Ecclesiastes 10:13
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the last that cometh out of his mouth is evil-bringing madness.
Leeser Tanakh
In The King James Version
In Context
12The words of a wise man's mouth [bring] grace; but the lips of a fool will destroy himself.
Cross References
Judges 14:15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Persuade thy husband, that he may solve unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye invited us to impoverish us? is it not so?
1 Samuel 22:7Then said Saul unto his servants that stood about him, Hear, I pray you, men of Benjamin! will the son of Jesse give, indeed, to every one of you fields and vineyards? will he appoint you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds?
1 Samuel 25:10And Nabal answered the servants of David, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? now-a-days there are many servants that break away every one from his master.
2 Kings 6:27And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? shall it be out of the threshing-floor, or out of the wine-press?
Proverbs 13:16Every prudent man acteth with knowledge; but a fool spreadeth abroad his folly.
Ecclesiastes 5:2(5:1) Suffer not thy mouth to be rash, and let thy heart not be hasty to utter any word before God; for God is in the heavens, and thou art upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 10:13-16
The Contemptibleness of Folly. 12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. Solomon, having shown the benefit of wisdom, and of what great… Read the whole commentary →