Ecclesiastes 10:1
Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor, [so] a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
A Conservative Version
In The King James Version
In Context
2A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left.
Cross References
Exodus 30:25And thou shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.
2 Chronicles 19:2And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Should thou help the wicked, and love those who hate LORD? For this thing wrath is upon thee from before LORD.
Nehemiah 13:26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet there was no king like him among many nations, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign women caused even him to sin.
Haggai 2:12If a man bears holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
Matthew 5:13Ye are the salt material of the earth. But if the salt material becomes ineffective, by what will it be salted? It is potent for nothing further, except to be cast outside and to be trodden down by men.
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 10:1
This chapter seems to be like Solomon's proverbs, a collection of wise sayings and observations, rather than a part of his sermon; but the preacher studied to be sententious, and "set in order many proverbs," to be brought in in his preaching. Yet the general scope of all the observations in this chapter is to recommend wisdom to us, and its precepts and rules, as of great use for the right ordering of our conversation and to caution us against folly. I. He recommends wisdom to private persons, who are in an… Read the whole commentary →