Ecclesiastes 10:1
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New International Version (©1984)
As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

New Living Translation (©2007)
As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.

English Standard Version (©2001)
Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Dead flies will make a bottle of perfume stink, and then it is spoiled. A little foolishness outweighs 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.

American King James Version
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking smell: so does a little folly him that is in reputation for 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.

Bible in Basic English
Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.

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.

English Revised Version
Dead flies cause the ointment of the perfumer to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.

Webster's Bible Translation
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth an offensive odor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.

World English Bible
Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

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!

Geneva Study 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.

King James Translators' Notes

Dead...: Heb. Flies of death

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

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.

Matthew Henry's Concise 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.


Exodus 30:25 "You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. (NASB ©1995)

Apothecary Bad Cause Dead Evil Flies Folly Foolishness Forth Glory Great Honor Honour Little Odor Offensive Oil Ointment Outweigh Outweighs Perfume Perfumer Precious Putrid Reason Reputation Savour Stink Valued Weightier Wisdom

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.

observations of wisdom and folly,1-6 death in life,7,8 and the day of judgement in the days of youth, are to be thought on,9,10

dead flies or the flies of death the ointment Ex 30:34,35

a little 2Ch 19:2 Ne 6:13 13:26 Mt 5:13-16 Ga 2:12-14

Bible Gateway: Ecclesiastes Chapter 10 Verse 1 NIV ESV NKJV NLT KJV Message Amplified

Alphabetical: a and As bad dead flies folly foolishness give honor is little make oil outweighs perfume perfumer's smell so stink than weightier wisdom

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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:1 Dead flies cause the oil (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) Christian Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools

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