DAWN

     Explanation: Ecclesiastes 10 contains several subjects, delineated below. Today's paintings illustrate verse 20 which compares injudicious words to a bird which escapes (Image 1) and delivers the words to ears for whom they were not intended (Image 2).

1. Narrator's Introduction - The Vanity of Everything                (   1:1   -  1:11  ) - 946 B.C. Israel
2. Teacher's Introduction  - The Vanity of Everything                (   1:12 -  2:11  ) - 946 B.C. Israel
3. Teacher's Word's           - Coping With Vanity                         (  2:12 - 11:9   ) - 946 B.C. Israel
4. Teacher's Conclusion    - Overcome Vanity by Serving God  ( 11:10 - 12:7   ) - 946 B.C. Israel
5. Narrator's Conclusion   - Overcome Vanity by Serving God  ( 12:8   - 12:14 ) - 946 B.C. Israel

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Ecclesiastes 9. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Book of Ecclesiastes Dramatized. ]

     Folly. Dead flies cause perfume to stink; so does folly to he who has a reputation for wisdom and honor (1). A wise man's heart is at his right hand (a positive position of strength and skill); but a fool's heart is at his left (a negative position of weakness and unskillfulness). The contrast is between moral skill and moral ineptitude (2). When a fool goes from place to place, his wisdom fails him, and he makes it obvious that he is a fool (3).
     Rulers. If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place, because yielding pacifies great offenses (4). There is an evil under the sun which proceeds from the ruler: folly sets in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. Servants sit on horses, and princes walk like servants upon the earth (5-7).
     Injury. He who digs a pit shall fall into it; and he who breaks a hedge (or a wall) will be bitten by a serpent (8). One who removes stones shall be hurt by them; and he who cuts wood will be endangered by it (9). If the iron is blunt, and he does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength; but wisdom is profitable to give guidance (10). Surely a serpent will bite without being enchanted; and a babbler is no better (11). The words of a wise man are gracious; but a fool will swallow himself with his lips (12). His words begin with foolishness and end with evil madness (13).
     Labor. A fool is full of words; but a man cannot tell what shall be; and no one can tell him what will come after him (14). The labor of fools weary them, because they do not know how to find their way into the city. In other words, they do not know what to do, and they do not know which way to go (15). Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning (16). Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness (17). Through sloth the building decays, and through indolence the parts of the house leak (18).
     Money. A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry; but money answers all things (19).
     Cursing. Do not curse the king, not even in your thought; and do not curse the rich in your bedchamber; for a bird of the air shall carry your voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter (20).

Folly

¹ Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour:
so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and [for] honour.
² A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
³ Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him,
and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

Rulers

⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place;
for yielding pacifieth great offences.
⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,
as an error which proceedeth from [the face of] the ruler:
⁶ Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
⁷ I have seen servants upon horses,
and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

Injury

⁸ He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it;
and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
⁹ Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith;
and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
¹⁰ If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge,
then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
¹¹ Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment;
and a babbler [master of the tongue] is no better.
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.

Labor

¹⁴ A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what soever shall be;
and what shall be [from] 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.
¹⁶ Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child,
and thy princes eat in the morning!
¹⁷ 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!
¹⁸ By much slothfulness the building decayeth;
and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

Money

¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry [brightens the flesh]:
but money answereth [this] -- all things.

Cursing

²⁰ Curse not the king, no not in thy thought;
and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber [inner-chamber of your bed]:
for a bird of the air shall carry [this] the voice,
and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.