Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

George Haydock's Catholic Commentary

Ecclesiastes 10:1

Ointment. A fly cannot live in it. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xi. 19.) --- Hence the smallest faults must be avoided, (Calmet) and superfluous cares, (St. Gregory) as well as the conversation of the wicked, (Thaumat.) particularly of heretics. (St. Augustine, contra Fulg. 14.) --- Detractors may be compared to flies: they seek corruption, &c. A little leaven corrupteth the whole lump, 1 Corinthians v. 6. (Calmet) --- The wicked infect their companions, and vice destroys all former virtues. (Worthington) --- Wisdom, or "a small....folly is more precious than wisdom," &c., of the world, 1 Corinthians i. 25., and iii. 18. Dulce est desipere in loco. (Horace, iv. ode 12.) --- Hebrew, "folly spoils things more precious than wisdom." A small fault is often attended with the worst consequences, (chap. ix. 18.) as David and Roboam experienced, 2 Kings xxiv., and 3 Kings xii. 14. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "a little wisdom is to be honoured above the great glory of foolishness." Protestants, "dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking flavour; so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour." (Haydock)

Continues after advertising

See also Ecclesiastes 10:1 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER X _Observations on wisdom and folly_, 1-3. _Concerning right conduct towards rulers_, 4. _Merit depressed, and worthlessness exalted_, 5-7. _Of him who digs a pit and removes a landmark_,...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    This verse is by its meaning so closely connected with Ecclesiastes 9:18 that the selection of it for the beginning of a new chapter seems unfortunate. APOTHECARY - Rather: a dealer in spices and perf...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 10 This chapter contains a series of proverbs, expressing the wisdom and prudence of the natural man. Here are a number of observations and all show that there is a practical value in wisdom a...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 9:17 TO ECCLESIASTES 10:15. EXPERIENCE CRYSTALLISED IN PROVERBS. Ecclesiastes 9:17 to Eccle

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    DEAD FLIES. Hebrew flies of death: i.e. flies that bring or produce death. Supply the Figure of speech _Ellipsis,_ "[as] dead". CAUSE. [are that which will] cause, &c. TO SEND FORTH. STINKING SAVOUR...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary_ The division of the Chapter s obscures the connexion. The maxim now before us is but the figurative expression of the fact stated, without a parable,...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    DEAD FLIES CAUSE, &C.— _The smell arising from the perfume of the perfumer is infected by dead flies; so is the value of wisdom and reputation by a little folly._ See Desvoeux, and Bishop Lowth's thir...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    D. ILLUSTRATIONS OF THOSE WHO LACK Wis. 10:1-11 1. The foolish worker is in trouble. Ecclesiastes 10:1-4 TEXT 10:1-4 1 Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    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. DEAD FLIES - literally, flies of death. TH...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    10:1 honour. (d-22) Or '[so doth] a little folly [for] him who is esteemed for wisdom and honour.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    PRACTICAL ADVICE TOUCHING LIFE'S PUZZLES 1-8. Cultivate wisdom and tact, specially in the dangers that attend upon courts, but also in ordinary operations....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DEAD FLIES, etc.] This v. really belongs to the end of Ecclesiastes 9. As a few of the poisonous flies abounding in hot countries would render valueless a whole jar of perfume, so a man by a slight ad...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 10 THE WAY THAT A FOOLISH PERSON BEHAVES – ECCLESIASTES 10:1-3 V1 Dead flies can ge...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    זְב֣וּבֵי מָ֔וֶת יַבְאִ֥ישׁ יַבִּ֖יעַ שֶׁ֣מֶן רֹוקֵ֑חַ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    FOURTH SECTION The Quest Achieved. The Chief Good Is To Be Found, Not In Wisdom, Nor In Pleasure, Nor In Devotion To Affairs And Its Rewards; But In A Wise Use And A Wise Enjoyment Of The Present Li...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    How, then, does worldly wisdom work? The preacher shows that its first manifestation is discretion based upon selfishness. This section is a series of brief sayings which are of the nature of proverbs...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS The Preacher is still prosecuting his sermon through this Chapter; but folding up many important sayings within short sentences. Ecclesiastes 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apo...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    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 ointmen...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 1. _Dead flies cause the ointment, &c...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Dead flies_, &c. Solomon seems in these words to be prosecuting what he had said in the last clause of the preceding chapter; showing how much good one foolish action may destroy, what evil may resul...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    IN THE MIDST OF PRESUMPTION AND ARROGANCE...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Dead flies, literally, "flies of death," that is, such as fall into a mixture and, in decomposing, taint it with their rottenness, CAUSE THE OINTMENT OF THE APOTHECARY TO MEND FORTH A STINKING SAVOR,...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    DEAD FLIES: _ Heb._ Flies of death...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "DEAD FLIES MAKE. PERFUMER'S OIL STINK, SO. LITTLE FOOLISHNESS IS WEIGHTIER THAN WISDOM AND HONOR." 'Dead flies" -"puts into. vividly unpleasant form the principle on which the previous chapter ended:...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-3 Those especially who make a profession of religion, should keep from all appearances of evil. A wise man has great advantage over a fool, who is always at a loss when he has anything to do. Sin is...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 10 Observations on wisdom and folly, ECCLESIASTES 10:1. Of rulers, ECCLESIASTES 10:4. Of wrong and injustice, ECCLESIASTES 10:8. Of talkativeness, imprudenc

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 10:1 Dead H4194 flies H2070 perfumers H7543 (H8802) ointment H8081 off H5042 (H8686) odor H887

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    SAYINGS COMPARING THE WISE AND THE UNLEARNED AND THOUGHTLESS (ECCLESIASTES 10:1). Ecclesiastes 10:1 ‘Dead flies cause the ointment of the perfumer to smell and putrefy, so does a little folly outwei...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 8:16-12 I. The Preacher commences this section by carefully defining his position and equipment as he starts on his last course. (1) His first conclusion is that wisdom, which of all temp...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 8:16-10 I. At the end of chap. viii. and the beginning of chap. ix., Koheleth points out that it is impossible for us to construct a satisfactory policy of life. "The work of God," or, as...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Proverbs recommending wisdom as of great use for the right ordering of our lives. CHARACTERS: Solomon. CONCLUSION: Fools are apt, at every turn, to proclaim their folly, for if one is lack...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 10:1. _Dead flies cause the ointment,_ of exquisite perfumes, _to send forth a stinking savour;_ a satirical proverb, applicable to characters in all the public walks of life. A general,...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Dead flies cause the ointment. .. to send forth a stinking savour._ DEAD FLIES Among the Jews, oil rendered fragrant by being mixed with precious drugs was used for many different purposes. With it...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 10:1. DEAD FLIES.] _Lit_., “Flies of death;” because, as such, they corrupt the ointment. The apothecary.] A dealer in spices. Thus it is not the common kind, but a cost...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 10:1 Section 11. _A little folly mars the effect of wisdom, _and is sure to make itself conspicuous. ECCLESIASTES 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to sen...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter 10: Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking odor: so does a little folly to him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor (Ecclesiastes 10:1). There are cert...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Chronicles 19:2; Exodus 30:34; Exodus 30:35; Galatians 2:12;...

Continues after advertising