Ecclesiastes 10:13

The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Illustrating the folly and injuriousness of the fool's words; last clause of . MISCHIEVOUS MADNESS - "mischievous" first to others, then to himself, in just retribution....

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 way to keep him gentle. But by rash, unprincipled, or slanderous talk, he brings open or secret vengeance upon himself. Would we duly consider our own ignorance as to future events, it would cut off many idle words which we foolishly multiply. Fools toil a great deal to no purpose. They do not understand the plainest things, such as the entrance into a great city. But it is the excellency of the way to the heavenly city, that it is a high-way, in which the simplest wayfaring men shall not err, Isaiah 25:8. But sinful folly makes men miss that only way to happiness....

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 SEND FORTH A STINKING SAVOR. This is a metaphorical confirmation of the truth enunciated at the end of the last chapter, "One sinner destroyeth much good." It is like the apostle's warning to his converts, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (1 Corinthians 5:6). The Hebrew expression is literally, "flies of death," which may mean either "dead flies," as in our version and the Vulgate (muse

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 TALK [IS] MISCHIEVOUS MADNESS; to himself and others; as he goes on, he appears more and more foolish, and yet more confident of his own wisdom; and is resolutely set on having his own way and will; grows warm, and is violently hot, to have his own words regarded; and, if contradicted, is like a madman, scattering arrows, firebrands, and death; his talk from first to last is a circle of folly; and, though it begins with something weak, and may seem innocent, yet it ends and issues in wickedness and madness, in rage and wrath, in oaths and curses....

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 and that it has certain advantages. These maxims are of a different kind than the proverbs in the preceding book. There we are face to face with the wisdom which is from above, here it is the wisdom of man. The name of the Lord is not mentioned once, Similar philosophic utterances can be traced in the literature of other ancient nations. They need no detailed annotations....

FOOLISHNESS. Hebrew. _sakal,_ as in verses: Ecclesiastes 10:3; Ecclesiastes 10:6; Ecclesiastes 10:14. MADNESS. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:17....

_The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness_ The words point, with a profound insight into human nature, to the progress from bad to worse in one who has the gift of speech without discretion. He begins with what is simply folly, unwise but harmless, but "_vires acquirit eundo_" he is borne along on the swelling floods of his own declamatory fluency, and ends in what is "mischievous madness." He commits himself to statements and conclusions which, in his calmer moments, he would have shrunk from. As has been said of such an orator or preacher, without plan or forethought, he "goes forth, not knowing whither he goeth....

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 the lips of a fool consume him; 13 the beginning of his talking is folly, and the end of it is wicked madness. 14 Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him? 15 The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to the city. THOUGHT QUESTIONS 10:12-15 384. How dangerous are the lips of a fool? 385. The fool's words start out as folly and end up as what? 386. What effect does this have on the fool?

10:13 talk (h-16) Lit. 'mouth.'...