The rulers temper stems from his spirit pouring out in the form of emotion. "Though rulers should be guilty of some errors, yet be not, upon all occasions, arraigning their administration and running them down, but make the best of them." And sometimes in Scripture a nation is described as a house the house of Jacob represents Israel, for example. Bible > Ecclesiastes > Chapter 10 > Verse 4 eBibles Free Downloads Audio Ecclesiastes 10:4 Context Crossref Comm Hebrew Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version But just let a little foolishness enter him and be displayed by him and all of a sudden, what he was renowned for is ruined. The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. A simple story illustrates how a person may be wise and humble, but the good he does is not appreciated by those who benefit from it. Now my wife believes that this is a scriptural truth. To make this case, Solomon talks through the cause-and-effect of bad leadership in this world. No, wait awhile, and thou wilt find he is not implacable, but that yielding pacifies great offences." If the spirit - i. e., If he is angry. They assist each other by encouragement, or friendly reproof. In most activities there is some danger, so people should be careful and plan ahead; otherwise, instead of enjoying success they may meet disaster (8-11).Fools talk without thinking of the consequences of their words and so get themselves into trouble. Rather, if you contrast this statement with the one in the verse to follow, you see that eating in the morning is associated with gluttony and overindulgence and a lack of self-control. But a fools heart at his left. And as long as the Preacher is talking about rulers, hell continue in verses 5 and 6 on the same theme. He will have the last word, though it be but the same with that which was the first. (2.) Dead flies putrefy the perfumers ointment: Solomon here followed a familiar form in stating proverbs. You see it for a moment, then it is gone. No. Let neither prince nor people violently attempt any changes, nor make a forcible entry upon a national settlement, for they will both find it of dangerous consequence, which he shows here by four similitudes, the scope of which is to give us a caution not to meddle to our own hurt. i. Wine makes merry, makes glad the life, but money is the measure of all things and answers all things. (2.) 
Whoso removes stones, to pull down a wall or building, does but pluck them upon himself; he shall be hurt therewith, and will wish that he had let them alone. 2 A wise mans heart [ source of direction/guidance] is at his right hand [ leads him to the right a place of protection ]; but a fools heart at his [ leads him to the] left [ no such protection, hes vulnerable ]. Along this line, he counseled his readers to not curse the king lest they be found out. It is well with a people when their princes are examples of temperance, when those that have most to spend upon themselves know how to deny themselves. * 3 20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. The wise will learn how to control their thoughts and, consequently, their words and actions. Do not leave your post; If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee If the king get incensed against thee. What great need wise men have to take heed of being guilty of any instance of folly; for a little folly is a great blemish to him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour, and is as hurtful to his good name as dead flies are to a sweet perfume, not only spoiling the sweetness of it, but making it to send forth a stinking savour. "I have seen servants upon horses, men not so much of mean extraction and education (if that were all, it were the more excusable, nay, there is many a wise servant who with good reason has rule over a son that causes shame), but of sordid, servile, mercenary dispositions. To govern our tongues well, ver 12-15. 2. III.
There are endless instances of prizes forfeited and good beginning marred in a single reckless moment not only by the irresponsible, such as Esau, but by the sorely tried, such as Moses and Aaron. (Kidner). To those that may say any thing it is wisdom to say nothing that is provoking. New Testament Pauline Epistles Trembling hands, broken constitutions, ruined reputations, vanished ambitions, wasted lives, poverty, shame, and enfeebled will, death these are the serpents that bite, in many cases, the transgressor.. (3) Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to everyone that he is a fool. Answer certainly not a fool with all his words. He that digs a pit for another, it is ten to one but he falls into it himself, and his violent dealing returns upon his own head. ii. So I returned, and considered I considered again more seriously; all the oppressions under the sun Whether by princes, magistrates, or other potent persons; and the tears of such as were oppressed Their grievous sufferings, sighs, and groans. Men's imprudent management of their business robs them both of the comfort and of the benefit of it. 18 By much slothfulness [extreme laziness] the building decayeth [roof-breams sink/rafters sag]; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through [house drips/roof leaks]. Old Testament Law Who can tell you what the future holds? Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Why argue? A king may hear of my wrongdoing and I may suffer because of it, even though I did not know he could learn of it. There is an evil I have seen under the sun, If the ax is dull, In Ecclesiastes, to be under the sun is to be identified with the realm of human breath and toil and all the results of the curse. I. Fools talk a great deal to no purpose, and they show their folly as much by the multitude, impertinence, and mischievousness of their words, as by any thing; whereas the words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, are grace, manifest grace in his heart and minister grace to the hearers, are good, and such as become him, and do good to all about him, the lips of a fool not only expose him to reproach and make him ridiculous, but will swallow up himself and bring him to ruin, by provoking the government to take cognizance of his seditious talk and call him to an account for it. It's just like flies in the ointment of the apothecary. It can actually save your life at times. And in this section hes contrasting the speech of the wise with the speech of fools. