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Ecclesiastes
Chapter Ten
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 10
This
chapter treats of the difference between wisdom and folly; and of the
preferableness of the one, to the other, especially in civil government: folly
is compared to a dead or deadly fly; a little of which as much hurts a wise
man's reputation, as that does the most precious ointment, Ecclesiastes 10:1.
A wise man and a fool differ in the situation of their heart; which is in the
one on the right hand, in the other on the left, Ecclesiastes 10:2;
the folly of the latter lies not only in his heart, but betrays itself
throughout the whole of his conversation, Ecclesiastes 10:3.
And it is one part of wisdom in a subject to bear patiently the anger of his
prince, and not in a passion and at once leave his service, Ecclesiastes 10:4.
And, among the follies of princes, this is a great one; to bestow their honours
and favours on improper persons, to the neglect of such as are deserving, Ecclesiastes 10:5.
And several proverbial expressions are used, as cautions to a wise man against
plotting mischief to others; breaking in upon the constitution and laws of a
commonwealth; weakening the strength of the state by an methods, and making
discord in it, and carrying thin by mere strength and force; when, if wisdom
used, it would direct to proper ways and means, by which things would be
managed to the best advantage, Ecclesiastes 10:8.
Then the babbling of fools against a government is exposed, which is like the
secret bite of a serpent, Ecclesiastes 10:11;
and the difference between the words of wise men, which express grace and
kindness, and are amiable and acceptable to men; and those of fools, which
destroy themselves, begin in folly, and end in mischief; are noisy, and without
meaning; do not direct to things most plain and easy, but wearisome and
fatiguing to themselves and others, Ecclesiastes 10:12.
Next the unhappiness of a land is observed, when the governors of it are
childish, intemperate, slothful, and prodigal; the happiness of a country when
it is the reverse, Ecclesiastes 10:16;
and the chapter is concluded with advice not to curse a king, or any great
personage; no, not in the most private and secret manner; since, by one means
or another, it will be discovered Ecclesiastes 10:20.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 Dead flies
putrefy[a] the
perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a
little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.
YLT 1Dead flies cause a perfumer's
perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom -- By reason of
honour -- a little folly!
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a
stinking savour,.... Such, as Jarchi observes, are in the winter season, which
are weak and near to death, and get into precious ointment, prepared after the
best manner, where they die, and corrupt and spoil it: or, "flies of
deaths"F13זבובי מות
"muscae mortis", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Amama, Cocceius,
Rambachius. ; deadly ones, which have something in their nature poisonous and
pernicious; which, when they light upon the most sweet and savoury ointment,
give it an ill smell;
so doth a little folly
him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour; a good name
is like precious ointment, valuable and fragrant; sin, which is folly, is like
a dead fly; not only light and mean, and base and worthless, but hurtful and
pernicious, deadly, and the cause of death; and what may seem little, a
peccadillo, or, however, one single act of sin, may injure the character of a
wise and honourable man, and greatly expose him to shame and contempt, and
cause him to stink in the nostrils of men, Genesis 36:20; and
to be reproached by men, and religion and government to be reproached for his
sake. Thus the affair of Bathsheba and Uriah, what a slur did it bring on the
character of David, so famous for wisdom and honour, for religion and piety?
and the idolatry of Solomon, the wisest of men; Jehoshaphat, that good king,
entering into affinity with Ahab; and pious Josiah going to war with the king
of Egypt, contrary to the word of the Lord; with many other instances. This
teaches how careful men eminent for gifts and grace should be of their words
and actions; since the least thing amiss in them is easily discerned, and soon
taken notice of, as the least speck in a diamond, or spot in fine linen, clean
and white; and there are wicked and envious persons enough watching for their
halting, glad to have an occasion against them, and improve everything to the
uttermost: this is a caution to wise magistrates, honourable ministers of the
word, and eminent professors more especially. The Targum is,
"evil
concupiscence, which dwells at the gates of the heart, is as a fly, and is the
cause of death in the world; and corrupts a good name, which was before like to
anointing oil, perfumed with spices:'
and
to the same purpose the Midrash. One of the names of Satan is Beelzebub, the
lord of a fly; who, by his temptations, solicits to sin and folly, which
produce the effect here mentioned, and therefore to be shunned as a deadly fly
in the ointment, Matthew 12:24.
