---
title: "Clarke"
description: "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 wis"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ecclesiastes/10"
---

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:1](../../../kjv/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.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:2](../../../kjv/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.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:3](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/10/3). ***When - a fool walketh by the way*** — In every act of life, and in every company he frequents, the irreligious man shows what he is. Vanity, nonsense, and wickedness are his themes: so that in effect *he saith to every one* that *he* is *a fool*.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:4](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/10/4). ***If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee*** — If the king get incensed against thee.
***Leave not thy place*** — Humble thyself before him, that is *thy* *place* and duty; for yielding to him, and not standing stoutly in thy defence, pacifieth *great offenses*: and then, when his anger is appeased, he will hear any thing in thy justification, if thou have any thing to offer. This is good advice to a *child* in reference to his *parents*, and to an *inferior* of any kind in reference to his *superiors*.
Several of the fathers understood this differently, *If the* *spirit of the ruler* - the influence of Satan - *hath risen up against* and prevailed over thee, to bring thee into some sin; *leave not* *thy place* - do not despair of God's mercy; humble thyself before him, and seek pardon through the Son of his love, and this will be מרפא *marpe*, a *remedy* or *cure* even for חטאים גדולים *chataim gedolim*, great errors or sins. All this is true in itself, whether found in this text or not.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:5](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/10/5). ***An error*****which*****proceedeth from the ruler*** — What this error in the ruler is, the two following verses point out: it is simply this - an injudicious distribution of offices, and raising people to places of trust and confidence, who are destitute of *merit*, are neither of *name* nor *family* to excite public confidence, and are without *property*; so that they have no *stake* *in the country*, and their only solicitude must naturally be to enrich themselves, and provide for their poor relatives. This is frequent in the governments of the world; and *favouritism* has often brought prosperous nations to the brink of ruin. *Folly* was set in *dignity*; the man of property, sense, and name, in a *low* *place*. *Servants* - menial men, *rode upon horses* - carried every thing with a high and proud hand; and *princes*, - the nobles of the people, were obliged *to walk by their sides*, and often from the state of things to become in effect *their servants*. This was often the case in this country, during the reign of *Thomas a Becket*, and *Cardinal* *Woolsey*. These insolent men lorded it over the whole nation; and the people and their gentry were raised or depressed according as their pride and caprice willed. And, through this kind of errors, not only a few sovereigns have had most uncomfortable and troublesome reigns, but some have even lost their lives.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:8](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/10/8). ***Whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.*** — While spoiling his neighbour's property, he himself may come to greater mischief: while pulling out the sticks, he may be bit by a serpent, who has his nest there. Some have supposed that נחש *nachash* here means a *thorn*; perhaps from the similarity of its *prick* to the serpent's *sting*. He who forces his way through a hedge will be pricked by the thorns.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:9](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/10/9). ***Whoso removeth stones*** — This verse teaches care and caution. Whoever *pulls down* an old building is likely to be hurt by the stones; and in *cleaving wood* many accidents occur for want of sufficient caution.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:10](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/10/10). ***If the iron be blunt*** — If the axe have lost its edge, and the owner do not sharpen it, he must apply the more strength to make it cut: but the *wisdom that is profitable to direct* will teach him, that he should *whet* his *axe*, and *spare* his *strength.* Thus, without wisdom and understanding we cannot go profitably through the meanest concerns in life.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:11](../../../kjv/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](../../../kjv/genesis/3/1), was of the genus *simia*. This has been ridiculed, but not *disproved*.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:12](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/10/12). ***The words of a wise man's mouth*** — Every thing that proceeds from him is decent and orderly, creditable to himself, and acceptable to those who hear him. But the *lips of the fool*, which speak every thing at random, and have no understanding to guide them, are not only not pleasant to others, but often destructive to himself.

Verse 14. ***A man cannot tell what shall be*** — A foolish babbling man will talk on every subject, though he can say as little on the *past*, as he can on the *future*.

