Ecc 10:12-13 | KingComments | STEP | The distinction between “a wise” and “a fool” appears from the words that come from the mouth of each of them ( ). Their words show what is in their heart ( ). Here it is mainly about what the result of their words is, their effect. The words of the wise win hearts, the words of the fool cause destruction. The words that come from the mouth of a wise man “are gracious” in its content, in its form and its speech. Those are good words about good things that benefit everyone that hears them. The fool speaks in a way that consumes him. Whatever he says does not edify anyone, but breaks everyone down and most of all himself. The fool speaks without being aware of running in a circle around himself. As soon as the fool begins to speak, it becomes clear that he speaks nothing else than foolishness ( ). His entire verbiage is foolishness and results in “wicked madness”. From beginning to end he speaks foolishness, from which it also appears that he is not only stupid, but also wicked in nature. “The fool multiplies words”, but he talks like a headless chicken ( ). He claims to know exactly how the future looks like. In his arrogance he pretends to determine the future, while nobody knows “what will happen”. The meaning of the question: “Who can tell him what will come after him?” is that there is no one who can tell him, because he is not open for it. That means that he closes himself off for God, Who only knows the future. A fool can slaving off as hard as he can and be worn out by it, but he has no idea what he has done it for ( ). The cause of it is “that he does not [even] know how to go to a city”. He who wants to go to a city will find a way. The fool has no energy to go to a city because he lacks the will to learn how to get there. He does not even have any sense of direction because the city is not a point of orientation for him. He does not recognize the way to it, for he is blind for things that everybody knows (cf. ). In the city you have to do with other people and he does not want that. He wants to lead his own life. In all his activities he is running aimlessly in his own circles like a zombie. He lives his life without purpose and without direction. In a spiritual sense he is not interested in the city of God. We can think of the literal Jerusalem, the city of the great King. The city to which God’s heart goes out day and night, is meaningless to him. We can also think of the heavenly Jerusalem, the church of God in this time ( ).

‏ Ecclesiastes 10:12-13

The Words and the Toil of a Fool

The distinction between “a wise” and “a fool” appears from the words that come from the mouth of each of them (Ecc 10:12). Their words show what is in their heart (Mt 12:34). Here it is mainly about what the result of their words is, their effect. The words of the wise win hearts, the words of the fool cause destruction.

The words that come from the mouth of a wise man “are gracious” in its content, in its form and its speech. Those are good words about good things that benefit everyone that hears them. The fool speaks in a way that consumes him. Whatever he says does not edify anyone, but breaks everyone down and most of all himself. The fool speaks without being aware of running in a circle around himself.

As soon as the fool begins to speak, it becomes clear that he speaks nothing else than foolishness (Ecc 10:13). His entire verbiage is foolishness and results in “wicked madness”. From beginning to end he speaks foolishness, from which it also appears that he is not only stupid, but also wicked in nature.

“The fool multiplies words”, but he talks like a headless chicken (Ecc 10:14). He claims to know exactly how the future looks like. In his arrogance he pretends to determine the future, while nobody knows “what will happen”. The meaning of the question: “Who can tell him what will come after him?” is that there is no one who can tell him, because he is not open for it. That means that he closes himself off for God, Who only knows the future.

A fool can slaving off as hard as he can and be worn out by it, but he has no idea what he has done it for (Ecc 10:15). The cause of it is “that he does not [even] know how to go to a city”. He who wants to go to a city will find a way. The fool has no energy to go to a city because he lacks the will to learn how to get there.

He does not even have any sense of direction because the city is not a point of orientation for him. He does not recognize the way to it, for he is blind for things that everybody knows (cf. 2Kgs 6:18). In the city you have to do with other people and he does not want that. He wants to lead his own life. In all his activities he is running aimlessly in his own circles like a zombie. He lives his life without purpose and without direction.

In a spiritual sense he is not interested in the city of God. We can think of the literal Jerusalem, the city of the great King. The city to which God’s heart goes out day and night, is meaningless to him. We can also think of the heavenly Jerusalem, the church of God in this time (Rev 21:24-26).