GussetiusF14Ebr. Comment. p. 344. renders it,
"that
which is precious and worthy of honour "proceeds" from wisdom; and
folly "comes" from glory, "worldly glory", in a little
time.'
Ecclesiastes 10:2 2 A
wise man’s heart is at his right hand, But a fool’s heart at his left.
YLT 2The heart of the wise [is]
at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
A wise man's heart is at his right hand,.... This is
not designed to express the direct position and situation of the heart of man,
wise or foolish, which is the same in both; and which, according to anatomists,
is in the middle of the body, inclining to the left side; but the understanding
and wisdom of men, as Aben Ezra observes; which, with a wise man, is ready a
hand to direct and assist him in any affair; and which under the influence of
it, he goes about with great readiness and dexterity, and performs it with
great ease and facility, without sinister ends and selfish views; it inclines
him to pursue the true way to honour, heaven, and happiness, which lies to the
right; to seek things that are above, at the right hand of God; and, in all,
his honour and glory;
but a fool's heart is at his left; he is at a
loss for wisdom and understanding to direct him, when he has an affair of any
moment upon his hand; which he goes about in an awkward manner, as left handed
persons do, and has sinister ends in what he does; and he is to every good work
reprobate and unfit, and seeks earth and earthly things, which lie to the left,
and in all himself. The Targum is,
"the
heart of a wise man is to get the law, which was given by the right hand of the
Lord; and the heart of a fool to get the goods of gold and silver:'
so
Jarchi,
"his
wisdom is ready to incline him (the wise man) to the right hand way for his
good; but the heart of a fool to pervert him from it.'
The
ancientsF15Suidas in voce δεξια. used to call
things wise and prudent the right hand and things foolish the left hand.
Ecclesiastes 10:3 3 Even
when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone that
he is a fool.
YLT 3And also, when he that is a
fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every
one, `He [is] a fool.'
Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way,.... The
king's highway, the common road; as he passeth along the streets, going to any
place, or about any business:
his wisdom faileth him; or "his heart"F16לבו "cor ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. ; he
appears by his gait, his manner of walking, to want a heart, to be a fool;
walking with a froward mouth, winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet,
and teaching with his fingers; all which shows the frowardness and folly of his
heart, Proverbs 6:12; or
he discovers it throughout his conversation, in all the actions of it, in
whatsoever business he is concerned, and in all the affairs of life. The Targum
is,
"when
he walketh in a perplexed way;'
then
his wisdom fails him; he does not know which way to take, whether to the right
or left: this can never be understood of the highway of holiness, in which men,
though fools, shall not err, Isaiah 35:8;
and he saith to everyone that he is a fool; his folly is
manifest to all; he betrays it, by his words and actions, to every man he has
to do with; his sins and transgressions, which are his folly, he hides not,
they are evident to all; and, as the Targum expresses it,
"all
say he is a fool:'
though
indeed he himself says this of every other man, that he is a fool; for,
according to the Vulgate Latin version, he, being a fool himself, thinks
everybody else is so.
Ecclesiastes 10:4 4 If
the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For
conciliation pacifies great offenses.
YLT 4If the spirit of the ruler
go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee,.... The wrath
of the civil magistrate, the chief ruler of the land, the sovereign prince or
king, to whom men are and should be subject: if his wrath on any occasion
breaks out in a furious manner, and, like a storm and tempest, is very
blustering and threatening:
leave not thy place; at court; thine office
under the prince, do not throw it up in a passion, and quit his service upon
it; and much less forget thy duty and allegiance to him, and go into disloyalty
and rebellion; see Ecclesiastes 8:3;
for yielding pacifieth great offences; bearing his
anger patiently, submitting to his displeasure quietly, making no returns, or
at least giving soft answers, and behaving in a modest and humble manner; in
time his wrath will subside, and he will be pacified, and forgive the offences
committed; or be convinced that there were none, or however not so great as to
require such resentment; see Proverbs 15:1. The
Targum is,
"if
a spirit of evil concupiscence rules over thee; thy good place, in which thou
wert used to stand, leave not:'
some
understand this of a man's having a spirit of rule and government coming upon
him, or of his being advanced to power and authority, that then he should not
forget the low estate in which he had been. Jarchi interprets it of the spirit
of the governor of the world, strictly inquiring into the actions of men; and
healing their sins by chastisements, which cause them to leave them.
