The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 10:13 Explained

Ecclesiastes 10:13

KJV: The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

YLT: The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly, And the latter end of his mouth Is mischievous madness.

Darby: The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

ASV: The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The beginning  of the words  of his mouth  [is] foolishness:  and the end  of his talk  [is] mischievous  madness. 

What does Ecclesiastes 10:13 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 10

1  observations of wisdom and folly
7  death in life
9  and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 10:13 mean?

Begin with the words of his mouth foolishness and the end of his talk [is] madness raving
תְּחִלַּ֥ת דִּבְרֵי־ פִ֖יהוּ סִכְל֑וּת וְאַחֲרִ֣ית פִּ֔יהוּ הוֹלֵל֖וּת רָעָֽה

תְּחִלַּ֥ת  Begin  with 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תְּחִלָּה  
Sense: beginning, first.
דִּבְרֵי־  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
פִ֖יהוּ  of  his  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
סִכְל֑וּת  foolishness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִכְלוּת 
Sense: folly, foolishness.
וְאַחֲרִ֣ית  and  the  end 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אַחֲרִית  
Sense: after part, end.
פִּ֔יהוּ  of  his  talk  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
הוֹלֵל֖וּת  madness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: הֹולֵלוּת  
Sense: madness.
רָעָֽה  raving 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.