קהלת 10:1

Hebrew Modern Translation

זבובי מות יבאיש יביע שמן רוקח יקר מחכמה מכבוד סכלות מעט׃

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Aleppo Codex
זבובי מות יבאיש יביע שמן רוקח יקר מחכמה מכבוד סכלות מעט

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)
זְב֣וּבֵי מָ֔וֶת יַבְאִ֥ישׁ יַבִּ֖יעַ שֶׁ֣מֶן רוֹקֵ֑חַ יָקָ֛ר מֵחָכְמָ֥ה מִכָּבֹ֖וד סִכְל֥וּת מְעָֽט ׃

Westminster Leningrad Codex
זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת יַבְאִישׁ יַבִּיעַ שֶׁמֶן רוֹקֵחַ יָקָר מֵחָכְמָה מִכָּבוֹד סִכְלוּת מְעָֽט ׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Dead flies: Heb. Flies of death

the ointment: Exodus 30:34, Exodus 30:35

a little: 2 Chronicles 19:2, Nehemiah 6:13, Nehemiah 13:26, Matthew 5:13-16, Galatians 2:12-14

Reciprocal: Exodus 5:21 - our savour Exodus 37:29 - the apothecary 2 Samuel 16:23 - both 2 Chronicles 16:14 - the apothecaries' art Nehemiah 3:8 - of the apothecaries Nehemiah 6:11 - would go Ecclesiastes 7:1 - precious Matthew 26:7 - very Galatians 2:2 - which Galatians 2:13 - the other

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour,.... Such, as Jarchi observes, are in the winter season, which are weak and near to death, and get into precious ointment, prepared after the best manner, where they die, and corrupt and spoil it: or, "flies of deaths" m; deadly ones, which have something in their nature poisonous and pernicious; which, when they light upon the most sweet and savoury ointment, give it an ill smell;

[so doth] a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom [and] honour; a good name is like precious ointment, valuable and fragrant; sin, which is folly, is like a dead fly; not only light and mean, and base and worthless, but hurtful and pernicious, deadly, and the cause of death; and what may seem little, a peccadillo, or, however, one single act of sin, may injure the character of a wise and honourable man, and greatly expose him to shame and contempt, and cause him to stink in the nostrils of men, Genesis 36:20; and to be reproached by men, and religion and government to be reproached for his sake. Thus the affair of Bathsheba and Uriah, what a slur did it bring on the character of David, so famous for wisdom and honour, for religion and piety? and the idolatry of Solomon, the wisest of men; Jehoshaphat, that good king, entering into affinity with Ahab; and pious Josiah going to war with the king of Egypt, contrary to the word of the Lord; with many other instances. This teaches how careful men eminent for gifts and grace should be of their words and actions; since the least thing amiss in them is easily discerned, and soon taken notice of, as the least speck in a diamond, or spot in fine linen, clean and white; and there are wicked and envious persons enough watching for their halting, glad to have an occasion against them, and improve everything to the uttermost: this is a caution to wise magistrates, honourable ministers of the word, and eminent professors more especially. The Targum is,

"evil concupiscence, which dwells at the gates of the heart, is as a fly, and is the cause of death in the world; and corrupts a good name, which was before like to anointing oil, perfumed with spices:''

and to the same purpose the Midrash. One of the names of Satan is Beelzebub, the lord of a fly; who, by his temptations, solicits to sin and folly, which produce the effect here mentioned, and therefore to be shunned as a deadly fly in the ointment, Matthew 12:24. Gussetius n renders it,

"that which is precious and worthy of honour "proceeds" from wisdom; and folly "comes" from glory, "worldly glory", in a little time.''

m זבובי מות "muscae mortis", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Amama, Cocceius, Rambachius. n Ebr. Comment. p. 344.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This verse is by its meaning so closely connected with Ecclesiastes 9:18 that the selection of it for the beginning of a new chapter seems unfortunate.

Apothecary - Rather: a dealer in spices and perfumes (compare Exodus 30:25). The swarms of flies in the East very soon corrupt and destroy any moist unguent or mixture left uncovered, and pollute a dish of food in a few minutes.

So doth ... - literally, more weighty than wisdom, than honor, is a little folly.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER X

Observations on wisdom and folly, 1-3.

Concerning right conduct towards rulers, 4.

Merit depressed, and worthlessness exalted, 5-7.

Of him who digs a pit and removes a landmark, 8, 9.

The use of wisdom and experience, 10.

Of the babbler and the fool, 11-15.

The infant king, 16.

The well-regulated court, 17.

Of slothfulness, 18.

Of feasting, 19.

Speak not evil of the king, 20.

NOTES ON CHAP. X

Verse Ecclesiastes 10:1. Dead flies — Any putrefaction spoils perfume; and so a foolish act ruins the character of him who has the reputation of being wise and good. Alas! alas! in an unguarded moment how many have tarnished the reputation which they were many years in acquiring! Hence, no man can be said to be safe, till he is taken to the paradise of God.