Ecclesiastes 10:5 5 There
is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler:
YLT 5There is an evil I have
seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,.... Which
Solomon had observed in the course of his life, practised in some kingdoms and
by some princes on earth, under the sun; for there is nothing of the like kind,
as after mentioned, done in heaven, above the sun;
as an error which proceedeth from the ruler; from the
supreme ruler of a nation, the king of it; and it is not only as an error, or
like one, a seeming one; but it is a real error, bestowing places of honour and
profit on undeserving persons: which error proceeds from ignorance of the
persons; or from affection to them, and from friendship cultivated with them in
the younger time of life, being educated with them; or through the
misrepresentation and imposition of those about him, who have ends to serve by
their promotion; or through his own lusts and passions, which these men indulge
him in. It may be understood of God, the supreme ruler, who suffers such things
to be; and which may seem to some an error in providence, though it is not: but
the other sense is best.
Ecclesiastes 10:6 6 Folly
is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place.
YLT
6He hath set the fool in
many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
Folly is set in great dignity,.... Or "in great
heights"F17במרומים רבים εν υψεσι
μεγαλοις, Sept. "in celsitudinibus amplis", Piscator,
Amama, Gejerus; "in sublimitatibus amplis", Cocceius; "in
altitudinibus magnis", Rambachius; "in great height", Broughton.
; in high places of honour and truest; even foolish and wicked men; men of poor
extraction, of low life, and of mean abilities and capacities; and, which is
worse, men vile and vicious, as Doeg the Edomite, Haman the Amalekite, and
others;
and the rich sit in low places; men not only of fortune
and estates, and above doing mean and little actions, and so more fit for such
high places; but men rich in wisdom and knowledge, of large capacities and of
great endowments of mind, and so abundantly qualified for posts in the
administration of government; and, above all, men rich in grace, fearing God,
and hating coveteousness, as rulers ought to be, Exodus 18:21; and
yet these sometimes are neglected, live in obscurity, who might otherwise be
very useful in public life. The Targum interprets this and the following verse
of the Israelites in exile and poverty among the Gentiles for their sins; so
Jarchi.
Ecclesiastes 10:7 7 I
have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.
YLT 7I have seen servants on
horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
I have seen servants upon horses,.... Which being scarce
in Judea, were only rode upon by princes and great personages, or such as were
in affluent circumstances; and therefore it was an unusual and disagreeable
sight to see servants upon them, which was a token of their being advanced upon
the ruin and destruction of their masters; a reigning servant is not only
uncomely, but one of the things by which the earth is disquieted, and it cannot
bear, Proverbs 30:21; the
Parthians and Persians distinguished their nobles and the vulgar, freemen and
servants, by this; the servants went on foot, and the freemen rode on horsesF18Justin.
e Trogo, l. 41. c. 3. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 5. c. 19. ;
and princes walking as servants upon the earth; degraded from
their honour; banished from their thrones and palaces, or obliged to leave
them, and reduced to the lowest state and condition: so David, when his son
rebelled against him, and he was forced to flee from him, and walk on foot, 2 Samuel 15:30;
Alshech thinks it may be a prophecy of the captivity of Israel, when they
walked as servants on the earth, and the Gentiles rode on horses.
Ecclesiastes 10:8 8 He
who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be
bitten by a serpent.
YLT 8Whoso is digging a pit
falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it,.... This and
the three following clauses are proverbial expressions, teaching men to be wise
and cautious, lest by their conduct they bring mischief upon themselves; as it
often is, the one that digs a pit for another, falls into it himself, as the
wise man's father before him had observed, Psalm 7:15; as
kings that lay snares for their people, and subjects that plot against their
sovereign; or courtiers that form schemes for the rain of those that are in
their way; or any man that devises mischief against another, frequently so it
is, that the same befalls them; as Haman, who prepared a gallows for Mordecai,
was hanged on it himself;
and whoso breaketh an hedge a serpent shall bite him; which often
lies hid in fences, in old walls, and rotten hedgesF19Nicander apud
Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 1. c. 4. col. 26. , Amos 5:19; so he
that breaks down the hedges and fences of kingdoms and commonwealths, and
breaks through the fundamental laws of a civil constitution, and especially
that transgresses the laws of God, moral or civil, may expect to smart for it.
Jarchi interprets this hedge of the sayings of their wise men, which those that
transgress shall suffer death by the hand of heaven: but it would be much
better to apply it to the doctrines contained in the word of God, which are a
hedge and fence to the church of God, and whoever transgress them will suffer
for it; see 2 John 1:8; The
Targum, by the "serpent", understands an ungodly king, who bites like
a serpent, into whose hands such transgressors shall be delivered: and some
have thought of the old serpent the devil, as Alshech, who deceived Adam and
Eve.
Ecclesiastes 10:9 9 He
who quarries stones may be hurt by them, And he who splits wood may be
endangered by it.
YLT 9Whoso is removing stones is
grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith,.... That
carries them from the quarry, where they are dug; or takes them from a heap,
where they lie; or that attempts to pull them out of a building, where they are
put; or removes them from places, where they are set as boundaries and
landmarks; all which is troublesome, and by which men get hurt; the stones fall
upon them, or are too heavy for them, or they do what they should not do, and
so bring themselves into trouble; as do all such persons who are for removing
the boundaries of commonwealths and communities, and for changing laws, and
altering constitutions;
and he that cleaveth wood
shall be endangered thereby; of cutting himself: so he that soweth
discord among brethren, that makes divisions in families, neighbourhoods,
kingdoms, and churches; see Proverbs 6:16, Romans 16:18.
Jarchi renders it, "shall be warmed" or "heated", according
to the sense of the word, as he thinks, in 1 Kings 1:2; though
he understands it of being profited by studying in the law and the
commandments; of which he interprets the clause; and Ben Melech observes, that
the word so signifies in the Arabic language; and Mr. Broughton renders it,
"shall be heated thereby". The Targum paraphrases it,
"shall
be burnt with fire, by the hand of the Angel of the Lord:'
or,
however, he may be overheated and do himself hurt, as men, that kindle the
flame of contention and strife, often do.
Ecclesiastes 10:10 10 If
the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more
strength; But wisdom brings success.
YLT 10If the iron hath been
blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And
wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
If the iron be blunt,.... With which a man
cleaves wood: the axe, made of iron:
and he do not whet the edge; with some proper
instrument to make it sharper, that it may cut the more easily;
then must he put to more strength; he must give a greater
blow, strike the harder, and use more force; and yet it may not be sufficient,
or; it may be to no purpose, and he himself may be in the greatest danger of
being hurt; as such are who push things with all their might and main, without
judgment and discretion;
but wisdom is profitable to direct; this is the
"excellency" of wisdom, that it puts a man in the right way of doing
things, and of doing them right; it directs him to take the best methods, and
pursue the best ways and means of doing things, both for his own good and the
good of others; and so it is better than strength, Ecclesiastes 9:16.
Ecclesiastes 10:11 11 A
serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different.
YLT 11If the serpent biteth
without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment,.... See Jeremiah 8:17. Or
rather, "without a whisper"F20בלא
לחש "absque susurro", Pagniuus;
"absque sibilo", Tigurine version. ; without hissing, or any noise,
giving no warning at all: so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "in
silence"; some serpents bite, others sting, some both; see Proverbs 23:32;
some hiss, others not, as here;
and a babbler is no better; a whisperer, a
backbiter, a busy tattling body, that goes from house to house, and, in a
private manner, speaks evil of civil governments, of ministers of the word, and
of other persons; and; in a secret way, defames men, and detracts from their
characters: such an one is like a venomous viper, a poisonous serpent or adder;
and there is no more guarding against him than against such a creature that
bites secretly.
