Ecclesiastes 10:1 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

◄ Ecclesiastes 10:1 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

English Standard Version
Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

New American Standard Bible
Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.

King James Bible
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Dead flies make a perfumer's oil ferment and stink; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

International Standard Version
As dead flies cause the perfumer's ointment to stink, so also does a little foolishness to one's reputation of wisdom and honor.

American Standard Version
Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor;'so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.

Darby Bible Translation
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to stink and ferment; so a little folly is weightier than wisdom and honour.

Young's Literal Translation
Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom -- By reason of honour -- a little folly!

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

10:1-3 Those especially who make a profession of religion, should keep from all appearances of evil. A wise man has great advantage over a fool, who is always at a loss when he has anything to do. Sin is the reproach of sinners, wherever they go, and shows their folly.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

CHAPTER 10

Ec 10:1-20.

1. Following up Ec 9:18.

him that is in reputation—for example, David (2Sa 12:14); Solomon (1Ki 11:1-43); Jehoshaphat (2Ch 18:1-34; 19:2); Josiah (2Ch 35:22). The more delicate the perfume, the more easily spoiled is the ointment. Common oil is not so liable to injury. So the higher a man's religious character is, the more hurt is caused by a sinful folly in him. Bad savor is endurable in oil, but not in what professes to be, and is compounded by the perfumer ("apothecary") for, fragrance. "Flies" answer to "a little folly" (sin), appropriately, being small (1Co 5:6); also, "Beelzebub" means prince of flies. "Ointment" answers to "reputation" (Ec 7:1; Ge 34:30). The verbs are singular, the noun plural, implying that each of the flies causes the stinking savor.