Ecclesiastes · chapter 10 of 12
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Ecclesiastes 10 gathers practical proverbs about wisdom and folly: dead flies spoil the perfume, the fool shows his lack of sense, and errors in power can turn the order upside down. It speaks of the risks of everyday work, of the wise man's words that bring grace while a fool's consume him, and of the difference between a land with an immature king and one with a noble king. It ends by warning that one should not curse the king even in thought.
After reflecting on death and time in chapter 9, the Preacher changes tone and gathers a collection of proverbs in the style of the book of Proverbs. The chapter is practical and at times humorous, and it shows that wisdom is a skill for daily life: at work, in words and in dealing with authority.
The chapter opens with an image: dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench, and so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. The heart of the wise is at his right hand and the heart of the fool at his left; even as the fool walks on the road, he shows everyone his lack of sense.
If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. The Preacher sees an evil under the sun, an error that proceeds from the ruler: folly set in great heights while the rich sit in low places, slaves on horses and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
Proverbs follow about the risks of certain tasks: whoever digs a pit may fall into it, whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a serpent, whoever quarries stones is hurt by them and whoever splits logs is endangered by them. If the iron is blunt and one does not sharpen the edge, he must exert more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer. The words of a wise man's mouth win favor, but the lips of a fool consume him; the beginning of his talk is folly and the end of his speech is evil madness. The fool multiplies words, and the toil of fools wearies them, for they do not even know how to go to the city.
Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child and your princes feast in the morning; blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles and your princes eat at the proper time, for strength and not for drunkenness. Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through idleness of the hands the house leaks. Bread is made for laughter and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. Even in your thoughts do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench, and a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. A single mistake can spoil a reputation built with great effort.
If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness lays great offenses to rest. The counsel prefers calm over impulsive reaction when living under a harsh authority.
If the iron is blunt and one does not sharpen it, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. It is a practical lesson: preparing the tool well yields more than working harder with a bad one.
The words of a wise man's mouth win favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. The text shows that what we say reveals who we are and can build others up or destroy ourselves.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: They spoil it, and so a little folly spoils wisdom and honor. — Ecclesiastes 10:1
Answer: Not leave his place, for calmness lays great offenses to rest. — Ecclesiastes 10:4
Answer: He may fall into it. — Ecclesiastes 10:8
Answer: They win favor, while the lips of a fool consume him. — Ecclesiastes 10:12
Answer: It is in trouble, because its princes feast in the morning. — Ecclesiastes 10:16
Answer: Because a bird of the air would carry the voice and what has wings would tell the matter. — Ecclesiastes 10:20
Ecclesiastes 10 reminds us that wisdom shows in small things: how we speak, how we prepare for work, patience with a difficult boss, the discipline to care for a house. In a Sunday school class you can ask participants to think of a small mistake that spoiled something big, and of a wise habit that bore good fruit.
It also speaks of the responsibility of leadership. A land benefits when its leaders control themselves and care for one another, and suffers when they are carried away by pleasure. Praying for those who govern, respecting them and yet not staying silent about the truth, with wisdom, is part of living in the fear of God.
Ecclesiastes 10 shows that wisdom is lived in the details of work, words and authority. Chapter 11 will move from proverbs to a call to generosity, to diligence even without understanding everything, and to the joy of living.
In the Bible the right hand is the side of strength, honor and success, and the left that of the clumsy. It means the wise tends to decide with good judgment and the fool to go wrong. It does not refer to political positions or anything anatomical.
The verse describes what money seems to solve, since it pays for bread and wine and answers many needs. It does not say money is the highest good. Within a book that warns against loving riches, it is a realistic observation, not advice to live for it.
It is a proverb: what is said in secret against the powerful tends to become public. It counsels prudence when speaking about authorities, without demanding silence in the face of injustice, since the tone of the book is that of practical wisdom, not of absolute loyalty.