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Tuesday, August 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 10:11

If the snake will bite without charming, then there is no advantage to a master of tongue.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fool;   Serpent;   Slander;   Speaking;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Serpents;   Slander;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Charmers;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Snake;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Charmer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adder;   Serpent;   Serpent Charming;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Charm;   Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Babbler;   Serpent;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Enchantments;   Serpent;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Amulet;   Babbler;   Enchantment;   Magic;   Serpent;   Serpent-Charming;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Calumny;   Providence;   Serpent;   Witchcraft;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 18;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If the snake bites before it is charmed,then there is no advantage for the charmer.
Hebrew Names Version
If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer's tongue.
King James Version
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
English Standard Version
If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer.
New American Standard Bible
If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer.
New Century Version
If a snake bites the tamer before it is tamed, what good is the tamer?
Amplified Bible
If the serpent bites before being charmed, then there is no profit for the charmer.
World English Bible
If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer's tongue.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If the serpent bite, when he is not charmed: no better is a babbler.
Legacy Standard Bible
If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no advantage for the charmer.
Berean Standard Bible
If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
Contemporary English Version
The power to charm a snake does you no good if it bites you anyway.
Complete Jewish Bible
If a snake bites before it is charmed, the snake-charmer has no advantage.
Darby Translation
If the serpent bite before enchantment, then the charmer hath no advantage.
Easy-to-Read Version
Someone might know how to control snakes. But that skill is useless if a snake bites when that person is not around.
George Lamsa Translation
If the serpent bites without being charmed; then in vain is a charmer.
Good News Translation
Knowing how to charm a snake is of no use if you let the snake bite first.
Lexham English Bible
If the snake bites before the charming, the snake charmer will not succeed.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A babler of his tonge is no better, then a serpent that styngeth without hyssynge.
American Standard Version
If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.
Bible in Basic English
If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then the charmer hath no advantage.
King James Version (1611)
Surely the serpent will bite without inchauntment, and a babbler is no better.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A backbiter is no better then a serpent that stingeth without hissing.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
If a serpent bite when there is no charmer’s whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
English Revised Version
If the serpent bite before it be charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If a serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it.
Update Bible Version
If the serpent bites before it is charmed, then is there no advantage to the master of the tongue.
Webster's Bible Translation
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
New English Translation
If the snake should bite before it is charmed, the snake charmer is in trouble.
New King James Version
A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different.
New Living Translation
If a snake bites before you charm it, what's the use of being a snake charmer?
New Life Bible
If the snake bites before it is put under a man's power, it will not be of help to the man who would have power over it.
New Revised Standard
If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage in a charmer.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If a serpent will bite, unless he is charmed, then there is nothing better for him that owneth a tongue.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.
Revised Standard Version
If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage in a charmer.
Young's Literal Translation
If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
THE MESSAGE
If the snake bites before it's been charmed, What's the point in then sending for the charmer?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

Contextual Overview

4 If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place; for composure quiets great offenses. 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, sins which come from the face of the ruler: 6 folly is set in many high positions , and many rich men sit in low situations . 7 I have seen slaves on horses, and rulers walking as slaves on the earth. 8 He who digs a pit may fall into it; and one breaking a wall, a snake may bite him. 9 Whoever pulls out stones may be hurt with them; he who splits trees may be endangered by them. 10 If the iron is blunt, and he does not whet the mouths, then he must put more strength to it . But wisdom is an advantage giving success. 11 If the snake will bite without charming, then there is no advantage to a master of tongue.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the serpent: Psalms 58:4, Psalms 58:5, Jeremiah 8:17

a babbler: Heb. the master of the tongue, Psalms 52:2, Psalms 64:3, Proverbs 18:21, James 3:6

Reciprocal: Proverbs 18:7 - his destruction James 3:8 - full

Cross-References

Genesis 10:1
And these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 10:10
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Numbers 24:22
But the Kenites shall be consumed, until Assyria shall carry you away.
Numbers 24:24
And ships shall come from the coast of Cyprus, and they shall humble Assyria, and they shall humble Eber, and he also shall come to destruction forever.
2 Kings 19:36
And Sennacherib the king of Assyria moved, and went and returned, and lived in Nineveh.
Ezra 4:2
then they came to Zerubbabel and to the head of the fathers and said to them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God, as you. And we have not sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.
Psalms 83:8
Also Assyria has joined with them; they were an arm to the sons of Lot. Selah.
Isaiah 37:37
And Sennacherib, king of Assyria, set out, and went and returned; and he lived at Nineveh.
Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, Chilmad were your merchants.
Ezekiel 32:22
There is Assyria and all her assembly. All around him are his graves, all of them are slain, fallen by the sword;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment,.... See Jeremiah 8:17. Or rather, "without a whisper" t; without hissing, or any noise, giving no warning at all: so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "in silence"; some serpents bite, others sting, some both; see

Proverbs 23:32; some hiss, others not, as here;

and a babbler is no better; a whisperer, a backbiter, a busy tattling body, that goes from house to house, and, in a private manner, speaks evil of civil governments, of ministers of the word, and of other persons; and; in a secret way, defames men, and detracts from their characters: such an one is like a venomous viper, a poisonous serpent or adder; and there is no more guarding against him than against such a creature that bites secretly.

t בלא לחש "absque susurro", Pagniuus; "absque sibilo", Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather: “If a serpent without enchantment (i. e., not being enchanted) bites, then there is no advantage to the charmer”: i. e., if the charmer is unwisely slack in exercising his craft, he will be bitten like other people. See Psalms 58:4 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 10:11. The serpent will bite without enchantment — בלא לחש belo lachash, without hissing. As a snake may bite before it hiss, so also will the babbler, talkative person, or calumniator. Without directly speaking evil, he insinuates, by innuendoes, things injurious to the reputation of his neighbour. Gif the eddir bite in silence, noyhing lasse than he hath that privily backbiteth. - Old MS. Bible. "A babbler of his tongue is no better than a serpent that styngeth without hyssynge." - COVERDALE. The moral of this saying is simply this: A calumniator is as dangerous as a poisonous serpent; and from the envenomed tongue of slander and detraction no man is safe. The comparing the serpent, נחש nachash, to a babbler, has something singular in it. I have already supposed that the creature mentioned, Genesis 3:1, was of the genus simia. This has been ridiculed, but not disproved.


 
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