Ecclesiastes 10:15

15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home.

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 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
14 they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future.
15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home.
16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning.
17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.