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Selected Verse: Ecclesiates 10:15 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ec 10:15	Strong Concordance	The labour [05999] of the foolish [03684] wearieth [03021] every one of them, because he knoweth [03045] not how to go [03212] to the city [05892].
	King James	The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
labour . . . wearieth-- (Isa 55:2; Hab 2:13). knoweth not how to go to the city--proverb for ignorance of the most ordinary matters (Ecc 10:3); spiritually, the heavenly city (Psa 107:7; Mat 7:13-14). MAURER connects Ecc 10:15 with the following verses. The labor (vexation) caused by the foolish (injurious princes, Ecc 10:4-7) harasses him who "knows not how to go to the city," to ingratiate himself with them there. English Version is simpler.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

labour . . . wearieth-- (Isa 55:2; Hab 2:13).

knoweth not how to go to the city--proverb for ignorance of the most ordinary matters (Ecc 10:3); spiritually, the heavenly city (Psa 107:7; Mat 7:13-14). MAURER connects Ecc 10:15 with the following verses. The labor (vexation) caused by the foolish (injurious princes, Ecc 10:4-7) harasses him who "knows not how to go to the city," to ingratiate himself with them there. English Version is simpler.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
The sense is: "The fool wearies himself with ineffectual attempts, he has not sufficient knowledge for the transaction of ordinary business."

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
"The labour of the foolish wearieth him who knoweth not how to go to the city." If we do not seek to explain: labour such as fools have wearies him (the fool), then we have here such a synallage numeri as at Isa 2:8; Hos 4:8, for from the plur. a transition is made to the distributive or individualizing sing. A greater anomaly is the treatment of the noun עמל as fem. (greater even than the same of the noun pithgam, Ecc 8:11, which admitted of attractional explanation, and, besides, in a foreign word was not strange). Kimchi, Michlol 10a, supposes that עמל is thought of in the sense of עמל יגיעת; impossible, for one does not use such an expression. Hitzig, and with him Hengst., sees the occasion for the synallage in the discordance of the masc. ייגּענּוּ; but without hesitation we use the expressions ייחל, Mic 5:6, ייסּ, Jos 6:26, and the like. 'Amal also cannot be here fem. unitatis (Bttch. 657. 4), for it denotes the wearisome striving of fools as a whole and individually. We have thus to suppose that the author has taken the liberty of using 'amal once as fem. (vid., on the contrary, Ecc 2:18, Ecc 2:20), as the poet, Pro 4:13, in the introduction of the Book of Proverbs uses musar once as fem., and as the similarly formed צבא is used in two genders. The fool kindles himself up and perplexes himself, as if he could enlighten the world and make it happy, - he who does not even know how to go to the city. Ewald remarks: "Apparently proverbial, viz., to bribe the great lords in the city." For us who, notwithstanding Ecc 10:16, do not trouble ourselves any more with the tyrants of Ecc 10:4, such thoughts, which do violence to the connection, are unnecessary. Hitzig also, and with him Elst. and Zckl., thinks of the city as the residence of the rulers from whom oppression proceeds, but from whom also help against oppression is to be sought. All this is to be rejected. Not to know how to go to the city, is = not to be able to find the open public street, and, like the Syrians, Kg2 6:18., to be smitten with blindness. The way to the city is via notissima et tritissima. Rightly Grotius, like Aben Ezra: Multi quaestionibus arduis se faitgant, cum ne obvia quidem norint, quale est iter ad urbem. אל־עיר is vulgar for אל־העיר. In the Greek language also the word πόλις has a definite signification, and Athens is called ἄστυ, mostly without the art. But Stamboul, the name of which may seem as an illustration of the proverbial phrase, "not to know how to go to the city," is = εἰς τὴν πόλιν. Grtz finds here an allusion to the Essenes, who avoided the city - habeat sibi!

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

"The labour of the foolish wearieth him who knoweth not how to go to the city." If we do not seek to explain: labour such as fools have wearies him (the fool), then we have here such a synallage numeri as at Isa 2:8; Hos 4:8, for from the plur. a transition is made to the distributive or individualizing sing. A greater anomaly is the treatment of the noun עמל as fem. (greater even than the same of the noun pithgam, Ecc 8:11, which admitted of attractional explanation, and, besides, in a foreign word was not strange). Kimchi, Michlol 10a, supposes that עמל is thought of in the sense of עמל יגיעת; impossible, for one does not use such an expression. Hitzig, and with him Hengst., sees the occasion for the synallage in the discordance of the masc. ייגּענּוּ; but without hesitation we use the expressions ייחל, Mic 5:6, ייסּ, Jos 6:26, and the like. 'Amal also cannot be here fem. unitatis (Bttch. 657. 4), for it denotes the wearisome striving of fools as a whole and individually. We have thus to suppose that the author has taken the liberty of using 'amal once as fem. (vid., on the contrary, Ecc 2:18, Ecc 2:20), as the poet, Pro 4:13, in the introduction of the Book of Proverbs uses musar once as fem., and as the similarly formed צבא is used in two genders. The fool kindles himself up and perplexes himself, as if he could enlighten the world and make it happy, - he who does not even know how to go to the city. Ewald remarks: "Apparently proverbial, viz., to bribe the great lords in the city." For us who, notwithstanding Ecc 10:16, do not trouble ourselves any more with the tyrants of Ecc 10:4, such thoughts, which do violence to the connection, are unnecessary. Hitzig also, and with him Elst. and Zckl., thinks of the city as the residence of the rulers from whom oppression proceeds, but from whom also help against oppression is to be sought. All this is to be rejected. Not to know how to go to the city, is = not to be able to find the open public street, and, like the Syrians, Kg2 6:18., to be smitten with blindness. The way to the city is via notissima et tritissima. Rightly Grotius, like Aben Ezra: Multi quaestionibus arduis se faitgant, cum ne obvia quidem norint, quale est iter ad urbem. אל־עיר is vulgar for אל־העיר. In the Greek language also the word πόλις has a definite signification, and Athens is called ἄστυ, mostly without the art. But Stamboul, the name of which may seem as an illustration of the proverbial phrase, "not to know how to go to the city," is = εἰς τὴν πόλιν. Grtz finds here an allusion to the Essenes, who avoided the city - habeat sibi!

