Ecclesiastes 10:14

14 ¹A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him ²what will be after him?

Ecclesiastes 10:14 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 10:14

A fool also is full of words
Or, "multiplies words" ^F25. Is very talkative, says the same thing over and over again; uses an abundance of waste words, that have no meaning in them; utters every thing that comes uppermost, without any order or judgment; affects to talk on every subject, whether he knows anything of it or not; and will engross all the conversation to himself, though of all in company the most unfit for it; a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him who can
tell him?
what the fool is talking of; what is the drift of his discourse; or where it will end, and what he will bring it to, it is so noisy, confused, and incoherent: or no man can tell future things, or what will come to pass; nor can any man inform another of future events; and yet a fool boasts and brags of what he shall do, and what he shall have, as if he was master of the future, and knew for certain what would come to pass, which the wisest of men do not.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (hbry) "multiplicabit", Pagninus, Montanus; "multiplicat", Vatablus, Mercerus, Drusius, Amama, Gejerus, Rambachius, Cocceius.

Ecclesiastes 10:14 In-Context

12 The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him.

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness.

14 A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him?

15 The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.

16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning!

Cross References

• 1. See Proverbs 15:2
• 2. See Ecclesiastes 3:22