Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly. Exodus 30:34,35 And the Lord said to Moses: Take unto thee spices, stacte, and onycha, galbanum of sweet savour, and the clearest frankincense, all shall be of equal weight. . . . a little 2 Chronicles 19:2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer met him, and said to him: Thou helpest the ungodly, and thou art joined in friendship with them that hate the Lord, and therefore thou didst deserve indeed the wrath of the Lord: Nehemiah 6:13 For he had taken money, that I being afraid should do this thing, and sin, and they might have some evil to upbraid me withal. Nehemiah 13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin in this kind of thing: and surely among many nations, there was not a king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: and yet women of other countries brought even him to sin. Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing anymore but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. . . . Galatians 2:12-14 For before that some came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcision. . . . Context Wisdom and Folly1Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.2The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.… Cross References Exodus 30:25 And thou shalt make the holy oil of unction, an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer, Job 6:3 As the sand of the sea, this would appear heavier: therefore, my words are full of sorrow: Lexicon As deadמָ֔וֶת (mā·weṯ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin flies זְב֣וּבֵי (zə·ḇū·ḇê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's Hebrew 2070: A fly bring יַבִּ֖יעַ (yab·bî·a‘) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 5042: To gush forth, to utter, to emit a stench יַבְאִ֥ישׁ (yaḇ·’îš) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 887: To smell bad, to be offensive to the perfumer’s רוֹקֵ֑חַ (rō·w·qê·aḥ) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 7543: To mix or compound oil or ointment oil, שֶׁ֣מֶן (še·men) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's Hebrew 8081: Grease, liquid, richness so a little מְעָֽט׃ (mə·‘āṭ) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 4592: A little, fewness, a few folly סִכְל֥וּת (siḵ·lūṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's Hebrew 5531: Silliness outweighs יָקָ֛ר (yā·qār) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 3368: Precious, rare, splendid, weighty wisdom מֵחָכְמָ֥ה (mê·ḥā·ḵə·māh) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular Strong's Hebrew 2451: Wisdom and honor. מִכָּב֖וֹד (mik·kā·ḇō·wḏ) Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Strong's Hebrew 3519: Weight, splendor, copiousness Additional Translations As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking smell: so does a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor. Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor;'so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor. Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: and a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly. Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to stink [and] ferment; [so] a little folly is weightier than wisdom [and] honour. Dead flies cause the ointment of the perfumer to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour. Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth an offensive odor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor. Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor. Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom -- By reason of honour -- a little folly! Jump to Previous Apothecary Bad Cause Dead Evil Flies Folly Foolishness Forth Glory Great Honor Honour Little Odor Offensive Oil Ointment Outweigh Outweighs Perfume Perfumer Precious Putrid Reason Reputation Savour Stink Valued Weightier WisdomJump to Next Apothecary Bad Cause Dead Evil Flies Folly Foolishness Forth Glory Great Honor Honour Little Odor Offensive Oil Ointment Outweigh Outweighs Perfume Perfumer Precious Putrid Reason Reputation Savour Stink Valued Weightier WisdomExternal Links Ecclesiastes 10:1 NIVEcclesiastes 10:1 NLT Ecclesiastes 10:1 ESV Ecclesiastes 10:1 NASB Ecclesiastes 10:1 ASV Ecclesiastes 10:1 Bible Apps Ecclesiastes 10:1 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 10:1 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 10:1 French Bible Ecclesiastes 10:1 German Bible Alphabetical: a and As bad dead flies folly foolishness give honor is little make oil outweighs perfume perfumer's smell so stink than weightier wisdom OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:1 Dead flies cause the oil (Ecclesiast. 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