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 serpent bite before enchantment, then the charmer hath no advantage. 12The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool swallow up himself. The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14And the fool multiplieth words: [yet] man knoweth not what shall be; and what shall be after him, who will tell him? 15The labour of fools wearieth them, because they know not how to go to the city.

Ecclesiastes 10:13 word by word

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

• wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• follyסִכְלוּתsiklûth ώiklûth · follyH5531
• endאַחֲרִית'achărîyth · endH319

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 10:13

• Judges 14:15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, Persuade thy husband, that he may explain to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire. Have ye invited us to impoverish us, — is it not [so]?
• 1 Samuel 20:26And Saul said nothing that day; for he thought, Something has befallen [him], that he is not clean: surely he is not clean.
• 1 Samuel 22:7Then Saul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, ye Benjaminites: will the son of Jesse give every one of you also fields and vineyards? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,
• 1 Samuel 25:10And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.
• 2 Samuel 19:41And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over the Jordan?
• 2 Samuel 20:1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite; and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, Israel.
• 2 Kings 6:27And he said, If Jehovah do not help thee, whence should I help thee? Out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress?
• Proverbs 29:9If a wise man contendeth with a fool, whether he rage or laugh, [he] hath no rest.
• Matthew 2:7Then Herod, having secretly called the magi, inquired of them accurately the time of the star that was appearing;
• Luke 6:2But some of the Pharisees said to them, Why do ye what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?
• Luke 11:38But the Pharisee seeing [it] wondered that he had not first washed before dinner.
• John 12:10But the chief priests took counsel that they might kill Lazarus also,
• Acts 5:28saying, We strictly enjoined you not to teach in this name: and lo, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and purpose to bring upon us the blood of this man.
• Acts 6:9And there arose up certain of those of the synagogue called of freedmen, and of Cyrenians, and of Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.
• Acts 7:54And hearing these things they were cut to the heart, and gnashed their teeth against him.
• Acts 19:24For a certain [man] by name Demetrius, a silver-beater, making silver temples of Artemis, brought no small gain to the artisans;

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