Ecclesiastes 10:15

15 The toil of fools wears them out, for they do not even know the way to town.

Ecclesiastes 10:15 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 10:15

The labour of the foolish wearieth everyone of them
The labour of fools, both in speaking and doing, weary those who have any concern with them, and themselves likewise, since all their labour is vain and fruitless; because he knoweth not how to go to the city;
to any city, the road to which is usually broad, and plain and easy to be found, and yet cannot be found by the foolish man; showing, that he that talks of abstruse things, things too high and wonderful for him, which he affects to know, must needs be a stranger to them, since things the most easy to be understood he is ignorant of, and wearies himself to find; or he does not know how to behave himself in a city, among citizens, in a civil and polite manner. The Targum is,

``he learns not to go to the city, where wise men dwell, to learn instruction from it.''
Some interpret it of the city of Jerusalem, where were the temple, sanhedrim, synagogues, schools but it may be better applied to the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, which fools or wicked men know not the way unto, nor do they seek after it; see ( Psalms 107:7 ) ( Matthew 7:13 Matthew 7:14 ) ; so Alshech interprets it of heaven.

Ecclesiastes 10:15 In-Context

13 The words of their mouths begin in foolishness, and their talk ends in wicked madness;
14 yet fools talk on and on. No one knows what is to happen, and who can tell anyone what the future holds?
15 The toil of fools wears them out, for they do not even know the way to town.
16 Alas for you, O land, when your king is a servant, and your princes feast in the morning!
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is a nobleman, and your princes feast at the proper time— for strength, and not for drunkenness!
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.