Translations
KJVPrimary
King James VersionDead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
F.O.G.Secondary
The F.O.GFlies of death make the perfumer's oil reek and ferment — so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honour alike.
F.O.G.M.
F.O.G MessageDead flies corrupt the perfumer's finest oil — one small, rotting thing ruins everything. Just so, a little folly can outweigh a great deal of wisdom and honor.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleAs dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Footnotes
The Hebrew זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת is literally "flies of death," not simply dead flies — the genitive construction gives these insects a more ominous, death-associated character. Two verbs follow together: יַבְאִישׁ יַבִּיעַ, meaning "causes to stink and to ferment/bubble," suggesting active, spreading corruption rather than passive decay; F.O.G renders both verbs ("reek and ferment") to honour the dual image, while F.O.G Message condenses to "corrupt" to foreground the theological point. The closing word יָקָר ("precious, weighty, costly") adds dark irony — folly does not merely equal wisdom, it outweighs it, the way a flyblown jar spoils the whole batch.
