Ecclesiastes 10:12

“The words of the mouth of a wise man are favor, but the lips of the senseless swallow him up.”

Ecclesiastes 10:12 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

12

Ecclesiastes 10:12, word by word

The wordsדִּבְרֵיdivre

word

What someone says or announces, above all what YHWH says.

Where else “divre” appears
of the mouthפִיfi

mouth

The part of the face with which one speaks, eats and kisses.

Where else “fi” appears
of a wise manחָכָםchacham

wise

Someone who knows how to live well, revering YHWH.

Where else “chacham” appears
are favorחֵןchen

favor

Someone's goodwill toward another: looking on them kindly.

Where else “chen” appears
but the lipsשִׂפְתוֹתsiftot

lip

The part of the mouth with which one speaks, and so what one says.

Where else “siftot” appears
of the senselessכְּסִילkesil

senseless, fool

Fool: not someone who knows little, but someone who despises wisdom and trusts in himself.

Where else “kesil” appears
swallow him upתְּבַלְּעֶtevale

swallow

Swallow, swallow up; hence, destroy.

Where else “tevale” appears

The context

11If the snake bites without a charm, there is no profit for the owner of the tongue.

12 · This verse (above)

13The beginning of the words of his mouth is witlessness, and the end of his mouth is evil madness.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 10

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