Verse 15. ***He knoweth not how to go to the city.*** — I suppose this to be a proverb: "He knows nothing; he does not know his way to the next village." He may labour; but for want of *judgment* he wearies himself to no purpose.

Verse 16. ***Wo to thee, O land, when thy king*****is*****a child*** — *Minorities* are, in general, very prejudicial to a state. Regents either disagree, and foment civil wars; or oppress the people. Various discordant interests are raised up in a state during a minority; and the young king, having been under the tutelage of interested men, acts *partially* and *injuriously* to the interests of the people when he comes to the throne; and this produces popular discontent, and a troubled reign.
***Thy princes eat in the morning!*** — They do nothing in order; turn night into day, and day into night; sleep when they should wake, and wake when they should sleep; attending more to chamberings and banquetings, than to the concerns of the state.

Verse 17. ***When thy king*****is*****the son of nobles*** — υιος ελευθερων, the son of freemen; persons well acquainted with the principles of civil liberty, and who rule according to them.-*Septuagint*. Such a one as comes to the throne in a legitimate way, from an ancient regal family, whose right to the throne is incontestable. It requires such a long time to establish a regal right, that the state is in continual danger from *pretenders* and *usurpers*, where the king is not the son of nobles.
***And thy princes eat in due season*** — All persons in places of trust for the public weal, from the king to the lowest public functionary, should know, that the public are exceedingly scandalized at repeated accounts of entertainments, where irregularity prevails, much money is expended, and no good done. These things are drawn into precedent, and quoted to countenance debauch in the inferior classes. The natural division of the day for necessary *repasts* is, BREAKFAST, *eight*, or *half after*; DINNER, *one*, or *half after*; SUPPER, *eight*, or *half after*. And these, or even *earlier* hours were formerly observed in these countries. Then we had scarcely any such thing as *gout*, and no *nervous disorders*.
In ancient nations the custom was to eat but *once*; and then about mid-day.

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."

Verse 19. ***A feast is made for laughter*** — The object of it is to produce merriment, to banish care and concern of every kind. But who are they who make and frequent such places? Epicures and drunkards generally; such as those of whom *Horace* speaks:
***But money answereth all*** — This saying has prevailed everywhere.
*Scilicet* uxorem *cum* dote, fidemque, *et* amicos,
*Et* genus, *et* formam REGINA PECUNIA *donat*;
*Ac bene* nummatum *decorat* Suadela, Venusque.
HOR. EP. lib. i., ep. 6, ver. 36.

"For *gold*, the *sovereign* QUEEN of *all below*,
*Friends, honour, birth*, and *beauty*, can bestow.
The goddess of *persuasion* forms her train;
And *Venus* decks the *well-bemonied* swain."
FRANCIS.

Verse [Ecclesiastes 10:20](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/10/20). ***Curse not the king*** — Do not permit thyself even to think evil of the king; lest thy tongue at some time give vent to thy thoughts, and so thou be chargeable with treason.
***For a bird of the air shall carry the voice*** — Does he refer here to such fowls as the *carrier pigeon*, which were often used to carry letters under their wings to a great distance, and bring back answers? The *Targum* turns it curiously: "Do not speak evil of the king in thy conscience, nor in the secret of thy heart, nor in the most hidden place in thy house, curse not a wise man; for *Raziel* calls daily from heaven upon Mount Horeb, and his voice goes through the whole world; and *Elijah*, the great priest, goes, flying through the air like a winged eagle, and publishes the words which are spoken in secret by all the inhabitants of the earth."
Civil government is so peculiarly of God, that he will have it supported for the benefit of mankind; and those who attempt to disturb it are generally *marked* by his *strong disapprobation*. And though there have been multitudes of treasons hatched in the deepest secrecy; yet, through the providence of God, they have been discovered in the most singular manner. This shows God's care for government.

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