Lexical Summary sikluth: Folly, foolishness Original Word: סִכְלוּת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance folly, foolishness Or sikluwth (Eccl. 1:17) {sik-looth'}; from cakal; silliness -- folly, foolishness. see HEBREW cakal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sakal Definition folly NASB Translation folly (5), foolishness (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs סִכְלוּת, שִׂכְלוּת noun feminine folly; — ׳ס Ecclesiastes 2:3,12,13; Ecclesiastes 7:25; Ecclesiastes 10:1,13; ׳שׁ Ecclesiastes 1:17 (שׂ erroneously for ס). שִׂכְלוּת Ecclesiastes 1:17 see סִכְלוּת. Topical Lexicon Conceptual Overviewסִכְלוּת denotes practiced, observable folly—conduct and outlook that run counter to godly wisdom. It is not mere lack of information but an active, self-confident orientation that renders the heart unreceptive to truth. In Ecclesiastes it serves as Solomon’s foil for wisdom, illustrating the emptiness of life lived without reference to God. Canonical Habitat The noun appears seven times, all in Ecclesiastes (1:17; 2:3; 2:12; 2:13; 7:25; 10:1; 10:13). The confinement to this book is significant: Ecclesiastes, a meditation on life “under the sun,” probes every human pursuit and judges it by its capacity to endure before God. By concentrating סִכְלוּת here, the Spirit underscores folly as a recurring, inevitable reality in a fallen world. Key Texts and Theological Trajectory Ecclesiastes 1:17: “So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.” Solomon’s deliberate investigation shows that even the analysis of folly—when divorced from fear of God—cannot satisfy. Intellectual curiosity alone proves transitory. Ecclesiastes 2:13: “I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness.” Wisdom is superior, yet the very need for comparison exposes the pervasiveness of folly. In a sin-marred world, wisdom must always contend with its antithesis. Ecclesiastes 7:25: “I turned my heart to know wisdom and to observe—to search out wisdom and explanation, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.” Folly here is intertwined with wickedness; moral rebellion and intellectual perversity reinforce each other. Ecclesiastes 10:1: “As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.” Even a small outbreak of סִכְלוּת can neutralize a reputation painstakingly built, illustrating folly’s disproportionate destructive power. Ecclesiastes 10:13: “The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly, and the end of his talk is wicked madness.” Folly, if unchecked, progresses toward moral insanity, confirming the biblical pattern that sin intensifies when unrepented. Historical and Cultural Resonance In ancient Israel, wisdom literature functioned as covenant instruction, shaping the people to walk in the fear of the LORD. Folly, therefore, was not merely social embarrassment but covenant breach. The royal court—where Ecclesiastes likely took shape—demanded prudence for national stability; any presence of folly in leadership threatened communal well-being (compare Proverbs 14:34). Solomon’s reflections carry this political backdrop: a kingdom’s destiny hinges on whether its rulers embrace wisdom or succumb to folly (Ecclesiastes 10:5-7). Inter-Biblical Connections 1. Proverbs often uses different Hebrew terms for “folly,” but the conceptual overlap is clear: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes” (Proverbs 12:15). Both books portray folly as self-assurance apart from divine counsel. Pastoral and Discipleship Implications • Vigilance: Ecclesiastes 10:1 warns church leaders that a single unguarded moment can erode years of faithful service. Homiletical Suggestions 1. “The Little Fly in the Ointment” (Ecclesiastes 10:1): a sermon illustrating how minor compromises corrupt godly fragrance. Conclusion סִכְלוּת unmasks the hollowness of life detached from God. Ecclesiastes pictures it as pervasive, seductive, and ruinous—yet ultimately outshone by wisdom that begins with the fear of the LORD and culminates in the person of Jesus Christ, “our wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Forms and Transliterations בְּסִכְל֔וּת בסכלות הַסִּכְל֑וּת הסכלות וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת וְסִכְל֑וּת וְשִׂכְל֑וּת והסכלות וסכלות ושכלות סִכְל֑וּת סִכְל֥וּת סכלות bə·siḵ·lūṯ besichLut bəsiḵlūṯ has·siḵ·lūṯ hassichLut hassiḵlūṯ sichLut siḵ·lūṯ siḵlūṯ vehassichLut vesichLut wə·has·siḵ·lūṯ wə·siḵ·lūṯ wə·śiḵ·lūṯ wəhassiḵlūṯ wəsiḵlūṯ wəśiḵlūṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ecclesiastes 1:17 HEB: וְדַ֥עַת הוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְשִׂכְל֑וּת יָדַ֕עְתִּי שֶׁגַּם־ NAS: madness and folly; I realized KJV: madness and folly: I perceived INT: know madness and folly realized also Ecclesiastes 2:3 Ecclesiastes 2:12 Ecclesiastes 2:13 Ecclesiastes 7:25 Ecclesiastes 10:1 Ecclesiastes 10:13 7 Occurrences |