Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ecclesiastes 10:12

The words of a wise man's mouth The mention of the babbling eloquence of "the master of tongue" in the previous verse is naturally followed by precepts fashioned after the type of those in Proverbs 10:8; Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 10:32; Proverbs 12:13; Proverbs 15:2; Proverbs 17:7 as to that which is of the essence of true eloquence. In "are gracious" (literally are grace itself) we find a parallel to the "gracious words" (literally words of grace) of Luke 4:22. They describe the quality in speech which wins favour, what the Greeks called the ἠθικὴ πίστις (moral suasion), which conciliates the good will of the hearers (Aristot. Rhet. i. 2, § 3).

the lips of a fool will swallow up himself The English version rightly preserves the vivid force of the original, instead of weakly paraphrasing it by "destroy" or "consume." Who has not heard orators who, while they thought they were demolishing their opponents, were simply demolishing themselves, swallowing up their own reputation for honesty or consistency, greeted by the ironical cheers of their opponents, while those of their own party listen in speechless dismay? Our own familiar phrase, when we speak of an imprudent orator having "to eat his own words," expresses another aspect of the same idea.

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ecclesiastes 10:12

Old Testament

New Testament