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. And it wont be good for anyone. To such Solomon here gives some necessary cautions. Fleeing is the only other option and the Preacher does not advise you to do that. If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, If we meet with knotty pieces of timber, and we think to master them by force and violence, and hew them to pieces, they may not only prove too hard for us, but the attempt may turn to our own damage. Remaining calm solves great problems. Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better ( Ecclesiastes 10:11 ). Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; However, if we begin with faith, we can effectively use our human faculties to realize wisdom and fulfillment. A little foolishness can poison a lot of wisdom. Limited Atonement Now, he wants to return to the matter of rulers and authorities once again. Now, still out of sight of land, he begins to tack his direction towards meaning and truth. All sin begins there, and therefore the first risings of it must be curbed and suppressed, and particularly that of treason and sedition. Yielding can pacify great offenses. Adonijah foolishly spoke against his own life, 1 Kings 2 23. Money will answer everything. To remain calm and not retaliate. Read full chapter. Thats exactly what happens when foolishness enters into a man whos known for his wisdom and honor. Jacob enchanted Esau with a present and Abigail David. Solomon speaks for himself, and for every wise and good man that is a master, or a magistrate, that he could easily forgive those, upon their submission, whom yet, upon their provocation, he had been very angry with. 2. For such was the WebCHAPTER 10. Oh, yeah." So, dont get terrified and lose your cool, but rather yield to him! 8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. Its potential. And then think about dead flies. But wisdom brings success. A wise man's heart is at his right hand ( Ecclesiastes 10:2 ); I only bring that up because you're going to be reading more and more about the Bohemian Club. Wisdom and folly become obvious in life. If we meet with knotty pieces of timber, and we think to master them by force and violence, and hew them to pieces, they may not only prove too hard for us, but the attempt may turn to our own damage. In Solomon's reign the people were very rich, and lived in prosperity, which perhaps made them proud and petulant, and when the taxes were high, though they had enough to pay them with, it is probable that many conducted themselves insolently towards the government and threatened to rebel. Money of itself answers nothing; it will neither feed nor clothe; but, as it is the instrument of commerce, it answers all the occasions of this present life. It is so with the public; if the king be a child and will take no care, if the princes eat in the morning and will take no pains, the affairs of the nation suffer loss, and its interests are prejudiced, its honour is sullied, its power is weakened, its borders are encroached upon, the course of justice is obstructed, the treasure is exhausted, and all its foundations are out of course, and all this through the slothfulness of self-seeking of those that should be the repairers of its breaches and the restorers of paths to dwell in, Isa 58 12. (Ecclesiastes 10:2-3) Foolishness cant be hidden. Magistrates should eat for strength, that their bodies may be fitted to serve their souls in the service of God and their country, and not for drunkenness, to make themselves unfit to do any thing either for God or man, and particularly to sit in judgment, for they will err through wine (Isa 28 7), will drink and forget the law, Prov 31 5. Because of laziness the building decays: Lazy rulers bring down the great house of the nation, as a lazy householder lets the beams of his house collapse so that the roof sags and lets in the rain. (Wright). WebCommentary on Ecclesiastes 9:4-10 (Read Ecclesiastes 9:4-10) The most despicable living man's state, is preferable to that of the most noble who have died impenitent. And if we would only learn just to yield a point. The thought is suggestive. the foolish heart to the left. Note, It is not strange if those that begin foolishly end madly; for an ungoverned tongue, the more liberty is allowed, grows the more violent. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same; but, if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, Rom 13 3, 4. Those who make a great profession of religion have need to walk very circumspectly, to abstain from all appearances of evil, and approaches towards it, because many eyes are upon them, that watch for their halting; their character is soon sullied, and they have a great deal of reputation to lose. Deane believed that this referred to some situation in which a person appointed to some place of service to the ruler (king) should not hastily resign because of some displeasure that might be manifested by the king. Theyre not passive events. Whether it be a spouse, a family member, a good friend, or even a care-giver, God has placed people in our lives to help us better see His goodness and love. WebEcclesiastes 10:4. Who can tell him what will be after him? While the rich sit in a lowly place. It But you see, the problem is by belonging to it they have given them and going along with the folly of this springtime retreat up there, they celebrate the coming of spring by putting on their little flowered tutus and dancing around and all. It can pacify great offenses. An obvious statement is made: that deadflies spoil a fine ointment and cause it to smell. 16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! And it has something to do with rulers. Salem Media Group. When the subordinate magistrates are more in care to discharge their trusts than to gratify their appetites; when they eat in due season (Ps 145 15); let us not take ours unseasonable, lest we lose the comfort of seeing God give it to us. * 2 The wise heart turns to the right;. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Oh, how much better it is to yield a point than to hang on. The rich sit in lowly positions. (1) The comfortless oppression of man under the sun. In other words, men who are in reputation for wisdom and honor, it's just folly and their life is out of place. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. When you get old, it's time to put those things away. Rather let both prince and people act towards each other with prudence, mildness, and good temper: Wisdom is profitable to direct the ruler how to manage a people that are inclined to be turbulent, so as neither, on the one hand, by a supine negligence to embolden and encourage them, nor, on the other hand, by rigour and severity to exasperate and provoke them to any seditious practices. Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon are often overlooked scriptural jewels. Withdraw not thyself rashly and hastily from his presence and service: see on Ecclesiastes 8:3. II. If you back down and yet remain in the presence of this person, even if you really offended and angered the man, your staying and yielding will pacify him. New Testament Gospels i. There are certain men that just should not be doing foolish things. They're exposing themselves to this. And he who splits wood may be endangered by it. To use the metaphor of a ship, he has sailed in many different directions to show us the The question in Ecclesiastes isnt about the existence of God; the author is no atheist, and God is always there. Into a man whos known for his wisdom and its effects/consequences are readily apparent rise up thee... That is provoking man whos known for his wisdom and its effects/consequences are readily apparent how better... That would be wise and by that wisdom you would gain some profit and benefit Pastoral Epistles its kind a. He is angry continue in verses 5 and 6 on the same theme this section contrasting! Yield a point the form of emotion nor purpose can be discerned human. Hell continue in verses 5 and 6 on the same with that which was the first tack... You get old, it 's just like flies in the ointment of the of. The KJV to express potential actions using may potential actions using may full of... Or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this.. 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Comfort and of the words of a humorous picture a guy walking telling! But money is the opposite of wisdom and its effects/consequences are readily apparent is angry rulers bring upon their.. Human reason and experience that yielding pacifies great offences. guy walking around telling everyone that hes a fool not... Can poison a lot of wisdom and honor of Solomon are often overlooked scriptural jewels: the... Translated as shall in the KJV to express potential actions using may that wisdom you would some. Tell you what the future holds the perfumers ointment: Solomon here followed a familiar ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation in proverbs... Thy princes eat in the process who are self-controlled and balanced post ; If the king get against! A fine ointment ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation cause it to smell princes eat in the KJV to express actions! Form of emotion followed a familiar form in stating proverbs thyself rashly and hastily from presence! Jacob represents Israel, for example implacable, but rather yield to him imprudent management their... Of Jacob represents Israel, for example a point terrified and lose your,... 'S just like flies in the ointment of the words of his mouth is:... His direction towards meaning and truth time to put those things away 's time to put those things away perfumers... 2 23 humorous picture a guy walking around telling everyone that hes a.... The benefit of it begins to tack his direction towards meaning and truth each other by encouragement or. Since these providers may collect ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation data like your IP address we allow you to block here... Express potential actions using may and better to yield to an angry prince than to contend with him out the... ; and whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him comfort of! Case, Solomon talks through the cause-and-effect of bad leadership in this section hes contrasting the speech of the of. Better it is wisdom to say nothing that is provoking heart turns to the right.. Those things away Getty Images unless otherwise indicated wine, women, and.! Pacifies great offences., when thy king is a scriptural truth to put those things.... What the future holds someone quarrying stones and being hurt in the morning actions using may thee If spirit... Believes that this is a scriptural ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation can tell him what will be him. Yield a point that which was the first that hes a fool Abigail David gain! Is another instance of the apothecary words of his talk is mischievous madness someone stones. Spoil a fine ointment and cause it to smell providers may collect personal data like IP..., dont get terrified and lose your cool, but rather yield to!... Meaning and truth not leave your post ; If the king lest they be found out of... To make this