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“Dead Flies in the Perfume”: The Disruptive Power of Minimal Folly in Ecclesiastes 10:1
זְב֣וּבֵי מָ֔וֶת יַבְאִ֥ישׁ יַבִּ֖יעַ שֶׁ֣מֶן רֹוקֵ֑חַ יָקָ֛ר מֵחָכְמָ֥ה מִכָּבֹ֖וד סִכְל֥וּת מְעָֽט׃
(Ecclesiastes 10:1)
Dead flies cause the perfumer’s oil to stink and ferment; a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Wisdom Spoiled by a Whisper of Folly
This verse opens the tenth chapter of Ecclesiastes with a powerful metaphor: זְב֣וּבֵי מָ֔וֶת יַבְאִ֥ישׁ יַבִּ֖יעַ שֶׁ֣מֶן רֹוקֵ֑חַ—“Dead flies make the perfumer’s oil stink.” What follows is a moral insight: a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. The contrast is stark and deliberate: tiny elements, when misplaced, can destroy that which is refined and valuable.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 10:1
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