Ecclesiastes 10:1-7--The Burden of Folly

Ecclesiastes 10:1-7
Christian Standard Bible

The Burden of Folly
10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 A wise person’s heart goes to the right,
but a fool’s heart to the left.
3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart lacks sense,
and he shows everyone he is a fool.
4 If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your post,
for calmness puts great offenses to rest.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:

6 The fool is appointed to great heights,
but the rich remain in lowly positions.
7 I have seen slaves on horses,
but princes walking on the ground like slaves.

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There are things in life where a little bit of something bad ruins the whole batch that was good.  Solomon speaks of a fly getting into the ointment or perfume and making what was supposed to smell good stink.  You can probably think of other examples were something fell into your food and you threw out everything you were cooking or eating.  So it is with folly--you could be making an eloquent argument full of wisdom and you say one foolish thing, and no one remembers the good things you have said.  Your whole life becomes defined by that one moment of foolishness, even for years to come.

Have you ever wondered where got the phrases "the right" and "the left"? Contrary to common thought about which side of the House the caucus sits on, the origins are right here in the Bible in this passage (and others like them) where Solomon says that the wise man's heart is inclined towards the right (the word is both used for "correct" and for the direction "to the right") and with a play on words, the heart of the fool is drawn "to the left" (the opposite direction of "to the right").  So the fool is bent towards doing what is wrong.  Think about that when someone tries to use "right-wing" as a pejorative for you or someone else.  I'd much rather be identified with the wisdom of "the right" than with the folly of "the left."

The one identified as a fool doesn't even have common sense that you would hope the common man walking along the road would have.  This seems to have gotten worse and worse over the years and man's heart is bent more towards sin and folly and the things that used to be common sense are no longer common.  His foolishness is on full public display for everyone to see and know what kind of a man he is.

Do not abandon your post or quit your job just because your captain or boss becomes angry with you.  Calm spirits and level heads will return quickly, and any offenses can be forgiven and overlooked.

Solomon has spoken much about the foolishness of the king's servant and the common man, but now he is going to speak directly to the foolishness of the king (probably identifying his own mistakes).  Even as the wisest man, he still made some foolish choices.  Giving a poor fool power over the purse of the nation is probably not a wise decision.  It is better to entrust someone with the money of others who has demonstrated that they handle their money wisely first.  Elevating slaves to be officers in command of others also makes no sense to Solomon.  They acted in a way that lost them their freedom because they could not manage the affairs of themselves and their households.  How then can they be expected to manage the affairs of others and care for others in the heat of battle when they could not care for themselves and their families in peacetime?  Solomon also saw princes (members of the royal family) working the land and doing the work of a slave.  He found this too to be foolish when they should have been busy taking care of their responsibilities as a member of the royal family (whatever their royal duties may have been).