Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ecclesiastes 10:13
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness.
13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness ] The words point, with a profound insight into human nature, to the progress from bad to worse in one who has the gift of speech without discretion. He begins with what is simply folly, unwise but harmless, but “ vires acquirit eundo ” he is borne along on the swelling floods of his own declamatory fluency, and ends in what is “mischievous madness.” He commits himself to statements and conclusions which, in his calmer moments, he would have shrunk from. As has been said of such an orator or preacher, without plan or forethought, he “goes forth, not knowing whither he goeth.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
All his talk from the beginning to the end is foolish and mischievous, and the more he talks, the more doth his folly appear; he proceeds from evil to worse, and adds wilfulness to his weakness, and never desists till he hath done mischief to himself or to others.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Illustrating the follyand injuriousness of the fool’s words; last clause of Ec10:12.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness,…. As soon as ever he opens his mouth, he betrays his folly; the first word he speaks is a foolish one; or it is from the abundant folly in his heart that he speaks, which is the source and spring of all his foolish talk;
and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness; to himself and others; as he goes on, he appears more and more foolish, and yet more confident of his own wisdom; and is resolutely set on having his own way and will; grows warm, and is violently hot, to have his own words regarded; and, if contradicted, is like a madman, scattering arrows, firebrands, and death; his talk from first to last is a circle of folly; and, though it begins with something weak, and may seem innocent, yet it ends and issues in wickedness and madness, in rage and wrath, in oaths and curses.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his mouth is mischievous madness.” From folly (absurdity) the words which are heard from a fool’s mouth rise to madness, which is compounded of presumption, wantonness, and frenzy, and which, in itself a symptom of mental and moral depravity, brings as its consequence destruction on himself (Pro 18:17). The adjective is as in , which interchanges with Ecc 6:2; Ecc 5:12, etc. The end of his mouth, viz., of his speaking, is = the end of the words of his mouth, viz., the end which they at last reach. Instead of holeloth , there is here, with the adj. following, holeluth , with the usual ending of abstracta . The following proverb says how the words of the fool move between these two poles of folly and wicked madness: he speaks much, and as if he knew all things.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
13. Words foolishness The infatuated man would go from folly to frenzy, unless some wise friend should take up his cause, and, leaving the rash rebel in silence, plead for him with the monarch.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ecc 10:13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness.
Ver. 13. The beginning o f his words are folly. ] He is an inconsiderate idiot, utters incoherences, pours forth a flood of follies, his whole discourse is frivolous, futilous. To begin foolishly may befall a wise man: but when he sees it, or hath it showen unto him, he will not persist: “Once have I spoken,” saith holy Job, “but I will not answer again: yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.” Job 40:4-5 Much otherwise the fool, and because he will be dicti sui dominus as Ecc 10:11 having lashed out at first, he launcheth further out into the deep, as it were, of idle and evil prattle. And if you offer to interrupt or admonish him, the end of his talk is mischievous madness, he blusters and lets fly on all hands, laying about him like a madman. And so we have here, as one a saith, the serpent, the babbler (spoken of in the eleventh verse), wreathed into a circle, his two ends, head and tail, meeting together. And as at the one end he is a serpent, having his sting in his head; so at the other end he is a scorpion, having his sting in his tail.
a Dr Jermin.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
foolishness. Hebrew. sakal, as in verses: Ecc 10:3, Ecc 10:6, Ecc 10:14.
madness. See note on Ecc 1:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
beginning: Jdg 14:15, 1Sa 20:26-33, 1Sa 22:7, 1Sa 22:8, 1Sa 22:16-18, 1Sa 25:10, 1Sa 25:11, 2Sa 19:41-43, 2Sa 20:1, 2Ki 6:27, 2Ki 6:31, Pro 29:9, Mat 2:7, Mat 2:8, Mat 2:16, Luk 6:2, Luk 6:11, Luk 11:38, Luk 11:53, Luk 11:54, Joh 12:10, Act 5:28-33, Act 6:9-11, Act 7:54-59, Act 19:24-28
talk: Heb. mouth
Reciprocal: Gen 19:9 – pressed Pro 10:19 – the multitude Pro 14:16 – the fool Pro 15:2 – tongue Ecc 7:25 – know Luk 12:3 – whatsoever Eph 5:4 – filthiness