Commentary - Ecclesiastes 10:8-11

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher continues his discourse on the nature of wisdom and folly, but he brings it down to the level of the shop floor. This is not abstract, philosophical wisdom for the ivory tower; this is workbench wisdom, calloused-hand wisdom. He gives us a series of proverbial statements that illustrate a central theme: life under the sun is shot through with peril, and diligent foresight, which is a key component of wisdom, is absolutely necessary. The world is not a padded room. It has sharp edges. Fools ignore this to their own ruin, while the wise pay attention. These verses are a string of commonsense observations about cause and effect, risk and reward, and the decided advantage that skill has over brute force.

The organizing principle here is the reality of unintended consequences. Whether you are digging a pit, breaking a wall, quarrying stone, or splitting logs, there is an inherent risk. The world is full of snakes, gravity, and the unyielding hardness of rock and wood. The Preacher is not counseling inaction or a fearful paralysis. Rather, he is commending a clear-eyed realism. The climax of the passage in verses 10 and 11 makes the point explicit. Wisdom is like sharpening your axe. It makes the work go better, safer, and more successfully. Folly is swinging a dull axe with all your might. And wisdom also knows about timing; it is no good to charm the snake after it has already bitten you. This is a call to practical, everyday godliness, which is simply another name for wisdom in action.

Outline

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.

The Preacher begins with two images of things going wrong. The first is digging a pit and falling into it yourself. This has the ring of poetic justice, and it is a common biblical trope. The man who sets a trap for his neighbor is often the one who gets caught in it (Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27). This speaks to the boomerang nature of sin and malice. When you introduce a hazard into the world with malicious intent, you have no guarantee that you will be able to control it. Sin is a serpent that often turns on its handler. But this is not just about malice. It is a general principle of the created order. When you alter your environment, you create new and sometimes unforeseen dangers. You dig a hole, you create a place where someone can fall. It might be you.

The second image is of breaking through a wall and being bitten by a serpent. Walls are places where snakes and other vermin like to hide. When you go about demolishing something, you can stir up trouble you did not know was there. This can apply to tearing down established customs, laws, or institutions. The revolutionary thinks he is clearing away old rubble to build his utopia, but he often just lets the snakes out. This is a conservative insight, grounded in a respect for the way things are. But again, it is also a practical observation. Demolition is dangerous work. You have to be careful. Both of these images remind us that our actions have consequences, and the world is not as predictable or safe as our pride would have us believe.

v. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.

Now the Preacher moves from actions that might have a hint of malice or recklessness to straightforward, honest labor. Quarrying stones and splitting logs were fundamental tasks in the ancient world, necessary for building and for warmth. This is the stuff of dominion, of subduing the earth. And yet, even here, there is danger. A stone can slip and crush a man's foot. A log can shift, or an axe can glance off and cause a grievous injury. The point is that the curse on the ground is real (Gen. 3:17-19). Work is good, a gift from God, but since the fall it is attended with sweat, thorns, thistles, and danger. This is not a reason to avoid work, but it is a reason to approach it with humility and care. It is a reminder that we are creatures, not the Creator. We are working with materials that are bigger, heavier, and harder than we are. We must respect the nature of the materials and the laws of physics that God has woven into His creation. Folly disregards this; wisdom pays close attention.

v. 10 If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

Here is the heart of the matter. The Preacher gives us a perfect illustration of the difference between wisdom and folly. You have a job to do, let's say chopping a cord of wood. The fool grabs the dull axe and just starts whaling away. He has to use more strength, he gets tired faster, the work is sloppy, and he is far more likely to hurt himself. He is all brawn and no brain. The wise man, on the other hand, takes the time to sharpen the axe first. That preparation may seem like a delay, but it makes the actual work far more efficient, effective, and safe. "Wisdom has the advantage of giving success." The Hebrew word for success here has the sense of a favorable outcome, of making something prosper. Wisdom is the skill of applying the right knowledge at the right time. It is knowing how to work with the grain of God's world, not against it. This applies to everything, from splitting logs to raising children to governing a nation. Brute force and frantic effort are the signs of folly. Skill, preparation, and intelligent application of effort are the marks of wisdom.

v. 11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no advantage for the charmer.

This final proverb drives home the importance of timing and preparedness. A snake charmer's skill is useless if he tries to apply it after the snake has already struck. The opportunity has been missed. The damage is done. Wisdom is not just about knowing what to do; it is about knowing when to do it. There is a time for preparation, for sharpening the axe, for charming the snake, and there is a time for action. The fool is always a day late and a dollar short. He is the one trying to buy oil for his lamp after the bridegroom has already arrived. He is the one trying to negotiate with the serpent coiled in his lap. Wisdom, on the other hand, anticipates. It looks ahead. It understands that certain dangers must be dealt with proactively. You cannot manage a crisis with the same tools you would use to prevent one. Once the snake has bitten, you are no longer dealing with charming, but with antivenom. And so it is in the spiritual life. We are to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matt. 10:16). We are to be alert and sober, because our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). The time to prepare for temptation is before it strikes. The time to learn the charmer's song is before you hear the hiss.

Application

The world is a dangerous place, but God has not left us without a guide. That guide is wisdom, which begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7). These verses from Ecclesiastes are intensely practical, and they call us to a life of attentive diligence. We are not to be fatalists, throwing up our hands because work is hard and dangerous. Nor are we to be presumptuous fools, rushing in where angels fear to tread, armed with nothing but a dull axe and a can-do attitude.

We are called to sharpen our axes. This means preparation. In our spiritual lives, this means prayer, study of the Word, and fellowship with the saints. We do not wait until the crisis hits to try and figure out what we believe. We sharpen the axe daily, so that when the time comes to chop, we are ready. It means we think before we act. We consider the consequences. We do not just break down walls without considering what might be living inside them.

And it means we respect the created order. God has made the world in a certain way. Stones are heavy. Snakes bite. Dull axes require more sweat. We are to learn these truths and live in accordance with them. This is humility. This is realism. And ultimately, this is faith. We trust that the God who made the world has also given us the wisdom to navigate it successfully. He has given us the ultimate wisdom in His Son, Jesus Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3). To live wisely is to live in Christ, applying His truth to every corner of our lives, from the quarry to the woodpile to the highest affairs of state.