It doesn’t mean you can’t think in your thoughts that a ruler is an awful person. It can also pose an imminent danger. Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. According to the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, the Hebrew na‘ar, translated “child,” here “refers not to age but to general maturity. The point here would be to guard against hastily or carelessly saying something harmful. Get beautiful Bible art delivered to your inbox. 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. On the other hand, these verses could apply to anyone trying to act against others (perhaps reacting to the problem leadership situation) or conducting normal, everyday labor—in which case the point would be that whatever is done involves risks, so we all have to use wisdom and be cautious. Since Solomon had ships that brought animals from afar, and he had great interest in animals, including birds (1 Kings 4:33 1 Kings 4:33And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.American King James Version×; 1 Kings 10:22 1 Kings 10:22For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.American King James Version×), it’s quite possible that he himself had talking birds—perhaps even in his royal bedroom at times. [14] Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. The “strength” sought in proper feasting in verse 17 includes bodily nourishment but also the promotion of a strong nation through healthy leaders and proper provision for others as well as elevated camaraderie and morale and connectedness within and with allies. The contrast, therefore, is not so much between young and old as between a mature, bold approach to life and an immature, servile manner” (note on verse 17). And the metaphor was around then and before that. And knowing that no man can truly tame the tongue, we should all pray as David did, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalms 141:3 Psalms 141:3Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.American King James Version×). KJV 2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. 13:44 what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Solomon next interjects within his series of proverbs a relevant observation about a failing he’s witnessed in human governance (verses 5-7). Free Returns 100% Satisfaction Guarantee Fast Shipping The power of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and in due time he will set over it one that is … “Drinking in the early hours of the day marked a dissolute, slothful approach to life, with emphasis on personal indulgence” (Tyndale, note on Ecclesiastes 10:17 Ecclesiastes 10:17Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!American King James Version×). What benefit is … Ecclesiastes 10:7 I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants. 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. It may be passed to one who says it to another, and that person to another— until it’s heard on a level that could bring retaliation. 11 And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms. And this would be a direct contrast to the blessing in verse 17 of having a king who is the son of “nobles” or, literally, of “freemen” (YLT). Indeed, it’s surely no coincidence that laziness and idleness are condemned immediately after in verse 18. Gen 4:10 - And he said, What hast thou done? And yet another part of the problem would seem to involve being too hasty in acting, failing to take the needed time to prepare for the task—in this case, sharpening the tool. In a fine note of sarcasm, this proverb says that a person may be so involved in arguing about the universe [or lofty matters] that he misses what the ordinary person is concerned about, namely, finding the way home” (Wright, note on Ecclesiastes 10:15 Ecclesiastes 10:15The labor of the foolish wearies every one of them, because he knows not how to go to the city.American King James Version×). Sometimes it is important to take more time to prepare. The woe or disaster in verse 16 comes when the king is a “child” or “youth” (NKJV, YLT) or, as in other versions, a “servant” or “slave” (NIV, NEB), with princes feasting in the morning. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. 53:11; Jer. A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Again, this applies to those in leadership and all of us, particularly in our interaction with governing authorities. Solomon’s father David was a great king though he did not come from royalty—yet he did end up with much military and court experience before assuming the throne, and he was a man who followed God. Enduring Word presents free Bible resources from David Guzik, including his written commentary on the Bible. And beyond the enclosing verses about leadership problems, verses 8-15 also appear to illustrate the main subject of the current subsection of the book—living boldly with wisdom and diligence. 1 a In the beginning was b the Word, and c the Word was with God, and d the Word was God. 2 A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. So the proverb of verse 20 again gives the wise course to follow—don’t succumb to the temptation to do that. American King James Version×concerned not running afoul of government. Verse 11 has been interpreted in quite different ways. Ovid, the famous Roman poet, is reported to have said, ‘At times it is folly to hasten, at other times, to delay. However, these renderings leave out the conditional “if” at the beginning and the term “master of the tongue”—which seems opposite to a babbler or unbridled tongue. But by the second interpretation of verse 11, warning against being too hasty in speech, the verse would be giving another example of acting too quickly without proper forethought and preparation as in verse 10—and we should note that this is also the point of the next few verses, 12-14, so that verse 11 might well be grouped with these thematically. Or perhaps these intervening verses concern how we as individuals react to the inequity of inappropriate leadership—pointing out that we ourselves need to be very careful, not doing things that would add to our difficulties or bring us harm (fitting with the inclusio theme beginning in verse 4 and ending in verse 20 about dealing cautiously with rulers). And the need to counter this tendency is the major theme of the current subsection of the book—working with all one’s might, giving it our all with wisdom and diligence. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:40 "Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." And the fool’s “verbosity arises from too high a regard for his own opinions. [12] For man also knows not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them. “Stories of ‘little birds’ who told [or were aware of] secrets are found in Aristophanes’ The Birds, a classical Greek comedy [of 414 B.C. [15] For that you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. Here we read the second part of the second subsection of the last major section of the book. The Preaching the Word commentary follows this interpretation, stating: “Taken together, verses 10-11 show us why we need wisdom from God. Ecclesiastes 7:10 Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" ? This results in the building decaying and the house leaking. It states, “Do not curse the king, even in your thoughts.” This might be better put: Don’t curse the king—don’t even think about doing it (compare CEV). Expositor’s comments that a meaning of servant or slave for the king in verse 16 would “indicate that the king is someone who has suddenly come to the top by others and who keeps his power by letting his deputies do what they want,” while a meaning of child or lad would “indicate that the real power is that of the deputies. Even though life is risky, we shouldn’t let that stop us from living. Second, alcohol leads one to be a mocker and a brawler. 3 For () we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. If the spirit of a ruler — His passion or wrath; rise up against thee — Upon some misinformation given him, or mismanagement of thine; leave not thy place — In anger or discontent. Recall that idleness among individuals was earlier decried in Ecclesiastes 4:5 Ecclesiastes 4:5The fool folds his hands together, and eats his own flesh.American King James Version×. And the book earlier warned against being quick to get angry as foolish (Ecclesiastes 7:9 Ecclesiastes 7:9Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger rests in the bosom of fools.American King James Version×). Read more Share Copy Show footnotes A service of Faithlife / Logos Bible Software. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. This seems to denote an inexperienced or immature ruler with other subordinate leaders who are immature in self indulgence. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Context. This is vital for people in positions of leadership and for all of us. AND THAT’S THE ONLY PLACE IN SCRIPTURE… – Where all three of these elements are together… (Gen. 37:9-10) sun / moon / stars. As the Tyndale commentary notes on verse 19, “It is difficult to decide how to take this verse.” Some, it points out, see in verses 16, 17, 18 and 19 a “woe…bliss…woe…bliss” sequence, so that the laziness and breakdown in verse 18 is “concerned with the woeful results of the foolish life,” while verse 19 refers to “the happy results of the wise life” (ibid.). But v[erse] 9 throws in a dash of hard realism: even those who are engaged in legitimate activity, such as quarrying or wood cutting, can be hurt in the process. who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 1 Dead flies putrefy 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. Ecclesiastes 12:12). See you a man that is hasty in his words? Woe to them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! The Word Became Flesh . And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. Ecclesiastes 10:4 Context 1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. If we are right in placing the whole section from John 7:37 to John 10:21 on the same great day of the Feast (comp. Ecclesiastes 10:10 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 … The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible relates: “As Ecclesiastes complains of slaves on horseback, so the ‘Complaints of Khakheperresonb’ declares, ‘He who used to give commands is (now) one to whom commands are given.’ The Admonitions of Ipu-wer similarly complains, ‘Indeed, princes are hungry and perish, / Servants are served.’ These Egyptian texts are not in all respects the same as Ecclesiastes; they tend to focus on the general lawlessness in society during times of political instability in Egypt, whereas Ecclesiastes is concerned more universally with the absurdities of human life. Regarding the upset ruler here in verse 4, who is perhaps flying off the handle, it’s important to maintain composure and, if in the ruler’s service, not desert one’s post—and to be careful in responding, recognizing that “conciliation pacifies great offenses” (same verse). If one can recognize its symptoms, one will be saved some self-inflicted damage—for while it may feel magnificent to ‘resign your post’ (NEB), ostensibly on principle but actually in a fit of pride, it is in fact less impressive, more immature, than it feels. The same commentary states that “another criterion of national wisdom is self-control”—the lack of which is seen in verse 16 with the profligate deputy rulers feasting in the morning. The Law of Light. And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. The Excellence of Wisdom. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? (“Talking Bird,” Wikipedia). Consider Luke 12:21 Luke 12:21So is he that lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.American King James Version×about being “rich toward God”—and that the word noble can also mean virtuous. The problem in verse 18 is laziness or idleness, which, as noted above, ties in with the nation’s leaders wallowing in drunken feasting and evidently not getting needed work done. Where verse 12 says that a wise man’s words are gracious, this could also be translated to say that they bring grace or favor on the wise man himself—in contrast to the self-destruction a fool’s words bring in the second part of the verse, his own lips swallowing him up. Discussions are endless surrounding the origin of our majestic cosmos—the mind boggling microscopic world of bacteria, all the way to the wonder of animal life, and of course, human life. This rendering would fit with Jesus’ warning that “if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14 Matthew 15:14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. Some commentators take the digging of a pit and breaking through a wall in verse 8 as doing something against other people—laying a trap or breaking into a home or establishment—and having this backfire (falling into the pit or getting bitten by a snake). “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law…” Galatians 4:4b (NKJV) ‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.’ Genesis 3:15 (NKJV) The Holman Old Testament Commentary agrees, stating: “Although verse 19 is somewhat enigmatic, it does seem to point to the fact that the fool believes that earthly things are the way to achieve the good life” (Moore, note on verses 16-20). Deal wisely in matters of government and powerful people, be careful in any given task. Paul echoed, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18 Romans 12:18If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men.American King James Version×). [3] Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he does whatever pleases him. [7] For he knows not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his crown” (verses 14-16; compare Ecclesiastes 9:15 Ecclesiastes 9:15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.American King James Version×; Ecclesiastes 35:7 Ecclesiastes 35:7American King James Version×). 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