INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 10 This chapter treats of the difference between wisdom and folly; and of the preferableness of the one, to the other, especially in civil government: folly is compared to a dead or deadly fly; a little of which as much hurts a wise man's reputation, as that does the mo... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ointment, prepared after the best manner, where they die, and corrupt and spoil it: or, "flies of deaths" m... [ Continue Reading ]
A WISE MAN'S HEART [IS] AT HIS RIGHT HAND,.... This is not designed to express the direct position and situation of the heart of man, wise or foolish, which is the same in both; and which, according to anatomists, is in the middle of the body, inclining to the left side; but the understanding and wi... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA ALSO, WHEN HE THAT IS A FOOL WALKETH BY THE WAY,.... The king's highway, the common road; as he passeth along the streets, going to any place, or about any business: HIS WISDOM FAILETH [HIM]; or "his heart" p; he appears by his gait, his manner of walking, to want a heart, to be a fool; walking... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE SPIRIT OF THE RULER RISE UP AGAINST THEE,.... The wrath of the civil magistrate, the chief ruler of the land, the sovereign prince or king, to whom men are and should be subject: if his wrath on any occasion breaks out in a furious manner, and, like a storm and tempest, is very blustering and... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS AN EVIL [WHICH] I HAVE SEEN UNDER THE SUN,.... Which Solomon had observed in the course of his life, practised in some kingdoms and by some princes on earth, under the sun; for there is nothing of the like kind, as after mentioned, done in heaven, above the sun; AS AN ERROR [WHICH] PROCEED... [ Continue Reading ]
FOLLY IS SET IN GREAT DIGNITY,.... Or "in great heights" q; in high places of honour and truest; even foolish and wicked men; men of poor extraction, of low life, and of mean abilities and capacities; and, which is worse, men vile and vicious, as Doeg the Edomite, Haman the Amalekite, and others; A... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SEEN SERVANTS UPON HORSES,.... Which being scarce in Judea, were only rode upon by princes and great personages, or such as were in affluent circumstances; and therefore it was an unusual and disagreeable sight to see servants upon them, which was a token of their being advanced upon the ruin... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT DIGGETH A PIT SHALL FALL INTO IT,.... This and the three following clauses are proverbial expressions, teaching men to be wise and cautious, lest by their conduct they bring mischief upon themselves; as it often is, the one that digs a pit for another, falls into it himself, as the wise man'... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSO REMOVETH STONES SHALL BE HURT THEREWITH,.... That carries them from the quarry, where they are dug; or takes them from a heap, where they lie; or that attempts to pull them out of a building, where they are put; or removes them from places, where they are set as boundaries and landmarks; all w... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE IRON BE BLUNT,.... With which a man cleaves wood: the axe, made of iron: AND HE DO NOT WHET THE EDGE; with some proper instrument to make it sharper, that it may cut the more easily; THEN MUST HE PUT TO MORE STRENGTH; he must give a greater blow, strike the harder, and use more force; and y... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY THE SERPENT WILL BITE WITHOUT ENCHANTMENT,.... See Jeremiah 8:17. Or rather, "without a whisper" t; without hissing, or any noise, giving no warning at all: so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "in silence"; some serpents bite, others sting, some both; see Proverbs 23:32; some hiss, othe... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORDS OF A WISE MAN'S MOUTH [ARE] GRACIOUS,.... Or "grace" u. He speaks kind and good things in favour of the characters of men, and not as the babbling detractor: he speaks well of civil magistrates and rulers in the state; of the ministers of the word in the church; and of all his fellow creat... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BEGINNING OF THE WORDS OF HIS MOUTH [IS] FOOLISHNESS,.... As soon as ever he opens his mouth, he betrays his folly; the first word he speaks is a foolish one; or it is from the abundant folly in his heart that he speaks, which is the source and spring of all his foolish talk; AND THE END OF HIS... [ Continue Reading ]
A FOOL ALSO IS FULL OF WORDS,.... Or, "multiplies words" y. Is very talkative, says the same thing over and over again; uses an abundance of waste words, that have no meaning in them; utters every thing that comes uppermost, without any order or judgment; affects to talk on every subject, whether he... [ Continue Reading ]
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 vain and fruitless; BECAUSE HE KNOWETH NOT HOW TO GO TO THE CITY; to any city, the road to which i... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE TO THEE, O LAND, WHEN THY KING [IS] A CHILD,.... Not so much in age; though it is sometimes an unhappiness to a nation to be governed by a minor, especially if the young king has not good tutors, guardians, ministers, and counsellors, about him; but, if otherwise, a nation may be very happy unde... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED [ART] THOU, O LAND, WHEN THY KING IS THE SON OF NOBLES,.... Or "heroes" z, called "Hhorim" in the Hebrew, which signifies "white"; either from the white garment they wore, or rather from the purity and ingenuity of their minds and manners; being illustrious persons, not only by birth and edu... [ Continue Reading ]
BY MUCH SLOTHFULNESS THE BUILDING DECAYETH,.... Or, "by slothfulnesses" g, The word is in the dual number, and so may signify the slothfulness of the hands, as Aben Ezra, of both hands, and of both feet; or the various kinds of slothfulness, as the Arabic version, slothfulness both of body and mind;... [ Continue Reading ]
A FEAST IS MADE FOR LAUGHTER,.... Or, "who make bread for laughter" i. Not bakers, who make bread for common use, and for all sorts of persons, sorrowful ones as others; but luxurious men, particularly such princes as are before described; they "make bread", that is, a feast, as the phrase is used,... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSE NOT THE KING; NO, NOT IN THY THOUGHT,.... Though he is a child, and unskilful in government, gives himself to his passions and pleasures, and neglects the affairs of the kingdom; yet be so far from rebelling against him, and doing him any injury, or speaking ill of him, as not even to wish him... [ Continue Reading ]