Ecclesiastes 10:3 BSB

Ecclesiastes 10:3

Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

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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Commentary

2 voices

Jerome

Commentary on Ecclesiastes (420)

"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.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

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.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

10 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וְגַם־	ve.gam-	and also	H1571 →
בַּדֶּ֛רֶךְ	ba.De.rekh	on the way	H1870 →
כְּשֶׁסָּכָ֥ל	ke.she.sa.khal	like when a fool	H5530 →
הֹלֵ֖ךְ	ho.Lekh	[is] going	H1980 →
לִבּ֣וֹ	li.Bo	heart his	H3820 →
חָסֵ֑ר	cha.Ser	is lacking	H2637 →
וְאָמַ֥ר	ve.'a.Mar	and he says	H559 →
לַכֹּ֖ל	la.Kol	to <the> everyone	H3605 →
סָכָ֥ל	sa.Khal	[is] a fool	H5530 →
הֽוּא׃	Hu'	he	H1931 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Ecclesiastes 5:3
As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
leads to
- Proverbs 15:2
  The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
Through
1 Peter 4:4
Because 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.
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…
Through
Proverbs 18:2
A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his opinions.
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.

About Ecclesiastes

King Solomon in Old Age — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Ecclesiastes: the study guide →Read chapter 10 →The featured study →

Continue: Ecclesiastes 10 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

06About Ecclesiastes

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

About Ecclesiastes