Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 10:12
The words of a wise man’s mouth [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
12. The words of a wise man’s mouth ] The mention of the babbling eloquence of “the master of tongue” in the previous verse is naturally followed by precepts fashioned after the type of those in Pro 10:8; Pro 10:14; Pro 10:32; Pro 12:13; Pro 15:2; Pro 17:7 as to that which is of the essence of true eloquence. In “are gracious” (literally are grace itself) we find a parallel to the “gracious words” (literally words of grace) of Luk 4:22. They describe the quality in speech which wins favour, what the Greeks called the ( moral suasion), which conciliates the good will of the hearers (Aristot. Rhet. i. 2, 3).
the lips of a fool will swallow up himself ] The English version rightly preserves the vivid force of the original, instead of weakly paraphrasing it by “destroy” or “consume.” Who has not heard orators who, while they thought they were demolishing their opponents, were simply demolishing themselves, swallowing up their own reputation for honesty or consistency, greeted by the ironical cheers of their opponents, while those of their own party listen in speechless dismay? Our own familiar phrase, when we speak of an imprudent orator having “to eat his own words,” expresses another aspect of the same idea.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 12. The words of a wise man’s mouth] Every thing that proceeds from him is decent and orderly, creditable to himself, and acceptable to those who hear him. But the lips of the fool, which speak every thing at random, and have no understanding to guide them, are not only not pleasant to others, but often destructive to himself.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Gracious, Heb. grace; as profitable, so also acceptable to others, procuring him favour with those who hear him.
Will swallow up himself; his discourses are ungracious and offensive to others, and therefore pernicious to himself.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. graciousThereby he takesprecaution against sudden injury (Ec10:11).
swallow up himself(Pro 10:8; Pro 10:14;Pro 10:21; Pro 10:32;Pro 12:13; Pro 15:2;Pro 22:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The words of a wise man’s mouth [are] gracious,…. Or “grace” u. He speaks kind and good things in favour of the characters of men, and not as the babbling detractor: he speaks well of civil magistrates and rulers in the state; of the ministers of the word in the church; and of all his fellow creatures, as far as can with truth be said: and a truly good and gracious man, who is Solomon’s wise man, in opposition to a fool and wicked man; his discourse will run upon the grace of God, upon the doctrines of grace, and upon the experience of the truth of grace on his heart: upon the grace of God the Father, in loving and choosing men; in contriving their salvation; in making a covenant of grace with them in Christ; in sending him to die for them, and in accepting his satisfaction and righteousness for them: and on the grace of the Son, in becoming their surety; assuming their nature, dying in their room and stead, interceding for them, taking care of them, and supplying them with grace out of his fulness: and on the grace of the Spirit, in regeneration and sanctification; working in them faith, hope, and love; applying precious promises to them, and sealing them up to the day of redemption: of these things they speak often one to another, and cannot but talk of the things they have felt and seen: and such words and discourses are gracious, graceful, and grateful to truly pious souls, and minister grace unto them; and are also well pleasing and acceptable to God and Christ, as well as gain them favour among men; see Pr 22:11;
but the lips of a fool swallow up himself; his words are not only able and displeasing to others, but bring ruin upon himself; by talking too freely of rulers and others, he brings himself into trouble, and plunges himself into difficulties, out of which he cannot easily get; yea, is swallowed up in them, and destroyed. Or, his “lips swallow up him” w; the wise man, whose words are gracious; and, by his calumny and detraction, his deceit and lies, brings him into disgrace and danger: or, “swallows it up”, or “that” x; the grace of the wise man, or his gracious words; and hinders the edification of others by them, and the good effects of them. Though the first sense seems best.