Ecclesiastes 10:12 12 The
words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall
swallow him up;
YLT 12Words of the mouth of the
wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious,.... Or
"grace"F21חן "gratia",
Montanus, Mercerus, Drusius, Cocceius, Rambachius. . He speaks kind and good
things in favour of the characters of men, and not as the babbling detractor:
he speaks well of civil magistrates and rulers in the state; of the ministers of
the word in the church; and of all his fellow creatures, as far as can with
truth be said: and a truly good and gracious man, who is Solomon's wise man, in
opposition to a fool and wicked man; his discourse will run upon the grace of
God, upon the doctrines of grace, and upon the experience of the truth of grace
on his heart: upon the grace of God the Father, in loving and choosing men; in
contriving their salvation; in making a covenant of grace with them in Christ;
in sending him to die for them, and in accepting his satisfaction and
righteousness for them: and on the grace of the Son, in becoming their surety;
assuming their nature, dying in their room and stead, interceding for them,
taking care of them, and supplying them with grace out of his fulness: and on the
grace of the Spirit, in regeneration and sanctification; working in them faith,
hope, and love; applying precious promises to them, and sealing them up to the
day of redemption: of these things they speak often one to another, and cannot
but talk of the things they have felt and seen: and such words and discourses
are gracious, graceful, and grateful to truly pious souls, and minister grace
unto them; and are also well pleasing and acceptable to God and Christ, as well
as gain them favour among men; see Proverbs 22:11;
but the lips of a fool swallow up himself; his words are
not only able and displeasing to others, but bring ruin upon himself; by
talking too freely of rulers and others, he brings himself into trouble, and
plunges himself into difficulties, out of which he cannot easily get; yea, is
swallowed up in them, and destroyed. Or, his "lips swallow up him"F23חבלענו "deglutiet eum", Montanus; "absorbent
eum", Piscator, Rambachius. ; the wise man, whose words are gracious; and,
by his calumny and detraction, his deceit and lies, brings him into disgrace
and danger: or, "swallows it up", or "that"F24"Illam",
Munster, Cocceius; "quam labia stulti velut absorbendo sufferunt",
Tigurine version. ; the grace of the wise man, or his gracious words; and
hinders the edification of others by them, and the good effects of them. Though
the first sense seems best.
Ecclesiastes 10:13 13 The
words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is
raving madness.
YLT 13The beginning of the words
of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous
madness.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,.... As soon
as ever he opens his mouth, he betrays his folly; the first word he speaks is a
foolish one; or it is from the abundant folly in his heart that he speaks,
which is the source and spring of all his foolish talk;
and the end of his talk is mischievous madness; to himself
and others; as he goes on, he appears more and more foolish, and yet more
confident of his own wisdom; and is resolutely set on having his own way and
will; grows warm, and is violently hot, to have his own words regarded; and, if
contradicted, is like a madman, scattering arrows, firebrands, and death; his
talk from first to last is a circle of folly; and, though it begins with
something weak, and may seem innocent, yet it ends and issues in wickedness and
madness, in rage and wrath, in oaths and curses.
Ecclesiastes 10:14 14 A
fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what
will be after him?
YLT 14And the fool multiplieth
words: `Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth
declare to him?'
A fool also is full of words,.... Or, "multiplies
words"F25ירבה
"multiplicabit", Pagninus, Montanus; "multiplicat",
Vatablus, Mercerus, Drusius, Amama, Gejerus, Rambachius, Cocceius. . Is very
talkative, says the same thing over and over again; uses an abundance of waste
words, that have no meaning in them; utters every thing that comes uppermost,
without any order or judgment; affects to talk on every subject, whether he
knows anything of it or not; and will engross all the conversation to himself,
though of all in company the most unfit for it;
a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him who
can tell him? what the fool is talking of; what is the drift of his discourse;
or where it will end, and what he will bring it to, it is so noisy, confused,
and incoherent: or no man can tell future things, or what will come to pass;
nor can any man inform another of future events; and yet a fool boasts and
brags of what he shall do, and what he shall have, as if he was master of the
future, and knew for certain what would come to pass, which the wisest of men
do not.
Ecclesiastes 10:15 15 The
labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city!
YLT 15The labour of the foolish
wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
The labour of the foolish wearieth everyone of them,.... The
labour of fools, both in speaking and doing, weary those who have any concern
with them, and themselves likewise, since all their labour is vain and
fruitless;
because he knoweth not how to go to the city; to any city,
the road to which is usually broad, and plain and easy to be found, and yet
cannot be found by the foolish man; showing, that he that talks of abstruse
things, things too high and wonderful for him, which he affects to know, must
needs be a stranger to them, since things the most easy to be understood he is
ignorant of, and wearies himself to find; or he does not know how to behave
himself in a city, among citizens, in a civil and polite manner. The Targum is,
"he
learns not to go to the city, where wise men dwell, to learn instruction from
it.'
Some
interpret it of the city of Jerusalem, where were the temple, sanhedrim,
synagogues, schools, &c. but it may be better applied to the heavenly city,
the New Jerusalem, which fools or wicked men know not the way unto, nor do they
seek after it; see Psalm 107:7; so
Alshech interprets it of heaven.
Ecclesiastes 10:16 16 Woe
to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the
morning!
YLT 16Wo to thee, O land, when
thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child,.... Not so
much in age; though it is sometimes an unhappiness to a nation to be governed
by a minor, especially if the young king has not good tutors, guardians,
ministers, and counsellors, about him; but, if otherwise, a nation may be very
happy under a minority, or the government of a young prince; such were Solomon,
Joash, Uzziah, Josiah, and our Edward VI: but it rather respects one that is a
child in understanding and judgment, in manners and conduct; that minds his
pleasures, as children their play; is fickle and changeable, passionate and
self-willed, unskilful in government, and yet will not be advised. The Targum
applies this to the land of Israel, and instances in wicked Jeroboam, who made
the morning sacrifice to cease; see Isaiah 3:12. From
considering the bad effects of folly in men in general, in private persons and
in subjects, the wise man proceeds to observe the ill consequences of it to a
nation, in kings and princes, in civil magistrates: Jerom or Bede interprets
this allegorically: Woe to the land whose king is the devil, who is always
desirous of new things, 2 Corinthians 4:4;
and thy princes eat in the morning; as soon as they are up,
children like; and not only eat, which may be convenient and lawful to do; but
eat to excess, in a riotous and intemperate manner, and so unfit themselves for
any service all the day: the "morning" is particularly observed,
because the fittest time for consultation about the affairs of government; and
was the usual time of sitting in judgment and trying causes, Jeremiah 21:12; and
also for acts of religion and devotion. And so the Targum,
"and
thy princes eat bread before they offer the daily morning sacrifice.'
Sad
is the case of a nation, when not only their king is a minor, or a foolish one;
but when his tutors and guardians, or his ministers of state and counsellors,
give up themselves to sensual pleasures, and neglect public affairs; and,
instead of being in the council chamber, or in a court of judicature, or at
their early devotions, are indulging themselves in riotous eating and drinking.
Ecclesiastes 10:17 17 Blessed
are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your
princes feast at the proper time— For strength and not for drunkenness!
YLT 17Happy art thou, O land,
When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For
might, and not for drunkenness.
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of
nobles,.... Or "heroes"F26חורים
"heroum", Montanus. , called "Hhorim" in the Hebrew, which
signifies "white"; either from the white garment they wore, or rather
from the purity and ingenuity of their minds and manners; being illustrious
persons, not only by birth and education, but in their lives and actions. Now a
land is happy when it is governed by a king that is not only descended from a
race of heroes and illustrious men, and has a princely and liberal education;
but that imitates his ancestors, and treads in their steps, and is famous
himself for wisdom, virtue, and real piety, in which true nobility consists;
and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "whose king is noble";
who is of an ingenuous mind, has princely virtues and qualifications; who is
wise and prudent, skilful in the affairs of government, and assiduous and
industrious therein; for as, on the one hand, kings may, as they commonly do,
descend from illustrious progenitors, and yet be base and wicked, ignoble and
infamous, in their administration; and, on the other hand, persons may be
raised from a low estate to royal dignity, as David and others, and yet behave
with great prudence and ingenuity. The Targum applies this to the land of
Israel also, and instances in Hezekiah, a man mighty in the law;
and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for
drunkenness; that is, eat their meals at proper times, and that after they
have been at business; to refresh nature, and recruit their strength, that they
may be fit for further service; and do not indulge themselves, and spend their
time, in rioting and drunkenness; which would render them very unfit for public
business, to sit in council, or in any court of judicature: according to the
Targum, the time was four o'clock, that is, ten o'clock in the morning. Or,
"not unto drinking" or "drunkenness"F1ולא בשתי non "autem ad
compotationem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius, Gejerus,
Rambachius; so Broughton. ; they do not eat so as to cause an appetite, or
eager desire for drinking to excess: or, not "with drinking"F2"Non
cum ingurgitatione", Cocceius; "non eum compotatione", Schmidt.
