God’s Word Translation
Ecclesiastes 10:6
6Foolish people are often given high positions, and rich people are left to fill lower positions.
Ecclesiastes 10:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
- New International Version (NIV)Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones.
- English Standard Version (ESV)folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place.
Context of Ecclesiastes 10:6
4If a ruler becomes angry with you, don’t resign your position. If you remain calm, you can make up for serious offenses. 5There is a tragedy that I’ve seen under the sun, an error often made by rulers. Foolish people are often given high positions, and rich people are left to fill lower positions. 7I have seen slaves sitting on horses and influential people going on foot like slaves. 8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it. Whoever breaks through a stone wall may be bitten by a snake.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 10Ecclesiastes 10:6 word by word
נִתַּ֣ן הַסֶּ֔כֶל בַּמְּרוֹמִ֖ים רַבִּ֑ים וַעֲשִׁירִ֖ים בַּשֵּׁ֥פֶל יֵשֵֽׁבוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 10:6
- Judges 9:14Then all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’
- 1 Kings 12:13The king answered the people harshly. He ignored the advice the older leaders gave him.
- Esther 3:1Later, King Xerxes promoted Haman. (Haman was the son of Hammedatha and was from Agag.) He gave Haman a position higher in authority than all the other officials who were with him.
- Psalms 12:8Wicked people parade around when immorality increases among Adam’s descendants.
- Proverbs 28:12When righteous people triumph, there is great glory, but when wicked people rise, people hide themselves.
- James 2:3Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, “Please have a seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet.”
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 10:6
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The “evil” of Ecclesiastes 10:5 is here specified as that caprice of a king by which an unworthy favorite of low origin is promoted to successive dignities, while a noble person is degraded or neglected.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-10Verses 4-10 Solomon appears to caution men not to seek redress in a hasty manner, nor to yield to pride and revenge. Do not, in a passion, quit thy post of duty; wait awhile, and thou wilt find that yielding pacifies great offences. Men are not preferred according to their merit. And those are often most forward to offer help, who are least aware of the difficulties, or the consequences. The same remark is applied to the church, or the body of Christ…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-7Giving power to those who cannot use it wisely is a big mistake. Favoritism, nepotism, extortion, and bribery can put reckless people in powerful positions.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. rich--not in mere wealth, but in wisdom, as the antithesis to "folly" (for "foolish men") shows. So Hebrew, rich, equivalent to "liberal," in a good sense (Is 32:5). Mordecai and Haman (Es 3:1, 2; 6:6-11).Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 10:6
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries