Ecclesiastes 10:18

“By much slothfulness the building decayeth, etc.] Or, “by slothfulnesses”f251, The word is in the dual number, and so may signify the slothfulness of the hands, as Aben Ezra, of both hands, and of both feet; or the various kinds of slothfulness, as the Arabic version, slothfulness both of body and mind; or of all sorts of persons, superiors and inferiors, princes and subjects; and with respect to all things present and future: and, as through slothfulness a material building decays; or a “beam”, as the word signifies, the raftering of a house, the roof, which consists of rafters and beams joined together when the tiling is decayed by winds and rains, or any breaches made in the rafters, and…”

“building--literally, "the joining of the rafters," namely, the kingdom (Ecc 10:16; Isa 3:6; Amo 9:11). hands-- (Ecc 4:5; Pro 6:10). droppeth--By neglecting to repair the roof in time, the rain gets through.”

“Foolish rulers, by their weakness, self-indulgence and sloth, bring decay upon the state: nobleness and temperance insure prosperity: yet the subject must not rebel in word or thought against his king. Ecclesiastes 10:16 A child - Rather, young. The word is applied to Rehoboam 2 Chronicles 13:7 at the time of his accession to the throne, when he was 41 years old. Eat in the morning - A sign of intemperance (compare Isaiah 5:11). Ecclesiastes 10:17 Son of nobles - i. e., of a noble disposition. Ecclesiastes 10:18 The “building” or “house” represents the state. Compare Isaiah 3:6; Amos 9:10. Droppeth through - i. e., Lets the rain through the roof. Ecclesiastes 10:19 literally, For merriment…”

“10:18 Delay in repairing a roof leads to drooping rafters and eventually to the ruin of the home (see Prov 12:27; 20:4). Corruption in government has a similar effect (Eccl 10:15-16).”

“Pro 12:24, Pro 14:1, Pro 20:4, Pro 21:25, Pro 23:21, Pro 24:30, Pro 24:31; Heb 6:11; Pe2 1:5-10 Ecclesiastes 10:19”

“Since, now, Ecc 10:19 has only to do with princes, the following proverb of the consequences of sloth receives a particular reference in the frame of this mirror for princes: "Through being idle the roof falleth; and through laziness of the hands the house leaketh." Ewald, Redslob, Olsh., Hitz., and Frst, as already Aben Ezra, understand the dual עצל of the two idle hands, but a similar attribut. adject.-dual is not found in Heb.; on the contrary, ephraim, merathaim Jer 50:21, rish'athaim, and, in a certain measure, also riqmathaim, speak in favour of the intensification of the dual; 'atsaltaim is related to 'atslah, as Faulenzen being idle, living in idleness to Faulheit laziness, it means…”