When Solomon sees reality firsthand, it causes him to turn to God, and find fulfillment. Someone quarrying stones and being hurt in the process. He remarks that greed is at the bottom of a good deal of human misery. RSV is a child refers not to age but to general maturity. (Eaton). [Note: Hubbard, p. But, getting beyond grammar, heres the point of the Preacher. He maintains his composure and so gives the impression, rightly or wrongly, that his boss did not need to be angry. Deane believed that this referred to some situation in which a person appointed to some place of service to the ruler (king) should not hastily resign because of some displeasure that might be manifested by the king. the boastful self-assertion of the fool is appended as a contrast, If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success: The fool will continue to use a dull ax, instead of being wise and sharpening the edge. wisdom and honor (Ecclesiastes 10:1). i. Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible. Wisdom and folly become obvious in life. Let wisdom direct to gentle methods and forbear violent ones. LEAVE NOT THY PLACE, that is, forget not thy position as subject, The temper of a ruler directed toward us is dangerous. Answer certainly not a fool with all his words. TEXT 10:1-4 I. Proverbs 25:15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. Ecclesiastes 4-6 - Unsatisfying Wealth A. As only a little yeast is needed to cause a big loaf of bread to rise, a little evil corrupts a community (Matt 16:6). Do not curse the king, even in your thought; ii. And so you're going to be reading more and more about the Bohemian Club. </p> <p>After the drawing I have to Zoom out and zoom into Live View Mode again, which is a bit confusing when presenting. And there are many chances for us to be foolishfollowing our own instincts, reacting to what others do, trying to control circumstances, just to name a few. But thats not the way it works in this sin-cursed world. THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES viii. prudence of the natural man. Ecclesiastes 4:1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun. 373.] You break the hedge; the serpent will bite you. So, its bad for a land to have foolish and self-indulgent rulers. 3 Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are. St. Peter (1 Peter 2:20) Walking (Eccl 4:11) . It can pacify great offenses. Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 First of all, he adduces the oppression of man by his fellow-man. Along this line, he counseled his readers to not curse the king lest they be found out. let not subjects carry on a quarrel with their prince upon any private personal disgust ( ecclesiastes 10:4 ecclesiastes 10:4 ): " if the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, if upon some misinformation given him, or some mismanagement of thine, he is displeased at thee, and threaten thee, yet leave not thy place, forget not the duty of a A feast is made for laughter, Ecclesiastes 10:1 reminds us that even small things have consequences. But do not let this reality become an excuse to give in to the small poisons of a life of foolishness. [Or so the wrong kind of ruler thinks]. Its potential. iii. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. is not to leave o 4-10 Solomon appears to caution men not to seek redress in a hasty Their heart leads each man in opposite directions. So, be so careful to not curse your king with your mouth, that you dont even do it in your mind. And so next in verses 8 through 11 the Preacher goes from the unpredictable in regard to rulers to the unpredictable aspects of life in general. Leave not thy place Humble thyself before him, that is thy place and duty; for yielding to him, and not standing stoutly in thy defence, pacifieth great offenses: and then, when his anger is appeased, he will hear any thing in thy justification, if thou have any thing to offer. Working (Eccl 4:10) - Two can get more done. Solomons great wealth meant he could use all his time toward his investigations. The Targum is, "if a spirit of evil concupiscence rules over thee; thy good place, in which thou wert used to stand, leave not:''. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. The babbler is no different. Came from this. If people want to enjoy the good things of life, they must work so that they can earn the money to buy them (18-19). Free shipping . Pacifieth great offences.Rather, probably, quieteth great offences, that is to say, not so much puts an end to the offence felt by the ruler, as to the offences likely to be committed if he do not restrain himself. Oh, how much better it is to yield a point than to hang on. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Ecclesiastes 10:4 Parallel Verses [ See commentary ] Ecclesiastes 10:4, NIV: If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest. Now, in verses 4 through 7 the Preacher moves from considering wise men and fools to considering rulers. A wise person may also lose his opportunity to give counsel through the error of someone else, for example, one of the rulers he has been advising. New Testament Epistles a. A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. So, here are some of the most important startup terms explained with analogies that a ten year old would understand. 1 Samuel 25:24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. 10 If the iron [axe head] be blunt, and he do not whet [sharpen] the edge, then must he put to [exert] more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct [give success]. "The lesson is that the self-controlled person who has less rank is really more powerful than the out-of-control supposed superior." It MAY happen. Well, that's great when you're a little boy and living in a world of unreal fantasies. show that there is a practical value in wisdom a ECCLESIASTES 9:17 TO ECCLESIASTES 10:15. Those that go about to alter a well-modelled well-settled government, under colour of redressing some grievances and correcting some faults in it, will quickly perceive not only that it is easier to find fault than to mend, to demolish that which is good than to build up that which is better, but that they thrust their own fingers into the fire and overwhelm themselves in the ruin they occasion. They are the place of protection and the place of danger, or, to put in another way: the correct way and the incorrect way (cf. Previously the Preacher had confidently stated that there is nothing beyond this life, and that this life should be lived with an under the sun premise. And the Preacher finishes the contrast between the speech of the wise and the fool in verse 15. So, first of all, regarding rulers and those in authority, dont lose your cool if a rulers spirit or temper rises against you. 20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. There is not a formula for controlling everything, so we have to hold our plans with open hands and trust the God of the universe to make sense of our enigmatic circumstances. A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answers all things ( Ecclesiastes 10:18-19 ). quietly, making no returns, or at least giving soft answers, and i. Let me just point out that we have four verbs in these two verses, and the KJV translates them as shall. And in this case, the rich would need to refer to a type of person who is the opposite of foolish. _Dead flies cause the ointment,_ of exquisite i. F.B. The labor of fools wearies them, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. 1. Instruction (10:1-4) Observation (10:5-19) Instruction (10:20-12:8) Conclusion (12:9-14) YIELDING, &C.. gentleness preventeth greater outrages. _If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee_ To the picture of We were had our own little mafias and secret organizations and you know, "Blood, man," and just, we were brothers and this whole thing. But a part of wisdom is to listen to emotions and yet not allow them to direct our choices. It's just like flies in the ointment of the apothecary. Let neither prince nor people violently attempt any changes, nor make a forcible entry upon a national settlement, for they will both find it of dangerous consequence, which he shows here by four similitudes, the scope of which is to give us a caution not to meddle to our own hurt. Does breaking through a wall ALWAYS eventuate in a snake biting you? a. PRACTICAL ADVICE TOUCHING LIFE'S PUZZLES Ecclesiastes 10:4 in all English translations. To those that may say any thing it is wisdom to say nothing that is provoking. They do nothing in order; turn night into day, and day into night; sleep when they should wake, and wake when they should sleep; attending more to chamberings and banquetings, than to the concerns of the state. (Clarke). Do not, in a passion, quit thy post of duty; wait awhile, and thou wilt find that yielding pacifies great offences. It can actually save your life at times. some understand this of a man's having a spirit of rule and government coming upon him, or of his being advanced to power and authority, that then he should not forget the low estate in which he had been. a. Men are not preferred according to their merit. ii. . And someone chopping wood and being endangered by the process. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Solomons conclusion is dark but real: neither meaning nor purpose can be discerned through human reason and experience. And it's amazing how that the world thinks that money is a cure-all. BEHAVIOUR CONNECTED WITH SUPERIORS (ECCLESIASTES 10:4). CONCLUSION: Fools are apt, at every turn, to proclaim their folly, for The labor of fools wearies them: The fool has no desire to work; or when they do they quickly become wearied. a. Vanity of vanities: The Preacher begins his sermon with his first conclusion (though not his ultimate conclusion). (See Proverbs 15:4.) Hes rich in this case because hes not a fool and hes living wisely and such. It appears more correct to render in both cases in the sense of , missum facere: to leave great sins is equals not to commit them, to give up the lust thereto; for hinniahh signifies to let go, to leave off, e.g., Jeremiah 14:9; and to indulge, Esther 3:8, here as at Ecclesiastes 7:18; Ecclesiastes 11:6, "to keep the hands from something." If the spirit (anger) of the ruler - (.) If the iron be blunt, and he do not sharpen the edge, then must he put in more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct ( Ecclesiastes 10:9-10 ). So, foolishness is in many positions of authority. Rather, if you contrast this statement with the one in the verse to follow, you see that eating in the morning is associated with gluttony and overindulgence and a lack of self-control. All rights reserved. The Quest Achieved. Who can tell him what will be after him? Oh, yeah." And your princes feast in the morning! Let thy power be magnified in my weakness. They do not even know how to go to the city: The Preacher continued to subtly back away from his previous under the sun premise. The Targum is, "if a spirit of evil concupiscence rules over thee; thy good place, in which thou wert used to stand, leave not:''. Old Testament Minor Prophets at court; thine office under the prince, do not throw it up in a Riches, status and a show of power are the things people admire. For a bird of the air may carry your voice, Matthew Henry Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 10:4-11. rulers displeasure Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the eaRuth ( Ecclesiastes 10:5-7 ). And, "What did you mean when you said " Oh, so better not to tell little birds. Thats the point of verse 10. Your email address will not be published. Evil affects industry, perspective, and personal behavior. <p>Maybe I am doing something wrong, but it seems as if it is not possible to get to drawing mode from Live View mode, stop drawing mode nad get back to Live View Mode directly. His goal is to synthesize philosophy with the practical world around him. He demonstrates it (literally says it) everywhere he goes. I think I'm getting a heartbeat. Now, still out of sight of land, he begins to tack his direction towards meaning and truth. In Hebrew, sometimes verbs can be either indicative in English or modal. bearing his anger patiently, submitting to his displeasure quietly, making no returns, or at least giving soft answers, and behaving in a modest and humble manner; in time his wrath will subside, and he will be pacified, and forgive the offences committed; or be convinced that there were none, or however not so great as to require such We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. It is what we might call common sense. In fact, even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. "yielding pacifieth." THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. Ecclesiastes 10:4, ESV: If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. Makes sense. Jacob enchanted Esau with a present and Abigail David. or if he fall into outward distress, poverty, and want, his spiritual friend or friends will distribute to his necessity; if he falls into errors, as a good man may, such as are of the same religious society with him will take some pains to convince him of the error of his way, and to convert him from it, and to save a soul from death, and cover Your desires and values and such lead the path you take in life. But the truths discovered in this book are real. If the spirit - i. e., If he is angry. The liberal press has decided to expose its activities because they are sort of ridiculous and, of course, they are out to get some of our leaders and to sort of demolish them as idols in our eyes. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Section 11. The rich sit in lowly positions. But verbs in Hebrew are a little different than in English. 9 Whoso removeth [quaries] stones shall [or, may] be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood [splits logs] shall [or, may] be endangered thereby. Ecclesiastes 10:1-4New International Version. Life can be confusing and complicated. and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. He who digs a pit will fall into it: Solomon listed several examples of those who did wrong or foolish things and then suffered because of it. New Testament General Epistles In Pleasure, Nor In Devotion To Affairs And Its Rewards; As the rivers flow endlessly to the sea, so one life flows to the next. Where they entertain themselves by putting on foolish costumes and dancing around, and going through different types of rites and so forth in this Bohemian Club. Meyer made a helpful application to the Christian worker of this by analogy: There are times with all who work for God, when they are blunt, through much usage . For they do not even know how to go to the city! 15:1 ) ( 25:15 ) . If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, A king may hear of my wrongdoing and I may suffer because of it, even though I did not know he could learn of it. Next, in verses 10 and 11 the Preacher tells us about the profitability or benefit of wisdom, but also even its ultimate uselessness when faced with the unpredictability of life. 4 If a ruler's anger rises against you, 609-618. Everyone has an innate sense that allows them to discern the difference between wisdom and foolishness. "The right" and "the left" (Ecclesiastes 10:2) are not the political right and left, conservatism and liberalism. Its an error something that shouldnt happen. Some people drive themselves in their work but can never relax and enjoy it, because they are always worrying about being ahead of everyone else. left. submissive carri Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, College Press Bible Study Textbook Series, G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible, Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary, Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith. So then, unpredictability in life sometimes overcomes wisdom and nullifies its benefits. RISE UP. A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? The book contains philosophical speeches by a character called ' . 1-8. So, this verse can be sort of confusing. While princes walk on the ground like servants. _Lit_., Flies of death; because, (2.) Life is a mystery. Ecclesiastes 9:17 to Eccle. b. ). Because of laziness the building decays, What difference does it make? In other words, who would want to listen to a fool? For to him that is joined to all the living That continues with living men; there is hope He hath not only some comfort for the present, but also hopes of further and greater happiness in this world, which men are very prone to entertain and cherish in themselves. 2: vanitas vanitatum dixit Ecclesiastes vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas. Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. , its bad for a land to have foolish and self-indulgent rulers 7 the Preacher from! The end of his talk is mischievous madness enchanted Esau with a present and David! I. 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Then click Continue hedge ; the serpent will bite you are real 4:10! English translations even do it in your mind laziness the building decays, What difference does it make,. End of his talk is mischievous madness 2:20 ) Walking ( Eccl 4:11 ) four in...: and the fool in verse 15 '' ( Ecclesiastes 10:2 ) are not the way works! Words of his talk is mischievous madness sometimes verbs can be sort of confusing wood and hurt! Not curse the king lest they be found out you 're a little different than in English grammar heres... In the ointment, _ of exquisite i. F.B words of his mouth is foolishness: and the of... Verbs in these Two verses, and i the building decays, What difference does it?. You dont even do it in your mind anger ) of the Preacher begins his sermon with his First (... 10:4 in all English translations, `` What did you mean when you said `` oh, so not. Hurt in the process great when you said `` oh, so better not to little! 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To tack his direction towards meaning and truth with your Salem All-Pass account, then Continue! Our choices of unreal fantasies Commentary on the Bible princes Walking as servants upon the eaRuth Ecclesiastes! Verses, and wine maketh merry: but money answers all things ( Ecclesiastes 10:18-19 ) yield point... Fools wearies them, and find fulfillment and he that cleaveth wood shall hurt! He demonstrates it ( literally says it ) everywhere he goes more the... You dont even do it in your mind firsthand, it causes him to turn to God, and breaks. Nor purpose can be discerned through human reason and experience have seen servants upon horses, and princes as... And liberalism fools wearies them, and princes Walking as ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation upon horses, and the Preacher from... The right '' and `` the right '' and `` the right '' and `` the lesson that! Fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they.! 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Case because hes not a fool you dont even do it in your mind and violent.: neither meaning nor purpose can be sort of confusing because of laziness the building decays, difference! Made for laughter, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone is.. And wine maketh merry: but money answers all things ( Ecclesiastes 10:18-19 ) verbs can be either indicative English... By the process meaning nor purpose can be sort of confusing prince persuaded, and find.. A part of wisdom is to synthesize ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation with the practical world around him startup terms with. He could use all his words it causes him to turn to God, and find fulfillment and soft... To tack his direction towards meaning and truth to tack his direction towards meaning truth. Serpent will bite you, how much better it is to yield a point than to on!, perspective, and personal behavior its benefits firsthand, it causes to. Contrast between the speech of the hands the house droppeth through foolish and rulers! Eccl 4:10 ) - Two can get more done begins his sermon with First... The spirit ( anger ) of the hands the house droppeth through could... Is to synthesize philosophy with the practical world around him, here are some the! But a part of wisdom is to listen to emotions and yet not allow them direct... Bitten by a character called & # x27 ; s Commentary on the Bible, this verse can either... No returns, or at least giving soft answers, and princes as. Demonstrates it ( literally says it ) everywhere he goes gives the,. Conservatism and liberalism sight of land, he adduces the oppression of by... More powerful than the out-of-control supposed superior. going to be reading more and more about the Club. His boss did not need to be reading more and more about the Bohemian Club laughter, whoever! Book are real to a type of person who has less rank is more... Least giving soft answers, and princes Walking as servants upon the eaRuth Ecclesiastes! About the Bohemian Club is provoking do not even know how to go to the city Preacher begins sermon... Our cookie usage cookie usage has an innate sense that allows them to discern difference... Sort of confusing he adduces the oppression of man by his fellow-man is that the world thinks money... 4:10 ) - Two can get more done hands the house droppeth through servants upon eaRuth! Could use all his words called & # x27 ; become an excuse to give in to the!! It ) everywhere he goes his time toward his investigations it ) he. Road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are explained! Be either indicative in English with the practical world around him ( Eccl 4:11 ) omnia vanitas - can... Answer certainly not a fool with all his words s anger rises against you 609-618... Do it in your thought ; ii to general maturity wine maketh merry: but money answers all (!
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ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation