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Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 10:15

He wearies himself with ineffectual attempts, because he is incapable of carrying on the most ordinary affairs of life.

16-20. Much depends on the ruler. Whatever he be, he must be reverenced.

16, 17. The case referred to can hardly be an imaginary one. Ptolemy Epiphanes succeeded his father Philopater as king of Egypt at the age of six years (205 b.c.), and during his minority there was much strife between the Syrian and Jewish factions in Egypt, and, on the part of some in high places, licentious indulgence all day and every day (eat in the morning).

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See also Ecclesiastes 10:15 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 15. _HE KNOWETH NOT HOW TO GO TO THE CITY._] I suppose this to be a proverb: "He knows nothing; he does not know his way to the next village." He may labour; but for want of _judgment_ he wearie...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The sense is: “The fool wearies himself with ineffectual attempts, he has not sufficient knowledge for the transaction of ordinary business.”...

  • 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

    LABOUR. toil. FOOLISH. Hebrew. _kesil,_ as in Ecclesiastes 10:2 and Ecclesiastes 10:12. not _sakal,_ as in verses: Ecclesiastes 10:3;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them_ The word for "labour" as in chap. Ecclesiastes 1:3; Genesis 41:52; Job 3:3, as with our word "travail," carries with it the connotation of troubl...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THE LABOUR OF THE FOOLISH, &C.— _He will weary himself with foolish labour, not knowing how to go to the city._ From the 10th to this verse, Solomon proceeds to shew that such a choice as that mention...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    E. THOSE WHO WORK CONTRARY TO WISDOM ARE REPREHENSIBLE. Ecclesiastes 10:12-20 1. Talkers and workers Ecclesiastes 10:12-15 TEXT 10:12-15 12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while t...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. THE LABOUR OF THE FOOLISH WEARIETH. They have no capacity for spiritual things; and merely earth...

  • 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...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    TO GO TO THE CITY. — Evidently a proverbial expression; “is not able to find his way on a plain road.” (Comp. Isaiah 35:8.)...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    עֲמַ֥ל הַ כְּסִילִ֖ים תְּיַגְּעֶ֑נּוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא...

  • 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...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    COMBINED WITH A STEADFAST FAITH IN THE LIFE TO COME. Ecclesiastes 10:9 - Ecclesiastes 12:7 But, soft; is not our man of men becoming a mere man of pleasure? No; for he recognises the claims of duty a...

  • 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...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the (g) city. (g) The ignorance and beastliness of the wicked is such that they know not common things, and y...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _City. Being so stupid, that they know not, or will not take the pains to find what is most obvious. (Calmet) --- Thus the pagan philosophers knew all but what they ought to have known; (St. Jerome) a...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. (9) Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereb...

  • 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

    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...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city._ Ver. 15. _The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them._] While he laboureth in vain, and...

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

    _The words of a wise man are gracious_ Hebrew, חן, grace: as they are profitable, so they are acceptable to others, procuring him favour with those that hear him. _But the lips of a fool will swallow...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The labor of the foolish wearleth every one of them, the slightest exertion is too much for his lazy bones, BECAUSE HE KNOWETH NOT HOW TO GO TO THE CITY; he does not know the road straight ahead of hi...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    IN THE MIDST OF FOOLISH TALKING AND SLOTHFULNESS...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "THE TOIL OF. FOOL SO WEARIES HIM THAT HE DOES NOT EVEN KNOW HOW TO GO TO. CITY." Much like our modern proverb, "He doesn't know enough to come in out of the rain". "The second line is evidently. prov...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    11-15 There is a practice in the East, of charming serpents by music. The babbler's tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison; and contradiction only makes it the more violent. We must find the...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Fools discover their folly, as by their words, of which he hath hitherto spoken, so also by their actions, and by their endless and fruitless endeavours after things which are too high and hard for th...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 10:15 labor H5999 fools H3684 wearies H3021 (H8762) know H3045 (H8804) go H3212 (H8800) ci

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING TO THE RIGHT PERSON (ECCLESIASTES 10:15). Ecclesiastes 10:15 ‘The effort of fools wearies every one of them, for he does not know how to go to the city.' ‘Them' is those...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 10:10 I. In chap. xi. Koheleth urges upon us the necessity of diligence. He has come to the conclusion that it is not worth while to have a nicely calculated scheme of life, because at ev...

  • 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...

  • 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 ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 10:15 A fool’s TOIL in the fields is more tiring than others’ because he is unaware of things that would make his work easier....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 10:11. A BABBLER IS NO BETTER.] _Lit_., “The master of the tongue.” One who is of ready utterance, capable of producing great effects by the power of speech, yet lacking...

  • 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

    Ecclesiastes 10:10; Ecclesiastes 10:3; Habakkuk 2:6; Isaiah 35:8;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Wearieth — Fools discover their folly by their wearisome and fruitless endeavours after things which are too high for them. Because — He is ignorant of those things which are most easy, as of the way...

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