Ecclesiastes 10:17
Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
Young's Literal Translation
In The King James Version
In Context
16Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
18By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
Cross References
Deuteronomy 14:26and thou hast given the money for any thing which thy soul desireth, for oxen, and for sheep, and for wine, and for strong drink, and for any thing which thy soul asketh, and thou hast eaten there before Jehovah thy God, and thou hast rejoiced, thou and thy house.
Proverbs 31:4Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.
Isaiah 5:11Woe [to] those rising early in the morning, Strong drink they pursue! Tarrying in twilight, wine inflameth them!
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 10:17-20
Mutual Duties of Princes and Subjects. 16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse… Read the whole commentary →