Commentary - Ecclesiastes 10:5-7

Bird's-eye view

The Preacher, Solomon, continues his inspired examination of life "under the sun." Having established that all is vanity, a chasing after the wind, he now provides us with a specific and potent example of this vanity in the realm of civic and social order. These verses are not a standalone complaint about political mismanagement, but rather a sharp illustration of a world gone haywire because of sin. When folly is promoted and wisdom is debased, the result is a society turned upside down. This is not just an unfortunate slip-up; it is a picture of the world in rebellion against the fixed order of the Creator. Solomon is showing us that the consequences of the fall are not just spiritual; they are intensely practical and visible in our halls of power and on our public roads.

This passage diagnoses a sickness. It is the kind of topsy-turvy reality that arises when men forget God. The ruler makes a grievous error, fools are given high position, and the worthy are humbled. This is more than just bad luck; it is a portrait of a world suffering under the curse. But for the believer, this is not a counsel of despair. It is a call to recognize the deep need for redemption, a redemption that not only saves our souls but will one day restore the created order itself. We see the problem here so that we might long for the solution, which is found only in the perfect rule and reign of Jesus Christ, the true King who puts all things right.

Outline

Context In Ecclesiastes

This section of Ecclesiastes 10 follows a series of proverbs contrasting wisdom and folly. Chapter 10 begins with the memorable image of dead flies making a perfumer's ointment stink, illustrating how a little folly can ruin a reputation for wisdom. The verses that follow continue this theme, showing the practical, real-world consequences of foolishness, especially in leadership. Our passage (vv. 5-7) serves as a climactic example of this principle. It moves from the general danger of folly to a specific, observable political and social breakdown. It is what happens when the principles of wisdom are ignored at the highest levels. This is not just a random observation but a carefully placed illustration within Solomon's broader argument that life under the sun, apart from the fear of God, is fundamentally disordered and absurd.

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake which goes forth from the one in power,

Solomon begins with his customary observational standpoint: "I have seen." This is not abstract philosophy; it is empirical evidence gathered from the laboratory of human experience. And what he sees is an "evil." The word here is not just about something unpleasant; it points to a genuine malignancy, a corruption in the system. He sees this evil "under the sun," his recurring phrase for the fallen world, the world considered apart from divine revelation and redemption. It is a world where things go wrong.

He then qualifies this evil. It is "like a mistake which goes forth from the one in power." The word for mistake carries the sense of an error, a blunder, but given the context, it is a catastrophic one. This is not a minor slip. This is the kind of error that has far-reaching consequences precisely because of its source: the ruler. When the man at the top makes a blunder, it doesn't just affect him. The error "goes forth," radiating outward and disordering everything it touches. This is a foundational principle of headship. Whether in a family, a church, or a nation, the health of the whole is tied to the wisdom of the head. When the head is foolish, the whole body politic suffers.

v. 6 folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places.

Here is the substance of the ruler's error. This is what the mistake looks like in practice. "Folly is set in many exalted places." The Hebrew word for folly denotes a thick-headed, arrogant stupidity. And this is not just tolerated; it is actively "set" or "placed" in positions of honor and authority. The ruler has taken what is base and has elevated it. He has promoted the unqualified, the foolish, the buffoons, and given them seats at the policy-making table. This is the essence of civic decay. It is when a nation loses the ability to distinguish between wisdom and folly, or worse, begins to prefer the latter.

The corresponding tragedy is that "rich men sit in humble places." In the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, "rich" is often used as a synonym for the worthy, the noble, the capable. These are not necessarily just men with money, but men of substance, character, and wisdom. And where are they? They are sitting "in humble places." They have been overlooked, demoted, or pushed aside to make room for the fools. The natural order has been inverted. Competence is demoted, and incompetence is promoted. This is a society that has declared war on reality, and it is a war it will certainly lose.

v. 7 I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

Solomon now gives us a vivid, almost cinematic, image of this social inversion. "I have seen slaves riding on horses." In the ancient world, horses were a symbol of wealth, power, and nobility. They were the transportation of kings and military commanders. To see a slave, one who is by definition at the bottom of the social ladder, riding on a horse is a shocking sight. It signifies a complete breakdown of social order and propriety.

And the flip side is just as jarring: "princes walking like slaves on the land." The princes, the natural leaders, the ones who should be on horseback, are now trudging in the dust like common servants. They are on foot, humbled and stripped of their dignity and station. This is not an argument for a rigid, unchangeable class system. It is a graphic depiction of what happens when merit, wisdom, and God-ordained station are disregarded in favor of folly. It is a world turned upside down, a world where the markers of authority and competence have been completely scrambled. This is the end result of the ruler's "mistake." It is a society in chaos, a society that has lost its moorings because it has lost its reverence for the God who is the author of all true order.

Application

So what are we to do with this bleak picture? First, we must recognize it. We live in a world where this very evil is rampant. We see folly exalted in our own corridors of power. We see men of substance and principle sidelined. We should not be surprised by this; we are living "under the sun." This is what the fall looks like. To pretend otherwise is to be naive.

Second, this should drive us to wisdom. If folly in a ruler can cause this much chaos, then we should be a people who cultivate wisdom in our own lives, our families, and our churches. We are to be the people who still know the difference between a prince and a slave, between wisdom and folly, and who honor what God honors, regardless of what the broader culture is doing.

Finally, and most importantly, this passage should make us long for the true King. The problem of the foolish ruler is ultimately solved by the perfectly wise King, Jesus Christ. He is the one who will put the world to rights. In His kingdom, there are no such errors. Folly is not exalted; it is judged. The worthy are not humbled; they are seated with Him in the heavenly places. The great social inversion described by Solomon is a twisted parody of the Great Reversal of the gospel, where the proud are brought low and the humble are exalted. But in Christ, this reversal is according to perfect justice and wisdom. He takes slaves to sin and makes them princes. He takes the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He does this not by mistake, but by divine design, to the glory of His grace. Our world is full of foolish rulers, but we serve the King of Kings, and in His government, there is no end of peace and justice.