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Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 10:6

He has set the fool in many high places, || And the rich sits in a low place.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Rulers;   The Topic Concordance - Evil;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Dignities;   Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 20;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The fool is appointed to great heights,but the rich remain in lowly positions.
Hebrew Names Version
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
King James Version
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
English Standard Version
folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.
New American Standard Bible
foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places.
New Century Version
Fools are given important positions while gifted people are given lower ones;
Amplified Bible
folly is set in many exalted places and in great dignity while the rich sit in humble places.
World English Bible
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Follie is set in great excellencie, and the riche set in the lowe place.
Legacy Standard Bible
folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places.
Berean Standard Bible
Folly is appointed to great heights, but the rich sit in lowly positions.
Contemporary English Version
They honor fools, but dishonor the rich;
Complete Jewish Bible
fools are promoted to high positions, while the rich occupy humble places.
Darby Translation
folly is set in great dignities, but the rich sit in a low place.
Easy-to-Read Version
Fools are given important positions, while the rich get jobs that are not important.
George Lamsa Translation
The fool is set in high and powerful places, and the rich shall sit in a low place.
Good News Translation
Stupid people are given positions of authority while the rich are ignored.
Lexham English Bible
The fool is set in many high places, but the rich sit in lowly places.
Literal Translation
folly is set in many high positions , and many rich men sit in low situations .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
in yt a foole sytteth in greate dignite, & the rich are sett downe beneth:
American Standard Version
folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
Bible in Basic English
The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Folly is set on great heights, and the rich sit in low place.
King James Version (1611)
Folly is set in great dignitie; and the rich sit in lowe place.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
in that a foole sitteth in great dignitie, and the riche are set downe beneath.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
English Revised Version
folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and riche men sitte bynethe.
Update Bible Version
folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
Webster's Bible Translation
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
New English Translation
Fools are placed in many positions of authority, while wealthy men sit in lowly positions.
New King James Version
Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place.
New Living Translation
when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth.
New Life Bible
Fools are put in many places of honor, while rich men sit in places that are not important.
New Revised Standard
folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Folly placed in great dignity, - while, the rich, in a low place, took their seat:
Douay-Rheims Bible
A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.
Revised Standard Version
folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.
Young's Literal Translation
He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places.

Contextual Overview

4If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, || For yielding quiets great sinners. 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, || As ignorance that goes out from the ruler, 6He has set the fool in many high places, || And the rich sits in a low place.7I have seen servants on horses, || And princes walking as servants on the earth. 8Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, || And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him. 9Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, || Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them. 10If the iron has been blunt, || And he has not sharpened the face, || Then he increases strength, || And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right. 11If the serpent bites without enchantment, || Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Folly: Judges 9:14-20, 1 Kings 12:13, 1 Kings 12:14, Esther 3:1, Psalms 12:8, Proverbs 28:12, Proverbs 28:28

dignity: Heb. heights

the rich: James 2:3-5

Reciprocal: Proverbs 14:29 - exalteth Ecclesiastes 10:17 - when 2 Peter 2:10 - to speak

Cross-References

Genesis 9:22
And Ham, father of Canaan, sees the nakedness of his father, and declares to his two brothers outside.
Genesis 10:8
And Cush has begotten Nimrod;
Genesis 10:16
and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,
1 Chronicles 4:40
and they find pasture, fat and good, and the land broad of sides, and quiet, and safe, for those dwelling there before are of Ham.
Psalms 78:51
And He strikes every firstborn in Egypt, || The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.
Psalms 105:23
And Israel comes into Egypt, || And Jacob has sojourned in the land of Ham.
Psalms 105:27
They have set among them the matters of His signs, || And wonders in the land of Ham.
Psalms 106:22
Of wonderful things in the land of Ham, || Of fearful things by the Sea of Suph.
Isaiah 11:11
And it has come to pass in that day, || The Lord adds His power a second time, || To get the remnant of His people that is left, || From Asshur, and from Egypt, || And from Pathros, and from Cush, || And from Elam, and from Shinar, || And from Hamath, and from islands of the sea,
Jeremiah 46:9
Go up, you horses; and boast yourselves, you chariots, || And go forth, you mighty, || Cush and Phut handling the shield, || And Lud handling—treading the bow.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Folly is set in great dignity,.... Or "in great heights" q; in high places of honour and truest; even foolish and wicked men; men of poor extraction, of low life, and of mean abilities and capacities; and, which is worse, men vile and vicious, as Doeg the Edomite, Haman the Amalekite, and others;

and the rich sit in low places; men not only of fortune and estates, and above doing mean and little actions, and so more fit for such high places; but men rich in wisdom and knowledge, of large capacities and of great endowments of mind, and so abundantly qualified for posts in the administration of government; and, above all, men rich in grace, fearing God, and hating coveteousness, as rulers ought to be, Exodus 18:21; and yet these sometimes are neglected, live in obscurity, who might otherwise be very useful in public life. The Targum interprets this and the following verse of the Israelites in exile and poverty among the Gentiles for their sins; so Jarchi.

q במרומים רבים εν υψεσι μεγαλοις, Sept. "in celsitudinibus amplis", Piscator, Amama, Gejerus; "in sublimitatibus amplis", Cocceius; "in altitudinibus magnis", Rambachius; "in great height", Broughton.

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.


 
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