If the snake bites
The imagery of a snake bite is vivid and powerful, drawing from the ancient Near Eastern context where snakes were common and often feared. The Hebrew word for "snake" is "נָחָשׁ" (nachash), which appears throughout the Old Testament, notably in Genesis 3, where the serpent tempts Eve. This allusion to the snake can symbolize danger, deceit, or sudden calamity. In the context of Ecclesiastes, it suggests an unexpected or premature consequence that occurs before proper action is taken. The bite represents the irreversible damage that can occur when wisdom is not applied in time.

before it is charmed
The phrase "before it is charmed" refers to the ancient practice of snake charming, a skill that required patience, knowledge, and timing. The Hebrew root "לַחַשׁ" (lachash) implies whispering or incantation, suggesting a careful and deliberate approach to handling potential danger. In a broader sense, this phrase emphasizes the importance of preparation and timely intervention. The charmer's role is to prevent harm through skillful action, symbolizing the application of wisdom and discernment in life's challenges. The failure to charm the snake in time serves as a metaphor for missed opportunities to apply wisdom effectively.

there is no profit
The term "profit" in Hebrew is "יִתְרוֹן" (yitron), which appears frequently in Ecclesiastes, often questioning the value or advantage of human endeavors. Here, it underscores the futility of skill or knowledge that is not applied at the right moment. The absence of profit highlights the theme of vanity and the transient nature of human efforts without divine wisdom. It serves as a reminder that earthly skills and talents, when not aligned with God's timing and purpose, yield no lasting benefit.

for the charmer
The "charmer" represents those who possess skills, knowledge, or wisdom. In the Hebrew context, this could refer to a sage or wise person who is expected to navigate life's complexities successfully. The charmer's failure to act in time reflects the broader human condition addressed in Ecclesiastes: the limitations of human wisdom and the unpredictability of life. This phrase challenges believers to seek God's guidance and timing in all endeavors, recognizing that true wisdom comes from aligning one's actions with divine will.

(11) This also is a difficult verse. Literally translated it is, If the serpent bite for lack of enchantment, there is no advantage to the master of the tongue. It seems best to follow the LXX. and other interpreters, and take the "master of the tongue" to mean the snake charmer, who possesses the "voice of the charmer" (Psalm 58:5). The whisperings of the snake charmer, so often described by Eastern travellers, are referred to also in Jeremiah 8:17, and in a passage, probably founded on the present text (Ecclesiasticus 12:13), "Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent?" The mention of the serpent in Ecclesiastes 10:8 seems to have suggested another illustration of the advantage of wisdom in the different effects of snake-charming, as used by the expert or the unskilful. The phrase, "master of the tongue," seems to have been chosen in order to lead on to the following verses, which speak of the different use of the tongue by the wise man and the fool.

Enchantment.--According to the primary meaning "whispering" (2Samuel 12:19; Isaiah 26:16). . . .

Verse 11. - The last proverb of this little series shows the necessity of seizing the right opportunity. Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment. The Authorized Version is not quite correct. The particle אם, with which the verse begins, is here conditional, and the rendering should be, If the serpent bite, etc.; the apodosis comes in the next clause. The idea is taken up from ver. 8. If one handles a serpent without due precaution or without knowing the secret of charming it, one will suffer for it. The taming and charming of poisonous snakes is still, as heretofore, practiced in Egypt and the East. What the secret of this power is has not been accurately determined; whether it belongs especially to persons of a certain idiosyncrasy, whether it is connected with certain words or intonations of the voice or musical sounds, we do not know. Of the existence of the power from remote antiquity there can be no question. Allusions to it in Scripture are common enough (see Exodus 7:11; Psalm 58:5; Jeremiah 8:17; Ecclus. 12:13). If a serpent before it is charmed is dangerous, what then? The Authorized Version affords no sensible apodosis: And a babbler is no better. The words rendered "babbler" (baul hallashon) are literally "master of the tongue," and by them is meant the ἐπαοιδός, "the serpent-charmer." The clause should run, Then there is no use in the charmer. If the man is bitten before he has time to use his charm, it is no profit to him that he has the secret, it is too late to employ it when the mischief is done. This is to shut the stable door after the steed is stolen. The maxim enforces the warning against being too late; the greatest skill is useless unless applied at the right moment. The Septuagint translates virtually as above, "If a serpent bites when not charmed (ἐν οὐ ψιθυρισμῷ), then there is no advantage to the charmer (τῷ ἐπᾴδοντι)." The Vulgate departs from the context, rendering, Si mordeat serpens in silentio (i.e. probably "uncharmed"), nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit, "He is nothing better who slanders secretly," which St. Jerome thus explains: the serpent and the slanderer are alike, for as the serpent stealthily infuses its poison, so the secret slanderer pours his venom into another's breast.

Parallel Commentaries ...


If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

the snake
הַנָּחָ֖שׁ (han·nā·ḥāš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5175: A serpent

bites
יִשֹּׁ֥ךְ (yiš·šōḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5391: To strike with a, sting, to oppress with usury

before
בְּלוֹא־ (bə·lō·w-)
Preposition-b | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

it is charmed,
לָ֑חַשׁ (lā·ḥaš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3908: A whisper, a private prayer, an incantation, an amulet

there is no
וְאֵ֣ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

profit
יִתְר֔וֹן (yiṯ·rō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3504: Preeminence, gain

for the charmer.
לְבַ֖עַל (lə·ḇa·‘al)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1167: A master, a husband, owner


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:11 If the snake bites before it (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)