Ecclesiastes 10:14

A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Ecclesiastes 10:14, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 10:14 in other translations

BSB	Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?
WEB	A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
ASV	A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
YLT	And the fool multiplieth words: ‘Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
DARBY	And the fool multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and what shall be after him, who will tell him?
BBE	The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
Webster	A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

What does Ecclesiastes 10:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

14. full of words--(Ec 5:2). a man cannot tell what shall be--(Ec 3:22; 6:12; 8:7; 11:2; Pr 27:1). If man, universally (including the wise man), cannot foresee the future, much less can the fool; his "many words" are therefore futile.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 14 A man cannot tell what shall be - A foolish babbling man will talk on every subject, though he can say as little on the past, as he can on the future.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10:11-15

There is a practice in the East, of charming serpents by music. The babbler's tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison; and contradiction only makes it the more violent. We must find the way to keep him gentle. But by rash, unprincipled, or slanderous talk, he brings open or secret vengeance upon himself. Would we duly consider our own ignorance as to future events, it would cut off many idle words which we…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 10:11-15 →

Ecclesiastes 10:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהַסָּכָ֖לve.ha.sa.Khaland the foolH5530

יַרְבֶּ֣הyar.Behhe multipliesH7235

דְבָרִ֑יםde.va.RimwordsH1697

לֹא\־lo'-notH3808

יֵדַ֤עye.Da'he knowsH3045

הָאָדָם֙ha.'a.Damthe personH120

מַה\־mah-what?H4100

שֶׁיִּֽהְיֶ֔הshei.yih.Yehthat <it> will beH1961

וַאֲשֶׁ֤רva.'a.Sherand whichH834

יִֽהְיֶה֙yih.Yehit will beH1961

מֵֽאַחֲרָ֔יוme.'a.cha.Ravfrom after himH310

מִ֖יmiwho?H4310

יַגִּ֥ידya.Gidwill he tellH5046

לֽוֹ\׃loto <the> him

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 10:14

Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Ecclesiastes 5:3
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.
James 4:13-14
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Ecclesiastes 8:7
For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
Ecclesiastes 3:22
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Ecclesiastes 6:12
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
Proverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Job 35:16
Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.
Job 34:37
For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

fool.
5:3; Pr 10:19; 15:2
is full of words. Heb. multiplieth words.
Job 34:37; 35:16
a man.
3:22; 6:12; 8:7; Jas 4:13,14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Ecclesiastes 10:13
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Ecclesiastes 10:14
A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
Ecclesiastes 10:15
The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 10

Ecclesiastes 10:14 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	El necio multiplica palabras: no sabe hombre lo que ha de ser; ¿y quién le hará saber lo que después de él será?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et l’insensé multiplie les paroles: l’homme ne sait pas ce qui arrivera; et ce qui sera après lui, qui le lui déclarera?
German Elberfelder 1871	Und der Tor macht viele Worte: doch weiß der Mensch nicht, was sein wird; und was nach ihm sein wird, wer wird es ihm kundtun?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit; et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?