Ecclesiastes 10:13

Ecclesiastes 10:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
• New International Version (NIV)At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness—
• English Standard Version (ESV)The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness.

Context of Ecclesiastes 10:13

11If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. 12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him. The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness. 14Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him? 15The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.

Ecclesiastes 10:13 word by word

תְּחִלַּ֥ת דִּבְרֵי־פִ֖יהוּ סִכְל֑וּת וְאַחֲרִ֣ית פִּ֔יהוּ הוֹלֵל֖וּת רָעָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• The beginningתְּחִלָּהtechillâh · beginningH8462
• of his talkדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of his talkפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• is follyסִכְלוּתsiklûth ώiklûth · follyH5531
• and the endאַחֲרִית'achărîyth · endH319
• of his speechפֶּהpeh · lip: wordH6310
• is evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• madnessהוֹלֵלוּתhôlêlûth · madnessH1948

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 10:13

• Judges 14:15So on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”
• 1 Samuel 20:26Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”
• 1 Samuel 22:7Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds?
• 1 Samuel 25:10But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
• 2 Samuel 19:41Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, together with all of David’s men?”
• 2 Samuel 20:1Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
• 2 Kings 6:27He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?”
• Proverbs 29:9If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution.
• Matthew 2:7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared.
• Luke 6:2But some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
• Luke 11:38But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
• John 12:10So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
• Acts 5:28“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”
• Acts 6:9But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen,
• Acts 7:54On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
• Acts 19:24It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 10:13

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-15Verses 11-15 There is a practice in the East, of charming serpents by music. The babbler's tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison; and contradiction only makes it the more violent. We must find the way to keep him gentle. But by rash, unprincipled, or slanderous talk, he brings open or secret vengeance upon himself. Would we duly consider our own ignorance as to future events, it would cut off many idle words which we foolishly multiply. Fools…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Illustrating the folly and injuriousness of the fool's words; last clause of Ec 10:12.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 10:13

• Fool
• Slander
• Speaking
• Words

In the dictionaries

• Direct
• Idleness
• Prince
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings