Ecclesiastes 10:3
in Ecclesiastes 10Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
KJV
Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 10
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"A wise man's mind tends to his right; while a fool's mind tends to his left. Even on the road as the fool walks, he lacks sense, and proclaims to all that he is a fool. "And in the Gospel it is taught that a wise man's left does not know what his right is doing. And when we are hit on the right side of the face, we do not show the left cheek to he who hit us, but the other one.
This site's exposition
As dead flies bring a stench
on Ecclesiastes 10:1-3
As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor, the chapter's rule of disproportion. The right and left of verse 2 are readiness against awkwardness, in the older commentators' reading of the idiom. Verse 3 shows the fool advertising himself.
This site's exposition
the fool walks along the road
Barnes takes the road as the literal way or the course of a fool's life, and on either road his lack of sense shows everyone. Henry adds that the fool neither hides his folly nor feels any shame. Sin marks him wherever he walks.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 10 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The fool therefore thinks vain things and knows not how to consider things with discernment, neither in himself nor in others, which is a greater disadvantage. Therefore he adds: But also the fool walking in the way, namely in that way which seems good to …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), that is, he discovers his folly as plainly as if he had told them so. He cannot conceal it, and he is not ashamed of it. Sin is the reproach of sinners wherever they go.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
“Way” may be understood either literally (compare Ecc 10:15), or figuratively, of the course of action which he follows. He saith ... - He exposes his folly to every one he meets.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
by the way--in his ordinary course; in his simplest acts (Pr 6:12-14). That he "saith," virtually, "that he" himself, &c. [Septuagint]. But Vulgate, "He thinks that every one (else whom he meets) is a fool."
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
When - a fool walketh by the way - In every act of life, and in every company he frequents, the irreligious man shows what he is. Vanity, nonsense, and wickedness are his themes: so that in effect he saith to every one that he is a fool.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| בַּדֶּ֛רֶךְ | baderekh | on the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| כְּשֶׁסָּכָ֥ל | keshesakhal | like when a fool | H5530 → | 7 times |
| הֹלֵ֖ךְ | holekh | [is] going | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לִבּ֣וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| חָסֵ֑ר | chaser | is lacking | H2637 → | 23 times |
| וְאָמַ֥ר | veamar | and he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לַכֹּ֖ל | lakol | to <the> everyone | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| סָכָ֥ל | sakhal | [is] a fool | H5530 → | 7 times |
| הֽוּא׃ | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
בַּדֶּ֛רֶךְon the way
baderekhH1870 →707 times
כְּשֶׁסָּכָ֥לlike when a fool
keshesakhalH5530 →7 times
הֹלֵ֖ךְ[is] going
holekhH1980 →1546 times
לִבּ֣וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
חָסֵ֑רis lacking
chaserH2637 →23 times
וְאָמַ֥רand he says
veamarH559 →5305 times
לַכֹּ֖לto <the> everyone
lakolH3605 →5413 times
סָכָ֥ל[is] a fool
sakhalH5530 →7 times
הֽוּא׃he
hu'H1931 →1879 times
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
Ecclesiastes 5:3As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 15:2
Through
1 Peter 4:4Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:16
keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:12
Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
- Jude 1:10
These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.
- Acts 18:6
But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to…
- 1 Peter 3:16
Through
Proverbs 18:2A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his opinions.
it leads to
- Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- Proverbs 12:23
A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself, but a foolish heart proclaims its folly.
- Psalms 1:1–2
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.
- Proverbs 1:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 10; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.