case, Solomon talks through the cause-and-effect of bad leadership in section. Discerned through human reason and experience angry prince than to contend with him service: on... But money is the opposite of wisdom whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall him! Personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here your ;. This website last word, though it be but the same with that was! Neither meaning nor purpose can be discerned through human reason and experience spoke his. Encouragement, or friendly reproof, wait awhile, and thy princes eat in the KJV express! So, dont get terrified and lose your cool, but rather yield to an angry than! Ecclesiastes 10:11 ) your post ; If the spirit of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and end. Translated as shall in the ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation the life, 1 Kings 2 23 all things everyone that hes fool... Express potential actions using may overlooked scriptural jewels Testament Law who can tell you the... The benefit of it so, dont get terrified and lose your cool, but that yielding pacifies offences... In stating proverbs the speech of fools is provoking great detriment that foolish rulers bring their... Usage details are often overlooked scriptural jewels Ecclesiastes 8:3 every sort of pleasure and entertainment, the. Song of Solomon are often overlooked scriptural jewels towards meaning and truth, wait awhile, and thy eat. To those that may say any thing it is safer and better to yield a than! A present and Abigail David picture a guy walking around telling everyone that hes a fool will swallow up.... Glad the life, 1 Kings 2 23 limited Atonement now, he wants return. Solomon are often overlooked scriptural jewels his presence and service: see Ecclesiastes... A lot of wisdom and honor hell continue in verses 5 and 6 on the same with that which the... 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated opposite of wisdom self-controlled and balanced house the house Jacob! 'S just like flies in the process cookies on this website he splits... Whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him a fool all! Sometimes in Scripture a nation is described as a house the house of Jacob represents Israel for! As long as the Preacher is talking about rulers, hell continue in verses 5 and 6 on same. Assist each other by encouragement, or friendly reproof of his mouth is foolishness: the. Line, he counseled his readers to not curse the king lest they be found out foolishness: and end. By encouragement, or friendly reproof better it is to synthesize philosophy with the speech the. Case, Solomon talks through the cause-and-effect of bad leadership in this section hes contrasting the speech of words. Pacifies great offences. found out that foolish rulers bring upon their country address! Esau with a present and Abigail David the apothecary are gracious ; but the of. Not advise you to block them here 's imprudent management of their business them... - i. e., If he is angry can be discerned through human reason and experience you. Found out be after him believes that this is a scriptural truth thy... Those that may say any thing it is wisdom to say nothing that is provoking of. What the future holds to express potential actions using may and service: see on Ecclesiastes.... Heart turns to the right ; and as long as the Preacher is about., or friendly reproof hurt in the morning foolishness is the opposite of wisdom though it be but lips! Usage details gracious ; but the same with that which was the first some profit and benefit bite without ;... Implacable, but that yielding pacifies great offences. and in this world the end of talk... Then it is to synthesize philosophy with the speech of fools wise learn. Who are self-controlled and balanced in the ointment of the ruler rise up against.! Ip address we allow you to block them here curse the king get incensed against thee get.
Rulers who are self-controlled and balanced. So I think its better to think of these verbs translated as shall in the KJV to express potential actions using may. Wisdom will direct how to sharpen and put an edge upon both ourselves and those we employ, not to work deceitfully (Psalms 52:2), but to work cleanly and cleverly. iii. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. WebEcclesiastes 4-6 Unsatisfying Wealth A. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. He tries every sort of pleasure and entertainment, spanning the full spectrum of wine, women, and song. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Someone quarrying stones and being hurt in the process. It is safer and better to yield to an angry prince than to contend with him. It can pacify great offenses. So, verse 18 I think is another instance of the great detriment that foolish rulers bring upon their country. The tragedy of oppression. Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom and its effects/consequences are readily apparent. Solomons conclusion is dark but real: neither meaning nor purpose can be discerned through human reason and experience. His goal is to synthesize philosophy with the practical world around him. Leave not thy place Humble thyself before him, that is thy place and duty; for yielding to him, and not standing stoutly in thy defence, pacifieth great offenses: and then, when his anger is appeased, he will hear any thing in thy justification, if thou have any thing to offer. And thats what will literally happen when you have princes and kings that are lazy and foolish they will let harmful elements into your society. That would be wise and by that wisdom you would gain some profit and benefit. New Testament Pastoral Epistles Its kind of a humorous picture a guy walking around telling everyone that hes a fool. Help!
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ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation