Ecclesiastes Chapter Ten, Feasts, Wine, And Money

Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry; but money answers everything.

We read just two verses prior that a feast is inappropriate for drunkenness amongst the land’s rulers. Two verses later, the preacher explains with some brevity the point of three different things, beginning with feasting. This of course refers to more than simply eating; when one eats a robust meal it can be referred to as feasting. But this type of feast is of course a party with eating, drinking, and music.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Ten, Impropriety & Sloth

Ecclesiastes 10:16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! [17] Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes feast at the proper time–for strength and not for drunkenness!

This pair of verses once more contends with the idea of reversal. What is bad is good, and vice versa. As has already been noted, Ecclesiastes has several themes, this being but one of them that the preacher returns to periodically. Why? Because of its universality. Being king in Jerusalem and knowing so many potentates and ambassadors, he sees the incongruity of life play out from the greatest to the least, and it constantly baffles him. Again, why?

Ecclesiastes Chapter Ten, Prognosticating Fools

Ecclesiastes 10:14b No man knows what is to be; who can tell him what will be after him? [15] The labor of fools wearies them, for they do not even know how to go to the city!

The latter portion of verse 14 has been repeated numerous times in Ecclesiastes. This refrain may be found in Ecclesiastes 6:12 and 7:7. Here, then we have lucky number three. It is an earnest plea from a hopeless worldview that only sees as far as the horizon permits. Life under the sun is concerned with daily life and everything within the earth’s grasp.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Ten, Choosing One's Words

Ecclesiastes 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up. [13] The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, and the end of his talk is raving madness. [14a] A fool also multiples words.

Again it seems like a verse from Proverbs as we approach this passage. There is a simple contrast between the wise man whose mouth, or words, is gracious. Meanwhile, the fool’s lips (or words) swallow him up. A wise man knows what to say, when to say it, and when to keep silent. Yes, there is such a time to keep silent rather than speak. We read, “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit,” Proverbs 17:27. Elsewhere we are instructed, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,” James 1:19.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Ten, On Jobs & Babbling

Ecclesiastes 10:8 He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. [9] He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits wood may be endangered by it. [10] If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.

The idea in the first two verses is simply one of exposure to risk when one labors. Manual labor can harm the body, either through wear and tear or accident, or carelessness. The adages, “nothing ventured, nothing gained,” or “no risk, no reward,” seem apropos here. The preacher merely reminds his readership that there is risk involved in one’s effort; but also that there will never be results unless effort is applied.