Ecclesiastes 10:15

15 The travail of fools shall torment them, that know not how to go into the city. (Fools work themselves to exhaustion, yet they do not even know how to go into the city.)

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 beginning of his words is folly; and the last thing of his mouth is the worst error. (His words begin with foolishness; and the last thing out of his mouth is the worst error of all.)
14 A fool multiplieth words; a man knoweth not, what was before him, and who may show to him that, that shall come after him? (and who can show him what shall come after him?)
15 The travail of fools shall torment them, that know not how to go into the city. (Fools work themselves to exhaustion, yet they do not even know how to go into the city.)
16 Land, woe to thee, whose king is a child, and whose princes eat early.
17 Blessed is the land, whose king is noble; and whose princes eat in their time, to (only) sustain the(ir) kind, and not to lechery. (Happy is the land, whose king is well born, or refined; and whose leaders eat at the proper time, only to sustain themselves, and not unto drunkenness.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.