; their eating is not attended with excessive drinking; they eat and drink
moderately. The Egyptians had a law, which fixed such a measure of wine to be
allowed their kings daily, and no moreF3Plutarch. de Iside &
Osir. "in principio". Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 11.
; and it was Solon's law, given to the Athenians, that if a prince was found
drunk, death was his punishmentF4Laert. Vit. Solon. p. 38. ; and,
with the Indians, if a woman killed a drunken king, her reward was to marry his
successorF5Strabo. Geograph. l. 15. p. 488. : all which show how
odious drunkenness was with the Heathens, and especially in their kings and
princes; see Proverbs 31:4. So
Plato observesF6De Republic. l. 3. p. 621. , that
"drunkenness
ought to be abstained from; and rather it should be allowed to any than to a
keeper, (that is, of a city and its laws, a Civil magistrate), for it would be
ridiculous for a keeper to need a keeper.'
Jerom,
as before observed, interprets this figuratively, "blessed is the
land", of the church; whose "King" is Christ, the son of nobles,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and whose "princes" are the apostles, who
seek not pleasure in this world, but shall eat in the world to come.
Ecclesiastes 10:18 18 Because
of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks.
YLT 18By slothfulness is the wall
brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
By much slothfulness the building decayeth,.... Or,
"by slothfulnesses"F7 בעצלתים
"in pigritiis", Montanus; "per duplicem pigritiam",
Tigurine version; "pigritia amborum", Junius & Tremellius. , The
word is in the dual number, and so may signify the slothfulness of the hands,
as Aben Ezra, of both hands, and of both feet; or the various kinds of
slothfulness, as the Arabic version, slothfulness both of body and mind; or of
all sorts of persons, superiors and inferiors, princes and subjects; and with
respect to all things present and future: and, as through slothfulness a material
building decays; or a "beam", as the word signifies, the raftering of
a house, the roof, which consists of rafters and beams joined together when the
tiling is decayed by winds and rains, or any breaches made in the rafters, and
no care taken to repair, the whole falls in, and the house is in ruins: so
figurative buildings, families, churches, and kingdoms, come to nothing,
through the sluggishness of masters of families, ministers of the word, and
civil magistrates; to the latter of which more especially this is to be
applied, who give up themselves to luxury and sloth;
and, through idleness of the hands, the house droppeth through; or,
"through the letting" or "hanging down of the hands"F8בשקלות "per remissionem", Tigurine version;
"demissione", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus; so
Cocceius, Rambachius. ; the remissness of them, as is to be observed in idle
persons, who will not lift them up to work; particularly to repair a breach in
a house, by means of which the rain drops through it, and makes it
uncomfortable and unsafe being in it; and, in process of time, that itself
drops to the ground: and this expresses the same thing, how, through the
neglect of the civil magistrate, a commonwealth comes to nothing; or, however,
the members of it become wretched and miserable.
Ecclesiastes 10:19 19 A
feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything.
YLT 19For mirth they are making a
feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
A feast is made for laughter,.... Or, "who make
bread for laughter"F9לשחוק עשים לחם "ad risum facientes
panem", Montanus; "faciunt panem", Paganinus, Mercerus,
Piscator. . Not bakers, who make bread for common use, and for all sorts of
persons, sorrowful ones as others; but luxurious men, particularly such princes
as are before described; they "make bread", that is, a feast, as the
phrase is used, Daniel 5:1; not for
mere refreshment, but to promote mirth and gaiety to an excessive degree; being
attended with rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, with
revellings and dancing;
and wine maketh merry; or, "and they
prepare wine"F11ויין "et
vinum, repete, parant", Piscator. ; which is provided in plenty at feasts;
and which is sometimes put for a feast itself, and called a banquet of wine, Esther 7:2; which
wine makes merry, and men drink of it till they become drunk with it, at such
profuse feasts: or, "which maketh life cheerful"F12ישמח חיים "et vitam
exhilaret", Tigurine version; "exhilarare solet vitam",
Mercerus; "quod exhilarare debebat vitam", so some in Rambachius. ;
as it does, when moderately used: "cheers the living"; so Aben Ezra;
but money answereth all things; is in the
room of all things, and by it men obtain everything they want and wish for; it
answers the requests of all, and supplies them with what they stand in need of,
or can desire: particularly such expensive feasts, and sumptuous
entertainments, are made by means of money; and, in this luxurious way, the
coffers of princes are drained, and they are obliged to raise new levies, and
impose new taxes upon their subjects, to the oppression of them. Or else the
sense may be, that princes should consider, and not be so profuse in their
manner of living, but be more frugal and careful of the public money, and lay
it up against a time of need; since it is that that answers all things, is the
sinew of war when that arises, and will procure men and arms, to secure and
protect them from their enemies, and obtain peace and safety for them and their
subjects, which otherwise they cannot expect.
Ecclesiastes 10:20 20 Do
not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your
bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may
tell the matter.
YLT 20Even in thy mind a king
revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For
a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings
declareth the word.
Curse not the king; no, not in thy thought,.... Though he
is a child, and unskilful in government, gives himself to his passions and
pleasures, and neglects the affairs of the kingdom; yet be so far from
rebelling against him, and doing him any injury, or speaking ill of him, as not
even to wish him any ill; or, within thine own breast, imprecate any evil upon
him, but rather pray for him, wish him well, and do everything to promote the
welfare of his person and government, and this both for the Lord's sake, and
for conscience's sake; and therefore curse him not "in thy conscience"F13במדעך εν
συνειδησει σου, Sept. "in conscientia tua", Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator, Drusius, Cocceius, Gejerus. , as some render it. Jarchi interprets
this of God the King of the world; see Job 2:9; and Jerom
of Christ; who should not be blasphemed, lest the angels, that go about the
earth, should carry it to heaven;
and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber; subordinate
rulers and magistrates, the king's ministers and counsellors, who are commonly
rich; even those luxurious princes, before described, who give up themselves to
eating and drinking, and spend the public money in profuse feasts and
entertainments: yet a man should be careful how he speaks against them; and not
only be cautious of what he says about them, in a vilifying way, in companies
and clubs where disaffected persons speak their minds freely; but even in his
own house, where his servants may hear him; nay, even in his bedchamber where
only his wife and children are;
for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath
wings shall tell the matter; an hyperbolical expression; showing that,
by some strange and unthought of ways and means, treason, though so very
secret, should be brought to the knowledge of the king and his ministers; as if
a bird, sitting at the window, or flying by at the same time, should hear and
carry it to them: sometimes this is by means of spies and informers, that kings
have in all places, to bring them news of the behaviour and sentiments of men,
of whom such understand the passage; or by means of such, that bear an ill will
to them, or are faithful subjects to the king. With the Persians were certain
officers, called the king's ears, and the emperor's eyes; by means of whom the
king was believed to be a god, since, by the ears and eyes of others, through
those spies, he knew all that was done everywhereF14Apuleius de
Mundo. . Some interpret it of angels, good or bad: Jarchi, of the soul of man,
which at last flies to heaven, which he thinks is the bird of the air; and of
an angel that is associated to him, his guardian angel; meant, as he supposes,
by that which hath wings, or "the master of wings"F15בעל הכגפים "dominus
alarum", Piscator. .
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)