Ecclesiastes 10:13

13 He begins by saying what is foolish and ends by uttering what is wicked delusion.

Ecclesiastes 10:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 10:13

The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness
As soon as ever he opens his mouth, he betrays his folly; the first word he speaks is a foolish one; or it is from the abundant folly in his heart that he speaks, which is the source and spring of all his foolish talk; and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness;
to himself and others; as he goes on, he appears more and more foolish, and yet more confident of his own wisdom; and is resolutely set on having his own way and will; grows warm, and is violently hot, to have his own words regarded; and, if contradicted, is like a madman, scattering arrows, firebrands, and death; his talk from first to last is a circle of folly; and, though it begins with something weak, and may seem innocent, yet it ends and issues in wickedness and madness, in rage and wrath, in oaths and curses.

Ecclesiastes 10:13 In-Context

11 If the snake bites before the charming, {the snake charmer will not succeed}.
12 The wise man [wins] favor by the words of his mouth, but the fool is devoured by his own lips.
13 He begins by saying what is foolish and ends by uttering what is wicked delusion.
14 The fool {talks too much}, for no one knows what will be. Who can tell anyone what will happen {in the future}?
15 The fool is so worn out by a hard day's work {he cannot even find his way home at night}.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.