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the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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The NET Bible®

Ecclesiastes 10:11

If the snake should bite before it is charmed, the snake charmer is in trouble.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fool;   Serpent;   Slander;   Speaking;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Serpents;   Slander;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Charmers;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Snake;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Charmer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adder;   Serpent;   Serpent Charming;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Charm;   Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Babbler;   Serpent;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Enchantments;   Serpent;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Amulet;   Babbler;   Enchantment;   Magic;   Serpent;   Serpent-Charming;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Calumny;   Providence;   Serpent;   Witchcraft;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 18;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If the snake bites before it is charmed,then there is no advantage for the charmer.
Hebrew Names Version
If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer's tongue.
King James Version
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
English Standard Version
If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer.
New American Standard Bible
If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer.
New Century Version
If a snake bites the tamer before it is tamed, what good is the tamer?
Amplified Bible
If the serpent bites before being charmed, then there is no profit for the charmer.
World English Bible
If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer's tongue.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If the serpent bite, when he is not charmed: no better is a babbler.
Legacy Standard Bible
If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no advantage for the charmer.
Berean Standard Bible
If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
Contemporary English Version
The power to charm a snake does you no good if it bites you anyway.
Complete Jewish Bible
If a snake bites before it is charmed, the snake-charmer has no advantage.
Darby Translation
If the serpent bite before enchantment, then the charmer hath no advantage.
Easy-to-Read Version
Someone might know how to control snakes. But that skill is useless if a snake bites when that person is not around.
George Lamsa Translation
If the serpent bites without being charmed; then in vain is a charmer.
Good News Translation
Knowing how to charm a snake is of no use if you let the snake bite first.
Lexham English Bible
If the snake bites before the charming, the snake charmer will not succeed.
Literal Translation
If the snake will bite without charming, then there is no advantage to a master of tongue.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A babler of his tonge is no better, then a serpent that styngeth without hyssynge.
American Standard Version
If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.
Bible in Basic English
If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then the charmer hath no advantage.
King James Version (1611)
Surely the serpent will bite without inchauntment, and a babbler is no better.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A backbiter is no better then a serpent that stingeth without hissing.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
If a serpent bite when there is no charmer’s whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
English Revised Version
If the serpent bite before it be charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If a serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it.
Update Bible Version
If the serpent bites before it is charmed, then is there no advantage to the master of the tongue.
Webster's Bible Translation
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
New King James Version
A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different.
New Living Translation
If a snake bites before you charm it, what's the use of being a snake charmer?
New Life Bible
If the snake bites before it is put under a man's power, it will not be of help to the man who would have power over it.
New Revised Standard
If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage in a charmer.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If a serpent will bite, unless he is charmed, then there is nothing better for him that owneth a tongue.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.
Revised Standard Version
If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage in a charmer.
Young's Literal Translation
If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
THE MESSAGE
If the snake bites before it's been charmed, What's the point in then sending for the charmer?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

Contextual Overview

4 If the anger of the ruler flares up against you, do not resign from your position, for a calm response can undo great offenses. 5 I have seen another misfortune on the earth: It is an error a ruler makes. 6 Fools are placed in many positions of authority, while wealthy men sit in lowly positions. 7 I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking on foot like slaves. 8 One who digs a pit may fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9 One who quarries stones may be injured by them; one who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the snake should bite before it is charmed, the snake charmer is in trouble.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the serpent: Psalms 58:4, Psalms 58:5, Jeremiah 8:17

a babbler: Heb. the master of the tongue, Psalms 52:2, Psalms 64:3, Proverbs 18:21, James 3:6

Reciprocal: Proverbs 18:7 - his destruction James 3:8 - full

Cross-References

Genesis 10:1
This is the account of Noah's sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 10:10
The primary regions of his kingdom were Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar.
Numbers 24:22
Nevertheless the Kenite will be consumed. How long will Asshur take you away captive?"
Numbers 24:24
Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and will afflict Eber, and he will also perish forever."
2 Kings 19:36
So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh.
Ezra 4:2
they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders and said to them, "Let us help you build, for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him from the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here."
Psalms 83:8
Even Assyria has allied with them, lending its strength to the descendants of Lot. (Selah)
Isaiah 37:37
So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh.
Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, Kanneh, Eden, merchants from Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad were your clients.
Ezekiel 32:22
"Assyria is there with all her assembly around her grave, all of them struck down by the sword.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment,.... See Jeremiah 8:17. Or rather, "without a whisper" t; without hissing, or any noise, giving no warning at all: so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "in silence"; some serpents bite, others sting, some both; see

Proverbs 23:32; some hiss, others not, as here;

and a babbler is no better; a whisperer, a backbiter, a busy tattling body, that goes from house to house, and, in a private manner, speaks evil of civil governments, of ministers of the word, and of other persons; and; in a secret way, defames men, and detracts from their characters: such an one is like a venomous viper, a poisonous serpent or adder; and there is no more guarding against him than against such a creature that bites secretly.

t בלא לחש "absque susurro", Pagniuus; "absque sibilo", Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather: “If a serpent without enchantment (i. e., not being enchanted) bites, then there is no advantage to the charmer”: i. e., if the charmer is unwisely slack in exercising his craft, he will be bitten like other people. See Psalms 58:4 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 10:11. The serpent will bite without enchantment — בלא לחש belo lachash, without hissing. As a snake may bite before it hiss, so also will the babbler, talkative person, or calumniator. Without directly speaking evil, he insinuates, by innuendoes, things injurious to the reputation of his neighbour. Gif the eddir bite in silence, noyhing lasse than he hath that privily backbiteth. - Old MS. Bible. "A babbler of his tongue is no better than a serpent that styngeth without hyssynge." - COVERDALE. The moral of this saying is simply this: A calumniator is as dangerous as a poisonous serpent; and from the envenomed tongue of slander and detraction no man is safe. The comparing the serpent, נחש nachash, to a babbler, has something singular in it. I have already supposed that the creature mentioned, Genesis 3:1, was of the genus simia. This has been ridiculed, but not disproved.


 
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