Ecclesiastes 10:14

14 The fool {talks too much}, for no one knows what will be. Who can tell anyone what will happen {in the future}?

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 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}.
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a youth and your princes feast in the morning.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Literally "increases words"
  • [b]. Literally "after him"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.