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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Ecclesiastes 10:2

A wise man's heart is at his right hand, But a fool's heart at his left.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Wisdom;   The Topic Concordance - Foolishness;   Heart;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Man;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wisdom;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Left Hand;   Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Heart;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Left (hand);  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Hand;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Right and Left;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 21;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A wise person’s heart goes to the right,but a fool’s heart to the left.
Hebrew Names Version
A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left.
King James Version
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
English Standard Version
A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.
New American Standard Bible
A wise person's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish person's heart directs him toward the left.
New Century Version
The heart of the wise leads to right, but the heart of a fool leads to wrong.
Amplified Bible
A wise man's heart turns him toward the right [which is the way of blessing], but a fool's heart turns him toward the left [which is the way of condemnation].
World English Bible
A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The heart of a wise man is at his right hand: but the heart of a foole is at his left hand.
Legacy Standard Bible
A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left.
Berean Standard Bible
A wise man's heart inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.
Contemporary English Version
Sensible thoughts lead you to do right; foolish thoughts lead you to do wrong.
Complete Jewish Bible
A wise man's heart leads him rightly, but a fool's heart leads him astray;
Darby Translation
The heart of a wise [man] is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
Easy-to-Read Version
The thoughts of the wise lead them the right way, but the thoughts of the foolish lead them the wrong way.
George Lamsa Translation
A wise mans heart thinks rightly; but a fools heart thinks wrongly.
Good News Translation
It is natural for the wise to do the right thing and for fools to do the wrong thing.
Lexham English Bible
The heart of the wise inclines to his right, but the heart of the fool inclines to his left.
Literal Translation
The heart of the wise is toward his right, but the fool's heart toward his left.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A wyse mans hert is vpon the right hande, but a fooles hert is vpon the left.
American Standard Version
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
Bible in Basic English
The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A wise man's understanding is at his right hand; but a fool's understanding at his left.
King James Version (1611)
A wise mans heart is at his right hand: but a fooles heart at his left.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A wyse mans heart is vpon his right hande, but a fooles heart vpon his left.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.
English Revised Version
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The herte of a wijs man is in his riyt side; and the herte of a fool is in his left side.
Update Bible Version
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart is at his left.
Webster's Bible Translation
A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool's heart [is] at his left.
New English Translation
A wise person's good sense protects him, but a fool's lack of sense leaves him vulnerable.
New Living Translation
A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.
New Life Bible
A wise man's heart leads him toward the right. But the foolish man's heart leads him toward the left.
New Revised Standard
The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The sense of the wise, is on his right hand, - But, the sense of the dullard, on his left:
Douay-Rheims Bible
The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.
Revised Standard Version
A wise man's heart inclines him toward the right, but a fool's heart toward the left.
Young's Literal Translation
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
THE MESSAGE
Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left.

Contextual Overview

1 Dead flies putrefy [fn] the perfumer's ointment,And cause it to give off a foul odor;So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand, But a fool's heart at his left. 3 Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone that he is a fool.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wise: Ecclesiastes 9:10, Proverbs 14:8, Luke 14:28-32

but: Ecclesiastes 10:10, Ecclesiastes 10:14, Proverbs 17:16, Luke 12:18-20

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 12:8 - General 2 Chronicles 10:8 - he forsook Ecclesiastes 2:14 - wise Ecclesiastes 8:5 - a wise

Cross-References

Genesis 10:5
From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
Genesis 10:7
The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
Genesis 10:12
and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).
Genesis 10:14
Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim).
Genesis 10:21
And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.
Isaiah 66:19
I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul Jeremiah 46:9).">[fn] and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.
Ezekiel 27:7
Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail; Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.
Ezekiel 27:19
Dan and Javan paid for your wares, traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise.
Ezekiel 38:6
Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops--many people are with you.
Ezekiel 38:15
Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand,.... This is not designed to express the direct position and situation of the heart of man, wise or foolish, which is the same in both; and which, according to anatomists, is in the middle of the body, inclining to the left side; but the understanding and wisdom of men, as Aben Ezra observes; which, with a wise man, is ready a hand to direct and assist him in any affair; and which under the influence of it, he goes about with great readiness and dexterity, and performs it with great ease and facility, without sinister ends and selfish views; it inclines him to pursue the true way to honour, heaven, and happiness, which lies to the right; to seek things that are above, at the right hand of God; and, in all, his honour and glory;

but a fool's heart [is] at his left; he is at a loss for wisdom and understanding to direct him, when he has an affair of any moment upon his hand; which he goes about in an awkward manner, as left handed persons do, and has sinister ends in what he does; and he is to every good work reprobate and unfit, and seeks earth and earthly things, which lie to the left, and in all himself. The Targum is,

"the heart of a wise man is to get the law, which was given by the right hand of the Lord; and the heart of a fool to get the goods of gold and silver:''

so Jarchi,

"his wisdom is ready to incline him (the wise man) to the right hand way for his good; but the heart of a fool to pervert him from it.''

The ancients o used to call things wise and prudent the right hand and things foolish the left hand.

o Suidas in voce δεξια.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The metaphor perhaps means “A wise man’s sense is in its place, ready to help and protect him; but a fool’s sense is missing when it is wanted, and so is useless.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 10:2. A wise man's heart is at his right hand — As the right hand is ordinarily the best exercised, strongest, and most ready, and the left the contrary, they show,

1. The command which the wise man has over his own mind, feelings, passions, c., and the prudence with which he acts. And,

2. The want of prudence and management in the fool, who has no restraint on his passions, and no rule or guard upon his tongue. The right hand and the left are used in Scripture to express good and evil. The wise man is always employed in doing good the fool, in nonsense or evil.


 
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