Bible Strands
Ecclesiastes 4:5
The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The Teacher addresses a general audience in Ecclesiastes, placing this observation between two reflections on the futility of competitive labor and the value of quiet contentment.
The words — The Hebrew חֹבֵק (cho.Vek) means "is folding," and בְּשָׂרוֹ (be.sa.R/o) translates literally to "his own flesh."
The thread — The motif of idle hands appears in Proverbs 6:10, while the image of consumption without satisfaction echoes Isaiah 9:20 and Proverbs 13:4.
Why it lands — The text states that the fool's inactivity actively consumes his own vitality. It asks the reader to recognize that idleness produces self-destruction rather than sustenance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 6:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
- Isaiah 9:20 They carve out what is on the right, but they are still hungry; they eat what is on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring.
- Proverbs 13:4 The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.
- Job 13:14 Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands?
- Proverbs 20:4 The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.
- Proverbs 11:17 A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.
- Proverbs 12:27 A lazy man does not roast his game, but a diligent man prizes his possession.
- Proverbs 24:33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,