u “gratia”, Montanus, Mercerus, Drusius, Cocceius, Rambachius. w “deglutiet eum”, Montanus; “absorbent eum”, Piscator, Rambachius. x “Illam”, Munster, Cocceius; “quam labia stulti velut absorbendo sufferunt”, Tigurine version.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“The words of a wise man’s mouth are grace; but the lips of a fool swallow him up.” The words from a wise man’s mouth are , graciousness, i.e., gracious in their contents, their form and manner of utterance, and thus also they gain favour, affection, approbation, for culture (education) produces favour, Pro 13:15, and its lips grace (pleasantness), which has so wide an influence that he can call a king his friend, Pro 22:11, although, according to Ecc 9:11, that does not always so happen as is to be expected. The lips of a fool, on the contrary, swallow him, i.e., lead him to destruction. The Pih. , which at Pro 19:28 means to swallow down, and at Pro 21:20 to swallow = to consume in luxury, to spend dissolutely, has here the metaphorical meaning of to destroy, to take out of the way (for that which is swallowed up disappears). is parallel form to , like the Aram. . The construction is, as at Pro 14:3, “the lips of the wise preserve them;” the idea of unity, in the conception of the lips as an instrument of speech, prevails over the idea of plurality. The words of the wise are heart-winning, and those of the fool self-destructive. This is verified in the following verse.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Contemptibleness of Folly. | |
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
Solomon, having shown the benefit of wisdom, and of what great advantage it is to us in the management of our affairs, here shows the mischief of folly and how it exposes men, which perhaps comes in as a reflection upon those rulers who set folly in great dignity.
I. Fools talk a great deal to no purpose, and they show their folly as much by the multitude, impertinence, and mischievousness of their words, as by any thing; whereas the words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, are grace, manifest grace in his heart and minister grace to the hearers, are good, and such as become him, and do good to all about him, the lips of a fool not only expose him to reproach and make him ridiculous, but will swallow up himself and bring him to ruin, by provoking the government to take cognizance of his seditious talk and call him to an account for it. Adonijah foolishly spoke against his own life, 1 Kings ii. 23. Many a man has been sunk by having his own tongue fall upon him, Ps. lxiv. 8. See what a fool’s talk is. 1. It takes rise from his own weakness and wickedness: The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, the foolishness bound up in his heart, that is the corrupt spring out of which all these polluted streams flow, the evil treasure out of which evil things are brought. As soon as he begins to speak you may perceive his folly; at the very first he talks idly, and passionately, and like himself. 2. It rises up to fury, and tends to the hurt and injury of others: The end of his talk, the end it comes to, is madness. He will presently talk himself into an indecent heat, and break out into the wild extravagancies of a distracted man. The end he aims at is mischief; as, at first, he appeared to have little government of himself, so, at last, it appears he has a great deal of malice to his neighbours; that root of bitterness bears gall and wormwood. Note, It is not strange if those that begin foolishly end madly; for an ungoverned tongue, the more liberty is allowed, grows the more violent. 3. It is all the same over and over (v. 14): A fool also is full of words, a passionate fool especially, that runs on endlessly and never knows when to leave off. He will have the last word, though it be but the same with that which was the first. What is wanting in the weight and strength of his words he endeavours in vain to make up in the number of them; and they must be repeated, because otherwise there is nothing in them to make them regarded. Note, Many who are empty of sense are full of words; and the least solid are the most noisy. The following words may be taken either, (1.) As checking him for his vainglorious boasting in the multitude of his words, what he will do and what he will have, not considering that which every body knows that a man cannot tell what shall be in his own time, while he lives (Prov. xxvii. 1), much less can one tell what shall be after him, when he is dead and gone. Would we duly consider our own ignorance of, and uncertainty about, future events, it would cut off a great many of the idle words we foolishly multiply. Or, (2.) As mocking him for his tautologies. He is full of words, for if he do but speak the most trite and common thing, a man cannot tell what shall be, because he loves to hear himself talk, he will say it again, what shall be after him who can tell him? like Battus in Ovid:
| ————Sub illis Montibus (inquit) erant, et erant sub montibus illis– |
| Under those mountains were they, They were under those mountains, I say– |
whence vain repetitions are called Battologies, Matt. vi. 7.
II. Fools toil a great deal to no purpose (v. 15); The labour of the foolish, to accomplish their designs, wearies every one of them. 1. They weary themselves in that labour which is very foolish and absurd. All their labour is for the world and the body, and the meat that perishes, and in this labour they spend their strength, and exhaust their spirits, and weary themselves for very vanity,Hab 2:13; Isa 55:2. They choose that service which is perfect drudgery rather than that which is perfect liberty. 2. That labour which is necessary, and would be profitable, and might be gone through with ease, wearies them, because they go about it awkwardly and foolishly, and so make their business a toil to them, which, if they applied themselves to it prudently, would be a pleasure to them. Many complain of the labours of religion as grievous, which they would have no reason to complain of if the exercises of Christian piety were always under the direction of Christian prudence. The foolish tire themselves in endless pursuits, and never bring any thing to pass, because they know not how to go to the city, that is, because they have not capacity to apprehend the plainest thing, such as the entrance into a great city is, where one would think it were impossible for a man to miss his road. Men’s imprudent management of their business robs them both of the comfort and of the benefit of it. But it is the excellency of the way to the heavenly city that it is a high-way, in which the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err (Isa. xxxv. 8); yet sinful folly makes men miss that way.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
THE WORD OF FOOLS
Verses 12-13 declare, in contrast with the gracious words of the wise, (Pro 10:32; Pro 15:23; Pro 25:11), that the words of the fool are self-destructive, destroying his reputation, usefulness and ultimately the man himself, Vs 3; Pro 12:13; Pro 10:14; Pro 18:7; Jas 3:6; Mat 12:36. His words begin in foolishness and end in mischievous madness, Vs 13.
