Ecclesiastes 10:7

Green's Literal Translation

I have seen slaves on horses, and rulers walking as slaves on the earth.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have seen slaves on horses,but princes walking on the ground like slaves.

Hebrew Names Version
I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the eretz.

King James Version
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

English Standard Version
I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

New American Standard Bible
I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

New Century Version
I have seen servants ride horses while princes walk like servants on foot.

Amplified Bible
I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the ground.

World English Bible
I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue seene seruants on horses, and princes walking as seruants on the ground.

Legacy Standard Bible
I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

Berean Standard Bible
I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.

Contemporary English Version
they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.

Complete Jewish Bible
I have seen servants riding horses, while princes walk on foot like slaves.

Darby Translation
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

Easy-to-Read Version
I have seen servants riding on horses, while rulers were walking beside them like slaves.

George Lamsa Translation
I have seen servants riding upon horses, and princes walking like servants on the ground.

Good News Translation
I have seen slaves on horseback while noblemen go on foot like slaves.

Lexham English Bible
I have even seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the earth!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I se seruauntes ryde vpon horses, & prynces goinge vpon their fete as it were seruauntes.

American Standard Version
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking like servants upon the earth.

Bible in Basic English
I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

King James Version (1611)
I haue seene seruants vpon horses, and princes walking as seruants vpon the earth.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I haue seene seruauntes ride vpon horses, and princes goyng vpon their feete as it were seruauntes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.

English Revised Version
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe.

Update Bible Version
I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking like slaves on the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

New English Translation
I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking on foot like slaves.

New King James Version
I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.

New Living Translation
I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!

New Life Bible
I have seen servants riding on horses, and princes walking like servants on the land.

New Revised Standard
I have seen slaves on horseback, and princes walking on foot like slaves.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I had seen, servants, upon horses, - and, rulers, walking like servants, on the ground.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.

Revised Standard Version
I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on foot like slaves.

Young's Literal Translation
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

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

Proverbs 19:10, Proverbs 30:22

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 15:17 - went forth Nehemiah 2:10 - the servant Ecclesiastes 10:17 - when Isaiah 23:7 - her own 2 Peter 2:10 - to speak

Cross-References

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first was Pishon; it is the one surrounding all the land of Havilah where gold is ;

1 Kings 10:1
And the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon as to the name of Jehovah, and she came to test him with hard questions.

Psalms 72:10
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Isaiah 21:13
The burden of Arabia: You shall stay in the forest of Arabia, travelers of Dedanites.

Ezekiel 27:15
The sons of Dedan were your merchants, many coast lands were the traffic of your hand. Tusks of ivory and ebony they brought as your gift.

Ezekiel 27:22
The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants; with the chief of all the spices, and with every precious stone and gold, they gave for your wares.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I have seen servants upon horses,.... Which being scarce in Judea, were only rode upon by princes and great personages, or such as were in affluent circumstances; and therefore it was an unusual and disagreeable sight to see servants upon them, which was a token of their being advanced upon the ruin and destruction of their masters; a reigning servant is not only uncomely, but one of the things by which the earth is disquieted, and it cannot bear, Proverbs 30:21; the Parthians and Persians distinguished their nobles and the vulgar, freemen and servants, by this; the servants went on foot, and the freemen rode on horses r;

and princes walking as servants upon the earth; degraded from their honour; banished from their thrones and palaces, or obliged to leave them, and reduced to the lowest state and condition: so David, when his son rebelled against him, and he was forced to flee from him, and walk on foot, 2 Samuel 15:30; Alshech thinks it may be a prophecy of the captivity of Israel, when they walked as servants on the earth, and the Gentiles rode on horses.

r Justin. e Trogo, l. 41. c. 3. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 5. c. 19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The “evil” of Ecclesiastes 10:5 is here specified as that caprice of a king by which an unworthy favorite of low origin is promoted to successive dignities, while a noble person is degraded or neglected.