Eccles. 10 Observations on wisdom and folly, Eccles. 10:1–3. Of rulers, Eccles. 10:4–7. Of wrong and injustice, Eccles. 10:8–10. Of talkativeness, imprudence, and its mischiefs, Eccles. 10:11–15. Kings hurtful and desirable, Eccles. 10:16–17. Of sloth, Eccles. 10:18. Feasts, Eccles. 10:19.

Dead flies falling into it, and abiding and being putrefied in it, especially in those countries, where there were more filthy and venomous flies, and where the ointments were more pure, and where the air was more hot, than in these parts.

A wise man’s heart, i.e. his understanding or wisdom, is at his right hand; is always present with him, and ready to direct him in all his actions. He manageth all his affairs prudently and piously.

Walketh by the way; not only in great undertakings, but in his daily conversation with men, in his looks, and gestures, and common talk. His wisdom faileth him; or, he wants a heart; as if he had said, Did I say, his heart is at his left hand? I must recall it, for in truth he hath no heart in him.

The spirit; the passion or wrath, as is manifest from the following words, which is oft called spirit, as Judg. 8:3, 2 Chron. 21:16, Prov. 25:28, Eccles. 7:9. Leave not thy place, to wit, in anger or discontent.

I have observed another great vanity and misdemeanour amongst men. As an error which proceedeth from the ruler; so the sense is, like those errors which rulers commonly commit.

Folly is set in great dignity; foolish and unworthy persons are frequently advanced by the favour or humour of princes into places of highest trust and dignity, which is a great reproach and mischief to the prince, and a sore calamity to all his people.

Servants; men of a servile condition and disposition, who are altogether unfit for places of dignity. Upon horses; riding upon horses, as a badge of their dignity, as Est. 6:8–9, Jer. 17:25, Ezek. 23:23. Princes walking as servants upon the earth, which was the case of his own father, 2 Sam. 15:30.

He that diggeth a pit with this design, that another may unawares fall into it, shall fall into it; shall through God’s just judgment be destroyed by his own wicked devices.

Whoso removeth stones; either, 1. The stones which belong to others, and limit or distinguish their grounds, of which see Deut. 27:17. Or, 2. Great stones too heavy for them; which rashly attempt things too high and hard for them; which seems better to agree with the following clause than the…

The iron, to wit, the axe whereby he cut the wood, in the former verse, which by the danger there mentioned may be supposed to be sharp; but now, saith he, if it happen to be blunt. Put to more strength; which is necessary to make it cut. But wisdom is profitable to direct, Heb. and wisdom, &c.

Without enchantment; if not seasonably prevented by the art and care of the charmer; which practice he doth not justify, but only mention by way of resemblance. See on Ps. 58:5. A babbler, Heb. a master of the tongue; which may be understood, either, 1.

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.

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.

Full of words; either, 1. Talkative. Or, 2. Forward to promise and brag what he will do, which is the common practice of foolish men; he is a man of words, as we use to say. Who can tell him? these words contain either, 1.

Fools discover their folly, as by their words, of which he hath hitherto spoken, so also by their actions, and by their endless and fruitless endeavours after things which are too high and hard for them.

A child; either, 1. In age. Or, 2. (which is more agreeable to the following clause) In childish qualities, as ignorance, inexperience, injudiciousness, rashness, frowardness, fickleness, or wilfulness, and the like, in which sense this word is used, 2 Chron. 13:7, compared with 1 Kings 14:21, Isa.

The son of nobles; not so much by birth, as even the worst of kings commonly are, and have been, as by their noble and worthy dispositions, and endowments, and carriages; for such a one is opposed to the child in the former verse.

That house which is neglected by its owner, and not repaired, must needs come to ruin; whereby he intimates that the sloth and carelessness of princes in the management of public affairs, which is a usual attendant upon that luxury of which he hath now discoursed, is most destructive, both to…

The design and effect of feasting and drinking wine is, that men may exhilarate their minds with the society of their friends, and with the use of the creatures.

Curse not the king. Having spoken of the miscarriages of kings, he now gives a caution to their subjects, that they should not thence take occasion to speak irreverently or contemptuously of them, or wish or design any evil against their persons or government; for though vices may be condemned,…