Ecclesiastes 10:12
in Ecclesiastes 10The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
KJV
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 10
Commentary
6 notes on this verse"The words of a wise man win favour, but a fool's lips devour him. "Foolishness, if it is happy in its rusticity, will know less evil. But now he wages war against wisdom, and whatever prudence he sees in a learned man, he does not take to be incited by enthusiasm.
This site's exposition
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious
on Ecclesiastes 10:12-15
The fool's words are traced as a progression: The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him. His talk begins in folly and ends in evil madness, and the fool multiplies words about a future no one can know.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 9 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace." Speech is the instrument for expressing wisdom, and therefore it ought to be governed according to the rule of wisdom. It is a wondrous thing that when men sit at table to refresh themselves …
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 10 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
He gave above a remedy against the malice of a prelate; here he gives a remedy against the foolishness of a prelate, showing that a foolish prelate is not to be promoted, but rather is worthy of ruin: first, on account of the defect of …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious,.... Or "grace" (u).
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The words of a wise man’s mouth - Every thing that proceeds from him is decent and orderly, creditable to himself, and acceptable to those who hear him. But the lips of the fool, which speak every thing at random, and have no understanding to guide them, are not only not pleasant to others, but often destructive to himself.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The words of a wise man find favor. In the eyes of their listeners, and they listen to him, and it is good for him that he assumes greatness over them.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The beginning of his words is foolishness. When the Holy One, Blessed Is He, said to him [Bilam], “Who are these men with you?” 23 Bamidbar:9.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| דִּבְרֵ֥י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| פִי־ | fi- | [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| חָכָ֖ם | chakham | a wise [person] | H2450 → | 138 times |
| חֵ֑ן | chen | [are] favor | H2580 → | |
| וְשִׂפְת֥וֹת | vesiftot | and [the] lips of | H8193 → | |
| כְּסִ֖יל | kesil | a fool | H3684 → | 70 times |
| תְּבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃ | tevalleenu | it swallows him | H1104 → |
דִּבְרֵ֥י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
פִי־[the] mouth of
fi-H6310 →498 times
חָכָ֖םa wise [person]
chakhamH2450 →138 times
חֵ֑ן[are] favor
chenH2580 →
וְשִׂפְת֥וֹתand [the] lips of
vesiftotH8193 →
כְּסִ֖ילa fool
kesilH3684 →70 times
תְּבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃it swallows him
tevalleenuH1104 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ephesians 4:29Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
it leads to
- Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- Proverbs 15:7
The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the hearts of fools.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
- Colossians 3:8–9
But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
- Matthew 12:34–37
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
- Colossians 4:6
Through
Colossians 4:6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
- 1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and…
- Mark 9:50
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
- Ephesians 4:29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 9; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 10; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).