Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Ecclesiastes 10, Thoughtful Actions and Leadership

The Teacher tells more proverbs. Some challenge tradition and some are more traditional.

Ecclesiastes 10:1-3, The sight and smell of a fool
As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, 
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
The heart of the wise inclines to the right, 
but the heart of the fool to the left.
Even as he walks along the road, 
the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is.

In a return to standard proverbs, the Teacher emphasizes that a fool can ruin anything. Their foolishness is even visible when they walk aimlessly down the road. (See Proverbs 13:16 for one of many examples of this teaching.)

In the ANE culture the right hand was the good (strong) hand while the left hand was the bad (weak) hand. So the the wise think in righteous ways and the fool do not. 

The culture of "righthand = good/left hand = bad" prevails throughout all cultures, giving us words like "sinister" (left/evil.)  I am left-handed, as is my wife, but I don't take any of this personally. There are advantages to being left-handed.

Ecclesiastes 10:4, Stay calm and talk softly
If a ruler's anger rises against you, 
do not leave your post; 
calmness can lay great errors to rest.

Even if your king (or ruler) gets angry at you, stay calm and give soft answers. (See Proverbs 15:4.)

Ecclesiastes 10:5-7, Foolish rulers
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, 
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
Fools are put in many high positions, 
while the rich occupy the low ones.
I have seen slaves on horseback, 
while princes go on foot like slaves.

In the culture of the ANE, rulers rule, peasants and servants work and obey. To see a fool in leadership is an error, as is a slave riding in luxury while princes have to walk. (The Teacher, a ruler himself, sees no value in overturning the social order.)

Ecclesiastes 10:8-10, Think about your work
Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; 
whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; 
whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.

If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, 
more strength is needed 
but skill will bring success.
If a snake bites before it is charmed, 
there is no profit for the charmer.

Although the Proverbs praise industry, one must be thoughtful about one's work. Digging a pit or breaking down a wall carries dangers, as does quarrying stones and splitting logs. Think about what you are doing! says the Teacher.  Your woodcutting will go faster if you stop to sharpen it (this is a common teaching on chainsaws even today!) Similarly, if one wants to charm snakes, one should train for it; there is no value in an untrained snake charmer!

Ecclesiastes 10:12-15, More on fools
Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, 
but a fool is consumed by his own lips.
At the beginning his words are folly; 
at the end they are wicked madness‑‑
and the fool multiplies words.  

No one knows what is coming‑‑
who can tell him what will happen after him?

A fool's work wearies him; 
he does not know the way to town.

A theme throughout the book of Proverbs is the contrast between the wise and the fool, the righteous and the wicked, the thoughtful industrious one and the lazy bum. We return to the teaching of Proverbs, emphasizing that a fool talks too much and thinks too little (Proverbs 15:2.) He wastes his energy to the point that even walking to town is difficult.

Ecclesiastes 10:16-17, The character of princes
Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant 
and whose princes feast in the morning.
Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth 
and whose princes eat at a proper time‑‑
for strength and not for drunkenness.

The teaching on laziness applies to rulers.  The spoiled king who is a youth (or a servant), with princes who party in the morning, will lead a land to ruin. But the king whose princes eat for strength, not debauchery, will lead a land to prosperity. As Davidson points out, around the time of the fall of the northern kingdom (about 720 BC) Isaiah had this accusation against the leaders of Israel (Isaiah 5:22-23):
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.
The wine guzzling coincides with corrupt rules and denial of justice.

Ecclesiastes 10:18, Sagging rafters, leaking roof
If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; 
if his hands are idle, the house leaks.

The lazy man does not get important jobs done. This saying, following after a discussion of the character of kings, is surely intended to apply to the leadership of a country. A lazy, idle king will have more serious problems than a simple sagging rafter or leaking roof.

Ecclesiastes 10:19, The cost of partying
A feast is made for laughter, 
and wine makes life merry, 
but money is the answer for everything.

This obscure verse is unclear in both Hebrew and English -- one interpretation is that a person may indeed feast and drink, but they should make sure that they have the riches to pay for their party!

Ecclesiastes 10:20, A little bird told him
Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, 
or curse the rich in your bedroom, 
because a bird of the air may carry your words, 
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

It may be just "pillow talk", but running down the rich and powerful, in the privacy of your bedroom can have serious consequences.  Maybe someone else will hear you... maybe your grumblings will be heard by those in power. (On the other hand, those rich and powerful people should obey Ecclesiastes 7:21-22: they should not try to listen to those under them, for they will surely hear complaints!)

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