Ecclesiastes 10:13
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, || And the latter end of his mouth || [Is] mischievous madness.
Literal Standard Version
In The King James Version
In Context
12Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, || And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
Cross References
Judges 14:15And it comes to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he declare the riddle to us, lest we burn you and the house of your father with fire; have you not called for us [here] to rob us?”
1 Samuel 22:7And Saul says to his servants who are standing by him, “Now hear, sons of Benjamin; does the son of Jesse also give fields and vineyards to all of you? Does he appoint all of you [to be] heads of thousands and heads of hundreds?
1 Samuel 25:10And Nabal answers the servants of David and says, “Who [is] David, and who [is] the son of Jesse? Have servants been multiplied today who are each breaking away from his master?
2 Kings 6:27And he says, “YHWH does not save you—from where do I save you? Out of the threshing-floor or out of the wine-vat?”
Proverbs 13:16Every prudent one deals with knowledge, || And a fool spreads out folly.
Ecclesiastes 5:2Do not cause your mouth to hurry, and do not let your heart hurry to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and you on the earth, therefore let your 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 →