Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ecclesiastes 10:1

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, in the last verse of ch. 9. The "dead flies" are, in the Hebrew, "flies of death," probably, i.e.poisonous, or stinging flies of the dung-fly, or carrion-fly type. Such insects, finding their way into a vase of precious ointment, would turn its fragrance into a fœtid odour. The work of an "apothecary" or manufacturer of unguents was one held in honour in Jerusalem, and the guilds to which they belonged had a special street or bazaar. Few similitudes could describe more vividly the tainting influence of folly, moral or intellectual. It is to the full as expressive as "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" of 1 Corinthians 5:6. The experience of every day shews us, how little sins mar the nobleness of a great character; procrastination, talkativeness, indecision, over-sensitiveness to praise or blame, undue levity or undue despondency, want of self-control over appetites or passions, these turn the fragrance of a good name (ch. Ecclesiastes 7:1) into the "ill savour" which stinks in the nostrils of mankind.

so doth a little folly The completeness of the proverb in the English is obtained by the insertion of the words "so doth." This is, however, a somewhat over-bold manipulation of the text, and it remains to see whether we can get an adequate meaning without it. The true rendering seems to be as follows, More prevailing (this takes the place of "him that is in reputation," the primary meaning of the root being that of weight) than wisdom and honour is a little folly. This gives substantially the same meaning as the present English text, though in a different manner. The "little folly" outweighs the wisdom, and diminishes both its actual value and the estimate men form of it. Looking to the language of ch. Ecclesiastes 7:1, the effect of a little folly on the reputation of the wise would seem to be the prominent thought. By some commentators the English meaning of the word is retained even with this construction "More highly prized(i. e.in the opinion of the unthinking) is a little folly than wisdom and honour," but this destroys the parallelism with the first clause. The writer does not here speak of the undue honour paid to folly, but of its really destructive power even when matched against wisdom. The saying ascribed to the Chancellor Oxenstiern comes to one's mind, "Quantulâ sapientiâ regatur mundus!" One foolish prince, or favourite, or orator prevails against many wise. One element of folly in the character prevails over many excellencies.

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Ecclesiastes 10:1

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