Ecclesiastes 10:17

Ecclesiastes 10:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
• New International Version (NIV)Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time— for strength and not for drunkenness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
• New King James Version (NKJV)Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time— For strength and not for drunkenness!

Context of Ecclesiastes 10:17

15Fools wear themselves out with hard work, because they don’t even know the way to town. 16How horrible it will be for any country where the king used to be a servant and where the high officials throw parties in the morning. A country is blessed when the king is from a noble family and when the high officials eat at the right time in order to get strength and not to get drunk. 18A roof sags because of laziness. A house leaks because of idle hands. 19A meal is made for laughter, and wine makes life pleasant, but money is the answer for everything.

Ecclesiastes 10:17 word by word

אַשְׁרֵ֣יךְ אֶ֔רֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּ֖ךְ בֶּן־חוֹרִ֑ים וְשָׂרַ֙יִךְ֙ בָּעֵ֣ת יֹאכֵ֔לוּ בִּגְבוּרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א בַשְּׁתִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Blessedאֶ֫שֶׁר'esher · blessedH835
• thou, O landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• when thy kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of noblesחֹרchôr chôr · nobleH2715
• and thy princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• in due seasonעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• for strengthגְּבוּרָהgebûrâh · mightH1369
• and not for drunkennessשְׁתִיshethîy · drunkennessH8358

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 10:17

• Ecclesiastes 10:6Foolish people are often given high positions, and rich people are left to fill lower positions.
• Proverbs 28:2When a country is in revolt, it has many rulers, but only with a person who has understanding and knowledge will it last a long time.
• Jeremiah 30:21Their leader will be someone from their own people. Their ruler will come from among them. I’ll bring him near, and he will come close to me. Who would dare to come near me?” asks the Lord.
• Proverbs 31:4“It is not for kings, Lemuel. It is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to crave liquor.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 10:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17When thy king is the son of nobles - uiov eleuyerwn, the son of freemen; persons well acquainted with the principles of civil liberty, and who rule according to them - Septuagint. Such a one as comes to the throne in a legitimate way, from an ancient regal family, whose right to the throne is incontestable. It requires such a long time to establish a regal right, that the state is in continual danger from pretenders and usurpers, where the king is not the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 Foolish rulers, by their weakness, self-indulgence and sloth, bring decay upon the state: nobleness and temperance insure prosperity: yet the subject must not rebel in word or thought against his king. Ecclesiastes 10:16 A child - Rather, young. The word is applied to Rehoboam 2 Chronicles 13:7 at the time of his accession to the throne, when he was 41 years old. Eat in the morning - A sign of intemperance (compare Isaiah 5:11). Ecclesiastes…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-20Verses 16-20 The happiness of a land depends on the character of its rulers. The people cannot be happy when their princes are childish, and lovers of pleasure. Slothfulness is of ill consequence both to private and public affairs. Money, of itself, will neither feed nor clothe, though it answers the occasions of this present life, as what is to be had, may generally be had for money. But the soul, as it is not redeemed, so it is not maintained with…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-17A servant does not have leadership skills. feast at the proper time: Wise leaders relax only after completing their work, not in the morning before starting. Lazy leaders weaken a society or organization.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. son of nobles--not merely in blood, but in virtue, the true nobility (So 7:1; Is 32:5, 8). in due season--(Ec 3:1), not until duty has first been attended to. for strength--to refresh the body, not for revelry (included in "drunkenness").Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 10:17

• Gluttony
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Direct
• Idleness
• Prince
• Synagogue, the Great
• noble, nobleman, royal official

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