"If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for gentleness allayeth great offences."Deane believed that this referred to some situation in which a person appointed to some place of service to the ruler (king) should not hastily resign because of some displeasure that might be manifested by the king.[3] We might paraphrase it by saying, "Don't run when accused, they might think you are guilty"! read more
"There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler: folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking like servants upon the earth."The teaching of these verses regards the proper conduct of kings and rulers, who should exercise the greatest care in the choice of men whom they elevate to high office. Rehoboam was guilty of the very error cited here. He chose as his advisors... read more
Ecclesiastes 10:4. If the spirit of the ruler rise up— If the anger of the ruler should be kindled against thee, do not resign thy place; for power kept in thy hands will make pacification for great offences. From the 17th verse of the preceding chapter to the present, we have the second instance. The excellency of wisdom is so well known, that, however fond the silly lovers of novelties maybe of hearing a war proclaimed, they will be still fonder of hearing the speeches of a wise man, when... read more
Ecclesiastes 10:7. I have seen servants upon horses, &c.— From the fifth to this verse we have the third instance. Princes, whose character depends upon the behaviour of those whom they employ, as much as upon their own, are apt to commit great mistakes in the choice of their ministers, when they are not determined in that choice by the known, or at least rationally presumed abilities of those whom they raise to dignities and power. This was not an uncommon case in the eastern absolute... read more
4. spirit—anger. yielding pacifieth— ( :-). This explains "leave not thy place"; do not in a resisting spirit withdraw from thy post of duty ( :-). read more
5. as—rather, "by reason of an error" [MAURER and HOLDEN]. read more
6. rich—not in mere wealth, but in wisdom, as the antithesis to "folly" (for "foolish men") shows. So Hebrew, rich, equivalent to "liberal," in a good sense ( :-). Mordecai and Haman (Esther 3:1; Esther 3:2; Esther 6:6-11). read more
7. servants upon horses—the worthless exalted to dignity ( :-); and vice versa ( :-). read more
A wise person may also lose his opportunity to give counsel through the error of someone else, for example, one of the rulers he has been advising. "The right" and "the left" (Ecclesiastes 10:2) are not the political right and left, conservatism and liberalism. They are the place of protection and the place of danger, or, to put in another way: the correct way and the incorrect way (cf. Psalms 16:8; Psalms 110:5; Psalms 121:5). [Note: Cf. Delitzsch, p. 373.] The "road" (Ecclesiastes 10:3) is... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ecclesiastes 10:7
horses. No evidence of a late origin of this book, for we read of them in 1 Kings 4:26 , 1Ki 4:28 ; 1 Kings 10:26 , 1 Kings 10:28 ; 1Ki 22:4 . 2 Kings 9:33 ; 2 Kings 14:20 . If not in common use, it was because of the Law (Deuteronomy 17:16 ); and because of Solomon's disobedience (1 Kings 10:28 . 2Ch 1:16 , 2 Chronicles 1:17 ; 2 Chronicles 9:28 ). upon the earth. See note on Ecclesiastes 5:2 . read more