Ecclesiastes 10:14

14 Yet the 1fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him 2what will come 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.


FOOTNOTES:

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

Ecclesiastes 10:14 In-Context

12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;
13 the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness.
14 Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?
15 The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.
16 Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Proverbs 15:2; Ecclesiastes 5:3
  • 2. Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 7:14; Ecclesiastes 8:7
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