What Does Ecclesiastes 10:15 Mean?

The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them (עֲמַל הַכְּסִילִים תְּיַגְּעֶנּוּ, amal hakseilim teyagge'ennu)—'the toil of fools wearies him,' from yaga (to be weary, exhausted, spent). Because he knoweth not how to go to the city (אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַע לָלֶכֶת אֶל־עִיר, asher lo-yada lalekhet el-ir)—literally 'for he knows not to go to the city,' possibly meaning he lacks basic navigational knowledge or can't find the most basic destinations.

This proverb captures folly's futility: the fool exhausts himself through misdirected effort because he lacks fundamental orientation. The phrase 'how to go to the city' likely means basic competence—knowing the way to the central, obvious destination. In ancient agrarian society, 'the city' (ir) represented commerce, governance, civilization itself—not knowing the way there suggests profound incompetence. Alternatively, it may be metaphorical: lacking direction toward life's proper goal. Jesus used similar imagery: 'Enter by the narrow gate... the way is easy that leads to destruction' (Matthew 7:13-14). The fool labors vigorously but toward wrong ends, achieving exhaustion without accomplishment. Proverbs 10:23 states, 'Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.'