H3068 their God. H430 They shall ask H7592 the way H1870 to Zion H6726 with their faces H6440 thitherward, H2008 saying, Come, H935 and let us join H3867 ourselves to the LORD H3068 in a perpetual H5769 covenant H1285 that shall not be forgotten. H7911
Shall not all these take up H5375 a parable H4912 against him, and a taunting H4426 proverb H2420 against him, and say, H559 Woe H1945 to him that increaseth H7235 that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth H3513 himself with thick clay! H5671
Come G1205 unto G4314 me, G3165 all G3956 ye that labour G2872 and G2532 are heavy laden, G5412 and I G2504 will give G373 you G5209 rest. G373 Take G142 my G3450 yoke G2218 upon G1909 you, G5209 and G2532 learn G3129 of G575 me; G1700 for G3754 I am G1510 meek G4235 and G2532 lowly G5011 in heart: G2588 and G2532 ye shall find G2147 rest G372 unto your G5216 souls. G5590 For G1063 my G3450 yoke G2218 is easy, G5543 and G2532 my G3450 burden G5413 is G2076 light. G1645
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).