Ecclesiastes 10:9

Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. WHOSO REMOVETH STONES - namely, of an ancient building, or his neighbour's landmarks, or from the quarry. HE THAT CLEAVETH WOOD SHALL BE ENDANGERED - by the splinters, or by the head of the hatchet, flying back on himself. Pithy aphorisms are common in the East. The sense is: Deeds of violence endanger the violent themselves....

4-10 Solomon appears to caution men not to seek redress in a hasty manner, nor to yield to pride and revenge. Do not, in a passion, quit thy post of duty; wait awhile, and thou wilt find that yielding pacifies great offences. Men are not preferred according to their merit. And those are often most forward to offer help, who are least aware of the difficulties, or the consequences. The same remark is applied to the church, or the body of Christ, that all the members should have the same care one for another....

Verse Ecclesiastes 10:9. _WHOSO REMOVETH STONES_] This verse teaches care and caution. Whoever _pulls down_ an old building is likely to be hurt by the stones; and in _cleaving wood_ many accidents occur for want of sufficient caution....

The figures seem to be taken from the work of building up and pulling down houses. In their general application, they recommend the man who would act wisely to be cautious when taking any step in life which involves risk. Ecclesiastes 10:8 BREAKETH AN HEDGE - Rather: “breaks through a wall.” SERPENT - The habit of snakes is to nestle in a chink of a wall, or among stones (compare Amos 5:19). Ecclesiastes 10:9 BE ENDANGERED - Rather: “cut himself.”...

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

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 which is troublesome, and by which men get hurt; the stones fall upon them, or are too heavy for them, or they do what they should not do, and so bring themselves into trouble; as do all such persons who are for removing the boundaries of commonwealths and communities, and for changing laws, and altering constitutions; [AND] HE THAT CLEAVETH WOOD SHALL BE ENDANGERED THEREBY; of cutting himself: so he that soweth discord among brethren, that makes divisions in families, neighbourhoods, kingdoms, and churches; see Proverbs 6:16...

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....

_Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith_ The words are referred by some commentators to an act like that of the previous verse, by others to hewing stone in the quarry. In the former case, however, we get but a tame repetition, in the latter there is nothing in the act that deserves retribution. We get a more natural meaning, if we think of the curse pronounced on him who "removes his neighbour's landmark" (Deuteronomy 19:14; Deuteronomy 27:17). Such landmarks often consisted of cairns or heaps of stones, as in Genesis 31:46-48, or a pillar, and the act of removing it would be one of wrongful aggression. For the stone to fall on a man so acting would be once more an instance of the Nemesis

3. Failures in life result from lack of Wis. 10:8-11 TEXT 10:8-11 8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. THOUGHT QUESTIONS 10:8-11 381. The activities described in verse eight and nine are normal. The danger lies in the fact that what quality is missing in the activity? 382. A dull axe is symbolic of one who attempts to work without what? 383. When is it too late for a charmer: What lesson is taught by this illustration? PARAPHRASE 10:8-11 The one who attempts to dig a pit for others will fall into it himself, an...