Ecclesiastes 10 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 10:1, 10:10, 10:17
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Chapter 10
Hebrew source [BHS10] • Greek source [LXX10]
Folly, prudence and rulers (10:1–20)
Verse 10:1 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:1] Dead flies make the perfumer's oil stink and bubble; a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:1] Death-bringing flies will spoil a preparation of fragrant oil; a little wisdom is precious beyond the glory of great folly.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek reverses the second comparison: little wisdom is valued above great folly. Its active death-bringing flies differs from Hebrew flies of death, understood as dead flies.
Verse 10:2 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:2] A wise person's heart is at his right, but a fool's heart is at his left.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:2] A wise person's heart is toward his right, but a fool's heart is toward his left.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The right/left image is retained without substituting modern political categories.
Verse 10:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:3] Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart is lacking, and he tells everyone that he is a fool.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:3] Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart will be lacking, and everything he considers is folly.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek describes foolish thoughts rather than the Hebrew declaration to everyone. Hebrew could alternatively mean that he calls everyone else foolish; the selected reflexive sense is provisional.
Verse 10:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:4] If a ruler's spirit rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness puts great offenses to rest.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:4] If the spirit of one in authority rises against you, do not leave your place, for healing will put great sins to rest.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew healing is contextually rendered calmness; Greek iama remains healing. Neither column identifies the ruler with God.
Verse 10:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:5] There is an evil I saw under the sun, like an error proceeding from the ruler:
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:5] There is an evil I saw under the sun, like an unintended act proceeding from one in authority:
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both introduce a ruler's damaging error.
Verse 10:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:6] folly is set in many high places, while the rich sit in a low place.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:6] the fool was set in great heights, while the rich will sit in a low place.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek specifies the fool as a person; Hebrew names folly. The social valuation belongs to this observation.
Verse 10:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:7] I saw slaves on horses and princes walking like slaves upon the ground.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:7] I saw slaves on horses and rulers walking like slaves upon the ground.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The reversal is retained without adding approval of enslavement.
Verse 10:8 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:8] Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a snake.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:8] Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever tears down a fence will be bitten by a snake.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The boundary structure differs in ordinary lexical emphasis.
Verse 10:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:9] Whoever moves stones will be hurt by them; whoever splits wood will be endangered by it.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:9] Whoever lifts stones will be worn out by them; whoever splits wood will be endangered by it.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek emphasizes exhausting labor where Hebrew allows injury or pain.
Verse 10:10 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:10] If the iron is blunt and one has not sharpened its edge, one must exert more strength; but wisdom gives the advantage of success.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:10] If the iron falls out and he has troubled the face, he will strengthen his forces; and wisdom is the advantage of the courageous man.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Both clauses are difficult. Hebrew face is understood as the cutting edge; sharpened and success are contextual readings. Greek's fall, troubled face and courageous man are retained rather than replaced with a sharpened-axe proverb. Pronoun and clause relations remain provisional.
Verse 10:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:11] If the snake bites without a charm, there is no advantage for the master of the tongue.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:11] If the snake bites without a whispered charm, there is no advantage for the charmer.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The Hebrew title literally refers to the tongue's master; Greek explicitly identifies the incantation practitioner. No endorsement of the practice is added.
Verse 10:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:12] The words of a wise person's mouth are gracious, but a fool's lips swallow him up.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:12] The words of a wise person's mouth are gracious, but a fool's lips will drown him.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek uses a drowning image rather than swallowing.
Verse 10:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:13] The beginning of his mouth's words is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:13] The beginning of his mouth's words is folly, and the end of his speech is evil wandering.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek periphereia is rendered wandering, with mental derangement possible; the lexical uncertainty is retained.
Verse 10:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:14] The fool multiplies words. A person does not know what will be, and who can tell him what will be after him?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:14] The fool multiplies words. A person did not know what happened, and who will tell him what will be after him?
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek first refers to what happened, where Hebrew refers to what will happen.
Verse 10:15 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:15] The toil of fools wearies him, who does not know how to go to the city.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:15] The toil of fools will weary them, the one who did not know how to go to the city.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew shifts from plural fools to singular him; Greek plural them is followed by a singular relative. Both awkward number shifts remain visible.
Verse 10:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:16] Woe to you, land, whose king is a youth and whose princes eat in the morning!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:16] Woe to you, city, whose king is young and whose rulers eat in the morning!
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek city replaces Hebrew land. Youth can imply inexperience but is not rewritten as incompetence.
Verse 10:17 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:17] Happy are you, land, whose king is a son of nobles and whose princes eat at the proper time, for strength and not for drunkenness!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:17] Blessed are you, land, whose king is a son of free people and whose rulers will eat at the proper time in strength and will not be ashamed!
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek ends with absence of shame rather than absence of excessive drinking. Sons of free people and nobles preserve the related but distinct status terms.
Verse 10:18 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:18] Through laziness the roof sags, and through slack hands the house leaks.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:18] Through laziness the roof beams will sink, and through idle hands the house will leak.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both connect neglect with decay of the house.
Verse 10:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:19] They make bread for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:19] They make bread for laughter, and wine gladdens the living, and everything will listen to money.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek makes everything respond to money rather than money answer everything. Its syn with the accusative is a translation feature, not rendered as ordinary with.
Verse 10:20 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[10:20] Even in your thought do not curse a king, and in your bedchambers do not curse a rich person, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound, and a winged creature will report the matter.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[10:20] Even in your conscience do not curse a king, and in the inner rooms of your bedchambers do not curse a rich person, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound, and one with wings will report the word.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek conscience corresponds to Hebrew thought or knowledge. The proverbial carrier is not identified with a supernatural informer.