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Ecclesiastes 10

Eccl. 10:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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1
Dead
maveth (Hebrew #4194)
death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin
KJV usage: (be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d).
Pronounce: maw'-veth
Origin: from 4191
μflies
zbuwb (Hebrew #2070)
a fly (especially one of a stinging nature)
KJV usage: fly.
Pronounce: zeb-oob'
Origin: from an unused root (meaning to flit)
cause the ointment
shemen (Hebrew #8081)
grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richness
KJV usage: anointing, X fat (things), X fruitful, oil((-ed)), ointment, olive, + pine.
Pronounce: sheh'-men
Origin: from 8080
of the apothecary
raqach (Hebrew #7543)
to perfume
KJV usage: apothecary, compound, make (ointment), prepare, spice.
Pronounce: raw-kakh'
Origin: a primitive root
to send forth
naba` (Hebrew #5042)
to gush forth; figuratively, to utter (good or bad words); specifically, to emit (a foul odor)
KJV usage: belch out, flowing, pour out, send forth, utter (abundantly).
Pronounce: naw-bah'
Origin: a primitive root
a stinking savor
ba'ash (Hebrew #887)
to smell bad; figuratively, to be offensive morally
KJV usage: (make to) be abhorred (had in abomination, loathsome, odious), (cause a, make to) stink(-ing savour), X utterly.
Pronounce: baw-ash'
Origin: a primitive root
: sob doth a little
m`at (Hebrew #4592)
from 4591; a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)
KJV usage: almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, X very.
Pronounce: meh-at'
Origin: or miat {meh-awt'}
folly
cikluwth (Hebrew #5531)
from 5528; silliness
KJV usage: folly, foolishness.
Pronounce: sik-looth'
Origin: or sikluwth (Eccl. 1:17) {sik-looth'}
him that is in reputation
yaqar (Hebrew #3368)
from 3365; valuable (obj. or subj.): --brightness, clear, costly, excellent, fat, honourable women, precious, reputation.
Pronounce: yaw-kawr'
for wisdom
chokmah (Hebrew #2451)
wisdom (in a good sense)
KJV usage: skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.
Pronounce: khok-maw'
Origin: from 2449
and honor
kabowd (Hebrew #3519)
from 3513; properly, weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness
KJV usage: glorious(-ly), glory, honour(-able).
Pronounce: kaw-bode'
Origin: rarely kabod {kaw-bode'}
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μ
flies of death.
b
Matt. 5:13• 13*Ye* are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have become insipid, wherewith shall it be salted? It is no longer fit for anything but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot by men. (Matt. 5:13)

More on:

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Apothecary,
Fly,
Ointment

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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1-15:  Observations of wisdom and folly;
16-17:  of riot;
18:  slothfulness;
19:  and money.
20:  Men's thoughts of kings ought to be reverent.
Dead flies.
Heb. Flies of death.
the ointment
Ex. 30:34‑35• 34And Jehovah said to Moses, Take fragrant drugs--stacte, and onycha, and galbanum--fragrant drugs and pure frankincense; in like proportions shall it be.
 35And thou shalt make it into incense, a perfume, after the work of the perfumer, salted, pure, holy. (Ex. 30:34‑35)
a little.
2 Chron. 19:2• 2And Jehu the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate Jehovah? Therefore is wrath upon thee from Jehovah. (2 Chron. 19:2)
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Neh. 6:13• 13Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have wherewith to spread an evil report, that they might reproach me. (Neh. 6:13)
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Neh. 13:26• 26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among the many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; but even him did foreign wives cause to sin. (Neh. 13:26)
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Matt. 5:13‑16• 13*Ye* are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have become insipid, wherewith shall it be salted? It is no longer fit for anything but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot by men.
 14*Ye* are the light of the world: a city situated on the top of a mountain cannot be hid.
 15Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but upon the lamp-stand, and it shines for all who are in the house.
 16Let your light thus shine before men, so that they may see your upright works, and glorify your Father who is in the heavens. (Matt. 5:13‑16)
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Gal. 2:12‑14• 12for before that certain came from James, he ate with those of the nations; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision;
 13and the rest of the Jews also played the same dissembling part with him; so that even Barnabas was carried away too by their dissimulation.
 14But when I saw that they do not walk straightforwardly, according to the truth of the glad tidings, I said to Peter before all, If *thou*, being a Jew, livest as the nations and not as the Jews, how dost thou compel the nations to Judaize? (Gal. 2:12‑14)
• {Ch.10} The climax of Ecclesiastes’ exercises seems to have been reached in the previous chapter. The passionate storm is over, and now his thoughts ripple quietly along in proverb and wise saying. It is as if he said “I was altogether beyond my depth. Now I will confine myself only to the present life, without touching on the things unseen, and here I can pronounce with assurance the conclusion of wisdom, and sum up both its advantages and yet inadequacy.” (“Ecclesiastes 10” by F.C. Jennings)
• He shows, in effect, that, take any view of life, and practically wisdom has manifold advantages. (“Ecclesiastes 10” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

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1
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to stink and ferment; so a little folly is weightier than wisdom and honourd.

JND Translation Notes

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d
Or "[so doth] a little folly [for] him who is esteemed for wisdom and honour."