Verse 14 emphasizes the intolerable presumption of the fool’s words. He has no knowledge of what shall be while he lives, nor of what shall be after him. He is so full of his own words, he listens to no one; yet he undertakes to speak on everything, Pro 15:2; Ecc 6:12; Ecc 8:7; Jas 4:13-14.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
E. THOSE WHO WORK CONTRARY TO WISDOM ARE REPREHENSIBLE. Ecc. 10:12-20
1. Talkers and workers Ecc. 10:12-15
TEXT 10:1215
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 10:1215
384.
How dangerous are the lips of a fool?
385.
The fools words start out as folly and end up as what?
386.
What effect does this have on the fool?
387.
What effect does a fools work have on his direction?
PARAPHRASE 10:1215
The words of a wise man bring him honor and respect while a fool is actually consumed by his own words. The fool begins his conversation with light-hearted and foolish nonsense, but before he is finished he is caught up in wicked and perverse madness. The fool may brag about his future plans but no man knows for sure what the future holds or what will happen after he is gone. The activities of a fool are so exhausting to him that he loses his orientation and cant even find his way to town.
COMMENT 10:1215
Ecc. 10:12 The same word used for charming the snake is used for prayer (lachash) in Isa. 26:16. So in contrast to wrong speech, the verse begins with the idea that words from a wiseman are gracious. Such gracious words of praise or encouragement of ones fellowman are considered sacrifices (Heb. 13:15-16) as they proceed from the mouths of those who possess the true wisdom. On the other hand, the poison in the mouth of fools is reprehensible. This is true not only because it destroys others, but because it consumes the fool himself. A close parallel is found in the tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly (Pro. 15:2). On the matter of gracious words, read Pro. 22:11; Psa. 45:2; Luk. 2:52; Luk. 4:22. On the matter of the self-destruction of the fool, read Psa. 5:10 and Pro. 18:7.
Ecc. 10:13 As the proverb of the ancients says: Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness (1Sa. 24:13). The very beginning of the fools conversation is foolishness. (Cf. Jas. 3:8-13) While it is true that the beginning of the conversation of fools is found in jest and folly, before it is ended the element of evil characterizes their words. Here it is called wicked madness. (Cf. COMMENT Ecc. 7:25)
Ecc. 10:14 The multiplying of the fools words implies his boasting about tomorrow, his promised accomplishments, his own greatness, and his importance to his society. Yet, when he boasts of tomorrow, he is speaking of that which he knows the least. (Cf. Jas. 4:13; Luk. 12:18-20) The word used for fool in this verse (sakal) means one who is a dense, confused thinker. In verse twelve the word for fool (kesil) means one who is possessed of an unwarranted self-confidence. There is undoubtedly a mixture of both as there would be in most fools. The words what will happen, and what will be after him, speak to the immediate future as well as the distant futureeven after death. No man can predict the events of tomorrow with any certainty, how foolish to go about boasting of what one will do in the distant future.
Ecc. 10:15 Two additional indicators of the fool are noted: (1) The toil or labor in which he engages is apart from Gods approval. It is of such a nature that he toils for nothing and is wearied by it. Habakkuk described nations who toil and grow weary for nothingshowing no profit (Hab. 2:13). (2) The second mark of the fool is the total absence of common sense. He is so void of understanding that he doesnt know his way home. Current American proverbs which parallel this are: He doesnt know enough to come in when it rains; He is so ignorant that he cant tie his own shoe strings. He is indeed a fool because he brags endlessly of his future success, and yet his labor isnt productive. If he cannot find his way over clearly marked roads, one could not expect him to succeed in his plans. The way to the city is the way most traveled and thus the easiest road to follow. Such facts heighten the ignorance of the fool.
FACT QUESTIONS 10:1215
510.
Poison in the mouth of fools will destroy whom? (Cf. Ecc. 10:12)
511.
The conversation of fools starts with jest but ends with what?
512.
What characteristics mark the fools of verse fourteen?
513.
Identify both ways one is proven to be a fool according to verse fifteen.
514.
What is the significance of the statement: He does not even know how to go to the city?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
12. Gracious Hebrew, Conciliating. They win upon the offended ruler, and incline him to clemency, while the talk of the fool would aggravate his case into utter hopelessness.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Importance Of Wise Words ( Ecc 10:12-14 ). .
10.l2-13 ‘The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool swallow him up. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.’
The wise man always speaks so as to soothe and win favour, except where admonition is necessary and justified. He makes friends and not enemies with his tongue. But the fool speaks in such a way that he brings disaster on himself. When he starts speaking he speaks foolishly, but this develops into wicked madness. He does not watch what he says. He is a fool.
Ecc 10:14
‘A fool also multiplies words, a man does not know what will be. And who can tell him what will be after him?’
The fool talk a lot of nonsense about the future. But no one knows what will happen. That being so how can he tell him others what is most important for the future? How can he say what will follow for a man’s family when he is dead? In other words the fool is not the man to sort out your future with, and especially your will. Make sure that you entrust these tasks to the wise.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ecc 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Ver. 12. The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious.] Heb., Are grace; they are nothing but grace, so the French translator hath it; a such as render him gracious with God and men, so Lyra glosseth it, as being usually “seasoned with salt, and ministering grace to the hearers.” Col 4:6
But the lips of a fool swallow up himself.
a Ne sont que grace.
b Cave ne feriat lingua tua collum tuum. – Scal. Ar. Prov.
Ecc 10:12-15
Ecc 10:12-15
THOUGHTS REGARDING FOOLS
“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him? The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city.”
“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, etc.” (Ecc 10:12). Delitzsch rendered this verse: “The words of the wise are heart-winning, and those of the fool self-destructive. Of all the dangers that confront us, that of unwise speech is perhaps the greatest. “By the words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Mat 12:37). How many kind words which are never spoken would have blessed and encouraged some struggling brother! How many critical or flippant remarks have left indelible marks upon aching hearts! O God, help us properly to control and to use the tongue!
“The beginning of the words (of the fool) is foolishness … and the end mischievous madness” (Ecc 10:13). This verse makes it clear why the words of the fool are self-destructive. “In scripture, the fool is not dull but wicked. His speech begins, not with God, but with foolishness, and the end of it is wicked madness. “His words are folly from the start, and they end in mad mischief.
“A fool also multiplieth words, yet man knoweth not what shall be, etc.” (Ecc 10:14). Waddey gave the meaning here as a warning that, “The fool talks too much about things of which he is ignorant.
“The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city” (Ecc 10:15). Rankin rendered this: “Fool’s labor wears him out, for he does not know how to go to town.
Another bit of wisdom in connection with speech is that silence is better that talk. “President Abraham Lincoln gave us his own proverb on this: `It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt’!
Ecc 10:12 The same word used for charming the snake is used for prayer (lachash) in Isa 26:16. So in contrast to wrong speech, the verse begins with the idea that words from a wiseman are gracious. Such gracious words of praise or encouragement of ones fellowman are considered sacrifices (Heb 13:15-16) as they proceed from the mouths of those who possess the true wisdom. On the other hand, the poison in the mouth of fools is reprehensible. This is true not only because it destroys others, but because it consumes the fool himself. A close parallel is found in the tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly (Pro 15:2). On the matter of gracious words, read Pro 22:11; Psa 45:2; Luk 2:52; Luk 4:22. On the matter of the self-destruction of the fool, read Psa 5:10 and Pro 18:7.
