Title: An Exposition of Ecclesiastes 10:9
Text: "Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby." (Ecclesiastes 10:9) Introduction: -- We know that Christians need to have WISE CONDUCT as well as GOOD BEHAVIOR. These characteristics can be acquired ideally by READING & APPLYING THE BIBLE and LEARNING FROM OTHER PEOPLES' MISTAKES [SINS]. -- King Solomon is reviewing some of the personal experiences he had ENCOUNTERED or OBSERVED during his lifetime. "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." (Ecclesiastes 10:1) v.1a Dead flies ***CAUSE*** ... -- they do this. v.1b Just a little folly ***DOES*** this to a wise man. "Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool." (Ecclesiastes 10:3) v.3 Fools WALK this way... "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:" (Ecclesiastes 10:5). v.5 "I have seen"--'observed' "I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth." (Ecclesiastes 10:7) v.7 Again, "I have seen" -- Our author knows predictably what the outcome will be, because he has seen certain courses of events long enough. -- Specifically, these EXPERIENCES and the KNOWLEDGE that come from them can be very practical...so much so that one's life could be spared from HURT or DANGER if taken heed to. -- Some mistakes can be very costly... "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." (Ecclesiastes 10:1) v.1 "reputation" destroyed. "Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool." (Ecclesiastes 10:3) v.3 Everyone knows about it. No one will ever really, completely believe he has recovered from being so careless/foolish.I. What is the Context of Ecclesiastes 10:9 ?
-- Verses 1,2,3 have references to WISDOM. -- V. 1,2a WISE MEN. -- V. 4 RULERS & those that should yield/obey to them. -- V. 7 SERVANTS promoted to PRINCES (because of wisdom). PRINCES demoted to SERVANTS (because of folly). -- V. 8 MISCHIEF will backfire on you. Don't dig a hole for yourself. "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him." (Ecclesiastes 10:8) -- V. 9 More self-inflicted trouble. Apparently, the "stones" and the "wood" are gathered from outside sources. The verse makes NO SENSE if these were earthly materials were of original, legitimate ownership. The theme of mischief seems to have been carried over from the previous verse (v. 8).II. What Do Certain Words in Ecclesiasted 10:9 Mean ?
A. "REMOVETH" naca` {naw-sah'} a verb ***[Illustrate: Remove some "stones".]*** journey 41, departed 30, remove 28, forward 18, went 8, go away 3, brought 3, set forth 2, go forth 3, get 1, set aside 1; 146 total times used 1) to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart 1a1) to pull out [of source of some kind] or up 1a2) to set out, depart 1a3) to journey, march 1a4) to set forth (of wind) 1b) to be pulled up, be removed, be plucked up 1c1) to cause to set out, lead out, cause to spring up 1c2) to remove, quarry [mine and miners] Maybe they had some kind of stockpile of stones for war time purposes. These might be raided by opposing forces. B. "STONES" 'eben {eh'-ben} a noun from the root of 01129 through the meaning to build Most common--> stone(s) 247, weight(s) 7, divers weights + 068 3, stony 2, carbuncle + 0688 1, headstone 1, masons + 07023 1, plummet 1, slingstones 1; 272 total time used 1) stone (large or small) ***[Illustrate: Small & Large "stones".]*** 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) hewn stones 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects C. "HURT" `atsab {aw-tsab'} a verb grieve 10, displeased 1, hurt 1, made 1, sorry 1, vexed 1, wrest 1; 17 total times used 1) to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest? 1a) to hurt, pain 1b) to be in pain, be pained, be grieved 1c) to vex, torture 1d) to cause pain 1e) to feel grieved, be vexed D. "CLEAVETH" baqa` {baw-kah'} a verb Note: Verse 10 has the sense of chopping wood. "If the iron [of an axehead] be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct." (Ecclesiastes 10:10) ***[Illustrate: Cleave some "wood".]*** cleave 10, ...up 9, divide 5, rent 4, ... out 3, break through 3, rend 3, breach 2, asunder 2, hatch 2, brake 1, burst 1, cleft 1, break forth 1, pieces 1, tare 1, tear 1, win 1; 51 total times used 1) to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear 1a1) to cleave, cleave open 1a2) to break through, break into 1b1) to be cleft, be rent open, be split open 1b2) to be broken into 1c1) to cleave, cut to pieces, rend open 1c2) to break through, break down 1d1) to be ripped open, be torn open 1d2) to be rent 1d3) to be broken into 1e1) to break into 1e2) to break through 1f) to be broken into 1g) to burst (themselves) open, cleave asunder E. "WOOD" `ets {ates} a noun tree 162, wood 107, timber 23, stick 14, gallows 8, staff 4, stock 4, carpenter + 02796 2, branches 1, helve 1, planks 1, stalks 1; 328 total time used 1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows 1a) tree, trees 1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax F. "ENDANGERED" cakan {saw-kan'} a verb endangered 1, impoverished 1; 2 total time used 1) to incur danger 1a) to endanger oneself 2) to be poor 2a) to be impoverished --It seems to me he [the person] will become an 'endangered species' if he does the specified act. --Someone will take notice that the wood is cleaved. Maybe some 'tree huggers' were present... :)III. So...What Does Ecclesiastes 10:9 Refer To?
--The "therewith" refers back to the "stones". --The "thereby" refers back to the "wood". A. How can "stones" inflict pain? "Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith;" 1. Stoning to death by a mob that has been stirred up. 2. Weapons of war such as a catapult. 3. Note: X-reference: Deuteronomy 20:19-20"(19)When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege: (20)Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued."
B. How can "wood" endanger? "he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby." (Ecclesiastes 10:9) 1. Wooden weapons (e.g. arrows) 2. Wood can be used to build a fire? --consider martyrdom 3. Wood in the gallows... Example: Esther, Mordecai, Haman. (Ester 5:14) --The "wolf"...I mean wife of Ham and his "friends" plotted to murder Mordecai. --Gallows most likely made of wood. --Wicked Hamam thought their idea was great..."It sounds good to me." (Ester 6:4; 7:8-10) --I wonder if Haman ever had run across the wisdom of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 10:9. This might be one of those interesting questions we will get to ask JESUS in Heaven... Conclusion: -- Put all the DEFINED WORDS back in the TEXT VERSE. -- Then SUMMARIZE what Solomon's POINT was by ACTING out both parts of the TEXT VERSE. -- He was trying to get across that those who go about seeking WOOD or STONES in the WRONG PLACES MIGHT NOT POSSIBLY have a happy end. -- Don't repeat mistakes [or sins] like these in your everyday life!