קהלת 10:18

Hebrew Modern Translation

בעצלתים ימך המקרה ובשפלות ידים ידלף הבית׃

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Aleppo Codex
בעצלתים ימך המקרה ובשפלות ידים ידלף הבית

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)
בַּעֲצַלְתַּ֖יִם יִמַּ֣ךְ הַמְּקָרֶ֑ה וּבְשִׁפְל֥וּת יָדַ֖יִם יִדְלֹ֥ף הַבָּֽיִת ׃

Westminster Leningrad Codex
בַּעֲצַלְתַּיִם יִמַּךְ הַמְּקָרֶה וּבְשִׁפְלוּת יָדַיִם יִדְלֹף הַבָּֽיִת ׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 12:24, Proverbs 14:1, Proverbs 20:4, Proverbs 21:25, Proverbs 23:21, Proverbs 24:30, Proverbs 24:31, Hebrews 6:11, 2 Peter 1:5-10

Reciprocal: Proverbs 10:4 - becometh Amos 6:11 - breaches

Gill's Notes on the Bible

By much slothfulness the building decayeth,.... Or, "by slothfulnesses" g, The word is in the dual number, and so may signify the slothfulness of the hands, as Aben Ezra, of both hands, and of both feet; or the various kinds of slothfulness, as the Arabic version, slothfulness both of body and mind; or of all sorts of persons, superiors and inferiors, princes and subjects; and with respect to all things present and future: and, as through slothfulness a material building decays; or a "beam", as the word signifies, the raftering of a house, the roof, which consists of rafters and beams joined together when the tiling is decayed by winds and rains, or any breaches made in the rafters, and no care taken to repair, the whole falls in, and the house is in ruins: so figurative buildings, families, churches, and kingdoms, come to nothing, through the sluggishness of masters of families, ministers of the word, and civil magistrates; to the latter of which more especially this is to be applied, who give up themselves to luxury and sloth;

and, through idleness of the hands, the house droppeth through; or, "through the letting" or "hanging down of the hands" h; the remissness of them, as is to be observed in idle persons, who will not lift them up to work; particularly to repair a breach in a house, by means of which the rain drops through it, and makes it uncomfortable and unsafe being in it; and, in process of time, that itself drops to the ground: and this expresses the same thing, how, through the neglect of the civil magistrate, a commonwealth comes to nothing; or, however, the members of it become wretched and miserable.

g בעצלתים "in pigritiis", Montanus; "per duplicem pigritiam", Tigurine version; "pigritia amborum", Junius Tremellius. h בשקלות "per remissionem", Tigurine version "demissione", Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus so Cocceius, Rambachius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Foolish rulers, by their weakness, self-indulgence and sloth, bring decay upon the state: nobleness and temperance insure prosperity: yet the subject must not rebel in word or thought against his king.

Ecclesiastes 10:16

A child - Rather, young. The word is applied to Rehoboam 2 Chronicles 13:7 at the time of his accession to the throne, when he was 41 years old.

Eat in the morning - A sign of intemperance (compare Isaiah 5:11).

Ecclesiastes 10:17

Son of nobles - i. e., of a noble disposition.

Ecclesiastes 10:18

The “building” or “house” represents the state. Compare Isaiah 3:6; Amos 9:10.

Droppeth through - i. e., Lets the rain through the roof.

Ecclesiastes 10:19

literally, For merriment they make a feast (bread), and wine gladdens the living, and money supplies all things.

Ecclesiastes 10:20

Curse - Compare Ecclesiastes 7:21-22.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. By much slothfulness — This is remarkably the case in some countries. Houses are not repaired till they almost fall about the ears of the inhabitants. We have an adage that applies to all such cases: "A stitch in time saves nine."