Ecc 10:13 As the proverb of the ancients says: Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness (1Sa 24:13). The very beginning of the fools conversation is foolishness. (Cf. Jas 3:8-13) While it is true that the beginning of the conversation of fools is found in jest and folly, before it is ended the element of evil characterizes their words. Here it is called wicked madness. (Cf. COMMENT Ecc 7:25)
Ecc 10:14 The multiplying of the fools words implies his boasting about tomorrow, his promised accomplishments, his own greatness, and his importance to his society. Yet, when he boasts of tomorrow, he is speaking of that which he knows the least. (Cf. Jas 4:13; Luk 12:18-20) The word used for fool in this verse (sakal) means one who is a dense, confused thinker. In verse twelve the word for fool (kesil) means one who is possessed of an unwarranted self-confidence. There is undoubtedly a mixture of both as there would be in most fools. The words what will happen, and what will be after him, speak to the immediate future as well as the distant future-even after death. No man can predict the events of tomorrow with any certainty, how foolish to go about boasting of what one will do in the distant future.
Ecc 10:15 Two additional indicators of the fool are noted: (1) The toil or labor in which he engages is apart from Gods approval. It is of such a nature that he toils for nothing and is wearied by it. Habakkuk described nations who toil and grow weary for nothing-showing no profit (Hab 2:13). (2) The second mark of the fool is the total absence of common sense. He is so void of understanding that he doesnt know his way home. Current American proverbs which parallel this are: He doesnt know enough to come in when it rains; He is so ignorant that he cant tie his own shoe strings. He is indeed a fool because he brags endlessly of his future success, and yet his labor isnt productive. If he cannot find his way over clearly marked roads, one could not expect him to succeed in his plans. The way to the city is the way most traveled and thus the easiest road to follow. Such facts heighten the ignorance of the fool.
words: Job 4:3, Job 4:4, Job 16:5, Psa 37:30, Psa 40:9, Psa 40:10, Psa 71:15-18, Pro 10:13, Pro 10:20, Pro 10:21, Pro 10:31, Pro 10:32, Pro 12:13, Pro 12:14, Pro 12:18, Pro 15:2, Pro 15:23, Pro 16:21-24, Pro 22:17, Pro 22:18, Pro 25:11, Pro 25:12, Pro 31:26, Mat 12:35, Luk 4:22, Eph 4:29, Col 4:6
gracious: Heb. grace
but: 2Sa 1:16, 1Ki 20:40-42, Psa 64:8, Psa 140:9, Pro 10:8, Pro 10:10, Pro 10:14, Pro 18:6-8, Pro 19:5, Pro 26:9, Luk 19:22
Reciprocal: Jdg 12:6 – there fell 1Ki 2:23 – spoken 1Ki 12:13 – answered Pro 10:11 – but Pro 12:23 – but Pro 15:28 – the mouth Pro 17:20 – and he Pro 18:21 – and Ecc 5:3 – a fool’s Luk 12:3 – whatsoever
Ecc 10:12-15. The words of a wise man are gracious Hebrew, , grace: as they are profitable, so they are acceptable to others, procuring him favour with those that hear him. But the lips of a fool will swallow up himself His discourses are ungracious and offensive to others, and therefore pernicious to himself. The beginning of his words is foolishness, &c. All his talk, from the beginning to the end, is foolish and sinful; the more he talks the more his folly and wickedness appear; and the end is mischievous madness He proceeds from evil to worse, and adds wilfulness to his weakness, and never desists till he hath done mischief to himself or others. A fool also is full of words Forward to promise and boast what he will do; which is the common practice of foolish men, and running on endlessly, and never knowing when to cease; for he will have the last word, though it be but the same with that which was the first. A man cannot tell what shall be What he will say next; his talk is so incoherent. And what shall be after him, who can tell? That is, what mischief his foolish talk may produce. The labour of the foolish wearieth, &c. Fools discover their folly by their wearisome and fruitless endeavours after things which are too high for them. Because he knoweth not, &c. He is ignorant of those things which are most easy, as of the way to the great city whither he is going.
3. The folly of criticism in view of the uncertain future 10:12-20
Since we do not know what our earthly future holds (Ecc 10:12-15): even though governmental officials may prove reprehensible (Ecc 10:16-19), it is not wise to criticize them (Ecc 10:20).
These proverbs deal with the wise and unwise use of the tongue. Generally, wise people speak graciously, but fools destroy themselves by the way they speak. The fool continues to talk even though neither he nor anyone else can tell what the future holds. The picture here seems to be of the fool making dogmatic statements about the future. The fool also does not even perceive what is most obvious. He is so shortsighted that he sees no value in his work (Ecc 10:15 a). "How to go to a city" is a figure of speech such as "when to come in out of the rain" (Ecc 10:15 b). The point is that the fool is a jerk.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)