Charles Ellicott Commentary Ecclesiastes 10

At his right hand. —Perhaps better, towards his right hand, i.e., leads him to go to the right hand. The thought is the same as Ecclesiastes 2:13, namely, that though the actual results of wisdom are often disappointing, the superiority of wisdom over folly is undeniable.

That he is a fool. —In Hebrew, as in English, the antecedent of “he” may be taken differently, and so the Vulgate and other authorities understand the verse as meaning that the fool in his self-conceit attributes folly to everyone else. But it is better, as well as more obvious, to understand the verse as describing the self-betrayal of the fool (Proverbs 13:16; Proverbs 17:28; Proverbs 18:2).

We return now to the thought of Ecclesiastes 8:3. For “spirit” in the sense of “anger,” see Judges 8:3.

Rise up.—Psalms 78:21; 2 Samuel 11:20.

Yielding.—Literally, healing. (See Proverbs 15:4.)

Pacifies great offences.—Rather, probably, quiets great offences, that is to say, not so much “puts an end to the offence felt by the ruler,” but rather the offences likely to be committed if he does not restrain himself.

Error.— The word is the same as at Ecclesiastes 10:6.

Considering that the importation of horses was a new thing in the reign of Solomon, we look on it as a mark of a later age that a noble should think himself dishonoured by having to go on foot while his inferiors rode on horseback.