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Wearieth - Fools discover their folly by their wearisome and fruitless endeavours after things which are too high for them. Because - He is ignorant of those things which are most easy, as of the way to the great city whither he is going.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
He knoweth not how to go to the city - I suppose this to be a proverb: "He knows nothing; he does not know his way to the next village." He may labor; but for want of judgment he wearies himself to no purpose.

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⁴ If the spirit [07307] of the ruler [04910] rise up [05927] against thee, leave [03240] not thy place [04725]; for yielding [04832] pacifieth [03240] great [01419] offences [02399].
⁵ There is [03426] an evil [07451] which I have seen [07200] under the sun [08121], as an error [07684] which proceedeth [03318] from [06440] the ruler [07989]:
⁶ Folly [05529] is set [05414] in great [07227] dignity [04791], and the rich [06223] sit [03427] in low place [08216].
⁷ I have seen [07200] servants [05650] upon horses [05483], and princes [08269] walking [01980] as servants [05650] upon the earth [0776].

¹⁵ The labour [05999] of the foolish [03684] wearieth [03021] every one of them, because he knoweth [03045] not how to go [03212] to the city [05892].

¹³ Enter ye in [1525] at [1223] the strait [4728] gate [4439]: for [3754] wide [4116] is the gate [4439], and [2532] broad [2149] is the way [3598], that leadeth [520] to [1519] destruction [684], and [2532] many [4183] there be [1526] which [3588] go in [1525] thereat [1223] [846]:
¹⁴ Because [3754] strait [4728] is the gate [4439], and [2532] narrow [2346] is the way [3598], which [3588] leadeth [520] unto [1519] life [2222], and [2532] few [3641] there be [1526] that find [2147] it [846].

⁷ And he led them forth [01869] by the right [03477] way [01870], that they might go [03212] to a city [05892] of habitation [04186].

³ Yea also, when he that is a fool [05530] walketh [01980] by the way [01870], his wisdom [03820] faileth [02638] him, and he saith [0559] to every one that he is a fool [05530].

¹³ Behold, is it not of the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] that the people [05971] shall labour [03021] in the very [01767] fire [0784], and the people [03816] shall weary [03286] themselves for very [01767] vanity [07385]?

² Wherefore do ye spend [08254] money [03701] for that which is not bread [03899]? and your labour [03018] for that which satisfieth [07654] not [03808]? hearken [08085] diligently [08085] unto me, and eat [0398] ye that which is good [02896], and let your soul [05315] delight [06026] itself in fatness [01880].

¹⁸ And when they came down [03381] to him, Elisha [0477] prayed [06419] unto the LORD [03068], and said [0559], Smite [05221] this people [01471], I pray thee, with blindness [05575]. And he smote [05221] them with blindness [05575] according to the word [01697] of Elisha [0477].

⁴ If the spirit [07307] of the ruler [04910] rise up [05927] against thee, leave [03240] not thy place [04725]; for yielding [04832] pacifieth [03240] great [01419] offences [02399].

¹⁶ Woe [0337] to thee, O land [0776], when thy king [04428] is a child [05288], and thy princes [08269] eat [0398] in the morning [01242]!

¹³ Take fast hold [02388] of instruction [04148]; let her not go [07503]: keep [05341] her; for she is thy life [02416].

²⁰ Therefore I went about [05437] to cause [02976] my heart [03820] to despair [02976] of all the labour [05999] which I took [05998] under the sun [08121].

¹⁸ Yea, I hated [08130] all my labour [05999] which I had taken [06001] under the sun [08121]: because I should leave [03240] it unto the man [0120] that shall be after [0310] me.

²⁶ And Joshua [03091] adjured [07650] them at that time [06256], saying [0559], Cursed [0779] be the man [0376] before [06440] the LORD [03068], that riseth up [06965] and buildeth [01129] this city [05892] Jericho [03405]: he shall lay the foundation [03245] thereof in his firstborn [01060], and in his youngest [06810] son shall he set up [05324] the gates [01817] of it.

⁶ And they shall waste [07462] the land [0776] of Assyria [0804] with the sword [02719], and the land [0776] of Nimrod [05248] in the entrances [06607] thereof: thus shall he deliver [05337] us from the Assyrian [0804], when he cometh [0935] into our land [0776], and when he treadeth [01869] within our borders [01366].

¹¹ Because sentence [06599] against an evil [07451] work [04639] is not executed [06213] speedily [04120], therefore the heart [03820] of the sons [01121] of men [0120] is fully set [04390] in them to do [06213] evil [07451].

⁸ They eat up [0398] the sin [02403] of my people [05971], and they set [05375] their heart [05315] on their iniquity [05771].

⁸ Their land [0776] also is full [04390] of idols [0457]; they worship [07812] the work [04639] of their own hands [03027], that which their own fingers [0676] have made [06213]: