Parallel Bible VersionsNASB/KJV Study BibleHebrew Bible Study Tools

Ecclesiastes 10:12

New American Standard Bible (NASB ©1995) [2]
— Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;
King James Version (KJV 1769) [2]
— The words of a wise man's mouth [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
English Revised Version (ERV 1885)
— The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
American Standard Version (ASV 1901) [2]
— The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Webster's Revision of the KJB (WEB 1833)
— The words of a wise man's mouth [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Darby's Translation (DBY 1890)
— The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool swallow up himself.
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (EBR 1902)
— The words of a wise man's mouth, are pleasant,—but, the lips of a dullard, will swallow him up:
Young's Literal Translation (YLT 1898)
— Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
Douay-Rheims Challoner Revision (DR 1750)
— The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.
Geneva Bible (GNV 1560)
— The words of ye mouth of a wise man haue grace: but the lippes of a foole deuoure himselfe.
Original King James Bible (AV 1611) [2]
— The words of a wise mans mouth [are] gratious: but the lips of a foole will swallow vp himselfe.
Lamsa Bible (1957)
— The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will ruin him.
Brenton Greek Septuagint (LXX, Restored Names)
— The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
Full Hebrew Names / Holy Name KJV (2008) [2] [3]
— The words of a wise man's mouth [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

Strong's Numbers & Hebrew NamesHebrew Old TestamentColor-Code/Key Word Studies
The words 1697
{1697} Prime
דָּבָר
dabar
{daw-baw'}
From H1696; a word; by implication a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially a cause.
of a wise man's 2450
{2450} Prime
חָכָם
chakam
{khaw-kawm'}
From H2449; wise, (that is, intelligent, skilful or artful).
mouth 6310
{6310} Prime
פֶּה
peh
{peh}
From H6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literally or figuratively (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to.
[are] gracious; 2580
{2580} Prime
חֵן
chen
{khane}
From H2603; graciousness, that is, subjectively (kindness, favor) or objectively (beauty).
but the lips 8193
{8193} Prime
שָׂפָה
saphah
{saw-faw'}
(The second form is in dual and plural); Probably from H5595 or H8192 through the idea of termination (compare H5490); the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication language; by analogy a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.).
of a fool 3684
{3684} Prime
כְּסִיל
k@ciyl
{kes-eel'}
From H3688; properly fat, that is, (figuratively) stupid or silly.
will swallow up 1104
{1104} Prime
בּלע
bala`
{beh'-lah}
A primitive root; to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally to destroy.
z8762
<8762> Grammar
Stem - Piel (See H8840)
Mood - Imperfect (See H8811)
Count - 2447
himself.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

Ecclesiastes 10:12

_ _ gracious — Thereby he takes precaution against sudden injury (Ecclesiastes 10:11).

_ _ swallow up himself — (Proverbs 10:8, Proverbs 10:14, Proverbs 10:21, Proverbs 10:32; Proverbs 12:13; Proverbs 15:2; Proverbs 22:11).

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Ecclesiastes 10:12-15

_ _ Solomon, having shown the benefit of wisdom, and of what great advantage it is to us in the management of our affairs, here shows the mischief of folly and how it exposes men, which perhaps comes in as a reflection upon those rulers who set folly in great dignity.

_ _ I. Fools talk a great deal to no purpose, and they show their folly as much by the multitude, impertinence, and mischievousness of their words, as by any thing; whereas the words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, are grace, manifest grace in his heart and minister grace to the hearers, are good, and such as become him, and do good to all about him, the lips of a fool not only expose him to reproach and make him ridiculous, but will swallow up himself and bring him to ruin, by provoking the government to take cognizance of his seditious talk and call him to an account for it. Adonijah foolishly spoke against his own life, 1 Kings 2:23. Many a man has been sunk by having his own tongue fall upon him, Psalms 64:8. See what a fool's talk is. 1. It takes rise from his own weakness and wickedness: The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, the foolishness bound up in his heart, that is the corrupt spring out of which all these polluted streams flow, the evil treasure out of which evil things are brought. As soon as he begins to speak you may perceive his folly; at the very first he talks idly, and passionately, and like himself. 2. It rises up to fury, and tends to the hurt and injury of others: The end of his talk, the end it comes to, is madness. He will presently talk himself into an indecent heat, and break out into the wild extravagancies of a distracted man. The end he aims at is mischief; as, at first, he appeared to have little government of himself, so, at last, it appears he has a great deal of malice to his neighbours; that root of bitterness bears gall and wormwood. Note, It is not strange if those that begin foolishly end madly; for an ungoverned tongue, the more liberty is allowed, grows the more violent. 3. It is all the same over and over (Ecclesiastes 10:14): A fool also is full of words, a passionate fool especially, that runs on endlessly and never knows when to leave off. He will have the last word, though it be but the same with that which was the first. What is wanting in the weight and strength of his words he endeavours in vain to make up in the number of them; and they must be repeated, because otherwise there is nothing in them to make them regarded. Note, Many who are empty of sense are full of words; and the least solid are the most noisy. The following words may be taken either, (1.) As checking him for his vainglorious boasting in the multitude of his words, what he will do and what he will have, not considering that which every body knows that a man cannot tell what shall be in his own time, while he lives (Proverbs 27:1), much less can one tell what shall be after him, when he is dead and gone. Would we duly consider our own ignorance of, and uncertainty about, future events, it would cut off a great many of the idle words we foolishly multiply. Or, (2.) As mocking him for his tautologies. He is full of words, for if he do but speak the most trite and common thing, a man cannot tell what shall be, because he loves to hear himself talk, he will say it again, what shall be after him who can tell him? like Battus in Ovid:

Sub illis
Montibus (inquit) erant, et erant sub montibus illis
Under those mountains were they,
They were under those mountains, I say —

_ _ whence vain repetitions are called Battologe, Matthew 6:7.

_ _ II. Fools toil a great deal to no purpose (Ecclesiastes 10:15); The labour of the foolish, to accomplish their designs, wearies every one of them. 1. They weary themselves in that labour which is very foolish and absurd. All their labour is for the world and the body, and the meat that perishes, and in this labour they spend their strength, and exhaust their spirits, and weary themselves for very vanity, Habakkuk 2:13; Isaiah 55:2. They choose that service which is perfect drudgery rather than that which is perfect liberty. 2. That labour which is necessary, and would be profitable, and might be gone through with ease, wearies them, because they go about it awkwardly and foolishly, and so make their business a toil to them, which, if they applied themselves to it prudently, would be a pleasure to them. Many complain of the labours of religion as grievous, which they would have no reason to complain of if the exercises of Christian piety were always under the direction of Christian prudence. The foolish tire themselves in endless pursuits, and never bring any thing to pass, because they know not how to go to the city, that is, because they have not capacity to apprehend the plainest thing, such as the entrance into a great city is, where one would think it were impossible for a man to miss his road. Men's imprudent management of their business robs them both of the comfort and of the benefit of it. But it is the excellency of the way to the heavenly city that it is a high-way, in which the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err (Isaiah 35:8); yet sinful folly makes men miss that way.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Ecclesiastes 10:12

Gracious — Procure him favour with those who hear him.

Geneva Bible Translation Notes

[[no comment]]

Cross-Reference Topical ResearchStrong's Concordance
words:

Job 4:3-4 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. ... Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
Job 16:5 [But] I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage [your grief].
Psalms 37:30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
Psalms 40:9-10 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. ... I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Psalms 71:15-18 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness [and] thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers [thereof]. ... Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto [this] generation, [and] thy power to every one [that] is to come.
Proverbs 10:13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod [is] for the back of him that is void of understanding.
Proverbs 10:20-21 The tongue of the just [is as] choice silver: the heart of the wicked [is] little worth. ... The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
Proverbs 10:31-32 The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out. ... The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked [speaketh] frowardness.
Proverbs 12:13-14 The wicked is snared by the transgression of [his] lips: but the just shall come out of trouble. ... A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of [his] mouth: and the recompence of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.
Proverbs 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise [is] health.
Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word [spoken] in due season, how good [is it]!
Proverbs 16:21-24 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. ... Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Proverbs 22:17-18 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. ... For [it is] a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
Proverbs 25:11-12 A word fitly spoken [is like] apples of gold in pictures of silver. ... [As] an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, [so is] a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
Proverbs 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness.
Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Luke 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

gracious:
Heb. grace

but:

2 Samuel 1:16 And David said unto him, Thy blood [be] upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.
1 Kings 20:40-42 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So [shall] thy judgment [be]; thyself hast decided [it]. ... And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of [thy] hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
Psalms 64:8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
Psalms 140:9 [As for] the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
Proverbs 10:8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
Proverbs 10:10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.
Proverbs 10:14 Wise [men] lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish [is] near destruction.
Proverbs 18:6-8 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. ... The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Proverbs 19:5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and [he that] speaketh lies shall not escape.
Proverbs 26:9 [As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.
Luke 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, [thou] wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
Random Bible VersesNew Quotes



Chain-Reference Bible SearchCross References with Concordance

2S 1:16. 1K 20:40. Jb 4:3; 16:5. Ps 37:30; 40:9; 64:8; 71:15; 140:9. Pv 10:8, 10, 13, 14, 20, 31; 12:13, 18; 15:2, 23; 16:21; 18:6; 19:5; 22:17; 25:11; 26:9; 31:26. Mt 12:35. Lk 4:22; 19:22. Ep 4:29. Col 4:6.

Newest Chat Bible Comment
Comment HereExpand User Bible CommentaryComplete Biblical ResearchComplete Chat Bible Commentary
Recent Chat Bible Comments