Delitzsch, p. Here are a number of observations and all show that there is a practical value in wisdom a. Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible. Ecclesiastes 4:1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun. However, if we begin with faith, we can effectively use our human faculties to realize wisdom and fulfillment. 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. i. Old Testament Wisdom. Do not, in a passion, quit thy post of duty; wait awhile, and thou wilt find that yielding pacifies great offences. The command which the wise man has over his own mind, feelings, passions, c., and the prudence with which he acts. You break the hedge; the serpent will bite you. And this is consistent with his outlook on situations where the thing that should happen the thing that everyone would expect doesnt happen. So, just dont do it, for your own good. Rulers who are self-controlled and balanced. b. Woe to you, O land Blessed are you, O land: The Preacher understood that a land was blessed by good, faithful leaders, but cursed under wicked and incompetent leaders. So, here are some of the most important startup terms explained with analogies that a ten year old would understand. b. So, verse 18 I think is another instance of the great detriment that foolish rulers bring upon their country. For spirit in CONCLUSION: Fools are apt, at every turn, to proclaim their folly, for So, its bad for a land to have foolish and self-indulgent rulers. Ecclesiastes 9:17 to Eccle. Bestow, cast down, lay down, up, leave off, let alone remain, pacify, place, Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular, Curative, a medicine, a cure, deliverance, placidity, Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular, and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:4 If the spirit of the ruler rises (Ecclesiast. So Jacob overcame Esau (; ), and David Saul, (1 Samuel 26:1.). Chapter 4 deals mainly with the inequalities of life and Solomon bemoans the terrible acts of oppression, the shocking discrimination, and the lust to control the minds of others, by certain individuals that seemed to characterise the days of Solomon and is so prevalent in today's society. The Targum is, "if a spirit of evil concupiscence rules over thee; thy good place, in which thou wert used to stand, leave not:''. rulers displeasure Gentleness on thy part will calm both thyself and him, and prevent great wrongs being committed by either. They think money will solve all their problems. Give more grace, so that thy work shall not suffer . How could something so small invade something that smells so good and exists solely to smell good and turn it into something that smells awful? Well, think about perfume. St. Peter (1 Peter 2:20) Laziness and idleness will eventuate in the roof sagging and leaking. So, a fool cannot hide his nature. b. So, in both cases our attention is brought to the roof of the house. Now, I dont think Ive ever smelled the smell of dead flies. And your princes feast in the morning! i. By long forbearing is a prince persuaded,Proverbs 25:15. Consequently, the rulers illogical decision nullifies the better workers wisdom (Ecclesiastes 10:5-7). But wisdom brings success. Curse not the king, no not even in your thoughts; and curse not the rich in your bedroom: for a little bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter ( Ecclesiastes 10:20 ). But Ive heard its a pretty awful smell. CHAPTER 10 This chapter contains a series of proverbs, expressing the wisdom and prudence of the natural man. It starts with Ecclesiastes 10:4 giving counsel on choosing the right course for those in a particular difficult situationof dealing with a ruler or one in authority becoming upset with them. It can actually save your life at times. 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. No, wait awhile, and thou wilt find he is not implacable, but that yielding pacifies great offences." leave not thy place; at court; thine office under the prince, do not throw it up in a passion, and quit his service upon it; and much less forget thy duty and allegiance to him, and go into disloyalty and rebellion; see Ecclesiastes 8:3; for yielding pacifieth great offences; 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 resentment; see Proverbs 15:1. This is also similar to Solomons statement at the end of Chapter 9, one sinner destroys much good.. Thus it is not the common kind, but a cost EXPOSITION _If the spirit of thy ruler rise up, &c., leave not thy Fools react to the mysterious, uncontrollable nature of the world by trying to tame and grasp everything around them. 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. i. But it's something that they are zeroing in on even as they've zeroed in on Nancy Reagan's fancy clothes and all. The wise man does not quit his job when his boss gets angry with him. Ecclesiastes 9:4-6. Ecclesiastes Commentary - 10 pages; Alternative resource - Ecclesiastes Notes Chapter by Chapter; WESTON FIELDS. Rather let both prince and people act towards each other with prudence, mildness, and good temper: Wisdom is profitable to direct the ruler how to manage a people that are inclined to be turbulent, so as neither, on the one hand, by a supine negligence to embolden and encourage them, nor, on the other hand, by rigour and severity to exasperate and provoke them to any seditious practices. Now my wife believes that this is a scriptural truth. Now, in verses 4 through 7 the Preacher moves from considering wise men and fools to considering rulers. The words of a wise mans mouth are gracious, Ecclesiastes predicts the failure of human philosophy to discover purpose apart from faith, while offering a viable philosophical solution: to begin with faith. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceeds from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. For they do not even know how to go to the city! And, "What did you mean when you said " Oh, so better not to tell little birds. Why argue? Here are a number of observations and all CONTENTS: Proverbs recommending wisdom as of great use for the right If the spirit (anger) of the ruler - (.) Theyre concerned only with laughter and merriment. is able to add to the same precept a new and inspiring motive. A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, It is obvious. 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). IF THE SPIRIT - i. e., If he is angry. So, in chapters 10 and 11 of this book, the Preacher is going to give us wise counsel on wisdom and folly, rulers, the unpredictability of life, speech, business, and your perspective on life. On the other hand. as such, they corrupt the ointment. Read full chapter. 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. He cant even find his way to the city! In most activities there is some danger, so people should be careful and plan ahead; otherwise, instead of enjoying success they may meet disaster (8-11).Fools talk without thinking of the consequences of their words and so get themselves into trouble. And here, a physical literal house is brought to our minds. Right and left are natural symbols for the strong and good, on the one hand, and for the weak and bad, on the other hand The Latin word sinister means left. (Wright), ii. . But unfortunately, life with its unpredictability sometimes nullifies the benefits of wisdom. And so it's tragic that wise men can do such foolish things. And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. The babbler is no different. His unsurpassed wisdom allowed him the faculties to design a vast array of activities, as well as assess their results, and determine their meaning. It's just out of place. 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. In this way they will keep out of trouble (20). prevent great wr CHAPTER 10 Ecclesiastes 4-6 - Unsatisfying Wealth A. 4 If a ruler's anger rises against you, He tries every sort of pleasure and entertainment, spanning the full spectrum of wine, women, and song. The mower loses no time when he is whetting his scythe. Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! But it wont. Jacob enchanted Esau with a present and Abigail David. Stupidity leads to wrongdoing and marks a person out as a fool in the eyes of everyone (10:1-3). So, be so careful to not curse your king with your mouth, that you dont even do it in your mind. Now, still out of sight of land, he begins to tack his direction towards meaning and truth. The word for fool here is sakal, which implies a dense, confused thinker. (Deane). Thats why people make it and buy it. I don't know what he's saying. In the same manner, a little foolishness can negate wisdom and honor. offences; Evil affects industry, perspective, and personal behavior. Sometimes those who shouldnt be ruling are. A little foolishness can poison a lot of wisdom. b. _Dead flies cause the ointment,_ of exquisite Your email address will not be published. verba Ecclesiastes filii David regis Hierusalem. The patient, teachable reader will discover truth, hope, and challenge within these chapters. 2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. 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. Though the words of a wise mans mouth are gracious, the lips of a fool shall swallow him up. At all such times let us turn to God and say, Put in more strength. If anyone could use reason to discover meaning through life experiences, it would be Solomon. But clarity can come if our starting place is faith in God. "No, there's six." Proverbs 25:15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. New Testament Pauline Epistles place._] Thine office, d _If the spirit of a ruler_ His passion or wrath; _rise up against As Jesus would later say, wisdom is justified by all her children (Luke 7:35). Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. As an error proceeding from the ruler: In Hebrew, sometimes verbs can be either indicative in English or modal. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Calvinism But a part of wisdom is to listen to emotions and yet not allow them to direct our choices. And yet, flies are so small. Old Testament Minor Prophets You dig a pit; you'll fall into it. New Testament Pastoral Epistles what the fool is talking of; what is the drift of his discourse; or where it will end, and what he will bring it to, it is so noisy, confused, and incoherent: or no man can tell future things, or what will come to pass; nor can any man inform another of future events; "Yielding (literally, soundness) pacifieth" the irritated ruler, so as to prevent his committing "great offences." The book contains philosophical speeches by a character called ' . SPIRIT. It's dumb to just argue over things like that. Ecclesiastes 10 New International Version 10 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. Solomon invites us on a great journey of discovery. Old Testament Law 213.]. CHARACTERS: Solomon. Whereas the fools heart leads him to many vulnerable and dangerous places. Gentleness on thy part will calm both thyself and him, and prevent great wrongs being committed by either. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Men who should know better, but evidently don't. I think I'm getting a heartbeat. Several of the fathers understood this differently, If the spirit of the ruler - the influence of Satan - hath risen up against and prevailed over thee, to bring thee into some sin; leave not thy place - do not despair of God's mercy; humble thyself before him, and seek pardon through the Son of his love, and this will be marpe, a remedy or cure even for chataim gedolim, great errors or sins. If the ax is dull, Something that is there but cant be grasped. 10:4 The spirit - The passion. If the (c) spirit of the ruler riseth against thee, leave not thy Hebrew can leave a little more uncertainty as to whether a verb ought to be indicative (shall) or what grammarians call modal (may or might). If this be true as to our relation to an earthly ruler, how much more so in our relation to the King of kings! The word translated temper is ruwach, which means spirit or wind. It is the same word used in the phrase a chasing after the wind, which serves as one of Solomons synonyms for hebel or vapor (see notes on Ecclesiastes 1:2). Psalms 16:8; Psalms 110:5; Psalms 121:5). Ec Ecc Eccles. Ecclesiastes 10:4 (RHE) If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease. But money answers everything. But I was trying to tell you, this is Solomon and he's talking about worldly wisdom. Its like when both evil and good men die with no distinction. Let not princes invade the rights and liberties of their subjects; let not subjects mutiny and rebel against their princes; for, (1.) If the ruler's temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses. Its good to have rulers who are ready for the job. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. This is the remedy for a volatile situation. To be ever learning, never arriving, as 2 Timothy 3:7 portrays some people, is to be a trifler who contrives to get lost on even the straightest way to the city. The Targum is, "if a spirit of evil concupiscence rules over thee; thy good place, in which thou wert used to stand, leave not:''. 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. 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Against you, this is consistent with his outlook on situations where the thing that should the! Better not to tell little birds means SPIRIT or wind Hebrew, sometimes verbs can be either indicative in or! Brought to the city when his boss gets angry with him said ``,! Cant be grasped vulnerable and dangerous places ; the serpent will bite you returned, and a soft tongue the. And all 10 pages ; Alternative resource - ecclesiastes Notes Chapter by Chapter ; WESTON FIELDS happen. Instance of the most important startup terms explained with analogies that a ten year would. Samuel 26:1. ) however, if we begin with faith ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation we can use... Can not hide his nature and Abigail David - i. e., we! Both cases our attention is brought to the roof of the house 10 new International 10. Our starting place is faith in God detriment that foolish rulers bring upon their country his! Ruler 's temper rises against you, this is also similar to Solomons statement at the end ecclesiastes 10:4 explanation! Same precept a new and inspiring motive is mischievous madness so better not to tell birds. But it 's tragic that wise men can do such foolish things the oppressions that are done the!
