This chapter begins with Solomon restating the end of the previous chapter. We could as easily say one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. A lot of work and investment can be blown away by one idiot who slipped through the system and manifests his folly late in the game. The point being, in every endeavor, be ready for something to go wrong. Don’t be blinded by the brilliance of the plan or the enthusiasm of the team.
It’s not as if worldly wisdom is no good at all. God’s revelation doesn’t ignore the very real need for it. It improves your chances of doing the right thing. Solomon uses a figure of speech about the power and finesse of the figurative sword hand in battle, and how folly gets things backward. People will eventually betray their folly in some of the smallest things, such as walking down the road.
It’s fine to be all noble and offer to resign if you manage to disappoint your king, but both you and he will benefit if you simply show poise and patience. Be cynical, because many a king was impressed with some huckster who played to his ego, while the truly noble bore with dignity their lesser assignments. It’s better to be the latter in the long run.
Next, Solomon cites a list of common proverbs, showing wisdom does reduce human misery. Think about what you are doing; don’t blunder along in life. Don’t dig a pit where you travel often; you’ll forget and fall into it. Don’t break through barriers like a big he-man, when you have no idea what danger lurks on the other side. A quarryman knows better than to stand below active stone cutting, especially his own. Woodcutters know better than to cut off the limb on which they sit. A blunt edge makes for hard chopping. You get the picture; common wisdom usually saves time and lives. Charm the snake before it bites, which subtly implies how you handle people in authority.
Wise people tend to speak a lot less, while fools brag about all sorts of things they could never do. Fools pretend to know about things they have never seen, but when caught, they try to talk their way out of it. They don’t know when the shut up. Ever watch a fool lead the way to a place he’s never seen? He’ll wear himself out and end up farther away and lost.
It’s a pretty sad thing when some idiot inherits the throne. A primary symptom is when the royal household gets drunk before mid-morning. If the king’s family tends to be more circumspect, there’s hope. Don’t confuse caution with laziness. The latter fails to get even the simplest tasks done, leading to disaster later. It doesn’t require a stack of wise counselors in long consultation to decide to fix a roof leak. It’s pretty rough serving where the powerful know more about partying than actually ruling, and who think money is the solution to everything. Still, don’t get frustrated with it. Take it in stride; criticism serves no purpose. Don’t even trust your own self with such thoughts. You never know when someone of no significance would seek to curry their favor by betraying your confidence.
