Is it in the Bible?
Is “A fly in the ointment” in the Bible?
Yes. “A fly in the ointment” comes from the Bible, from Ecclesiastes 10:1. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes says it. Tradition names him as Solomon.
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The answer
Where it is, and what it means there.
From the Bible
Yes. It comes from the Bible.
The verse is Ecclesiastes 10:1.
The Teacher of Ecclesiastes says it. Tradition names him as Solomon.
The verse
Dead flies make the perfumer’s oil stink and ferment; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 · open the chapter →
What it means there
A few dead flies spoil a whole jar of perfume. In the same way a little folly can outweigh a lot of wisdom. Today it means one small flaw that spoils something good.
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Plain answers.
Is “A fly in the ointment” in the Bible?
Yes. “A fly in the ointment” comes from the Bible, from Ecclesiastes 10:1. The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes says it. Tradition names him as Solomon.
Where in the Bible is “A fly in the ointment”?
In Ecclesiastes 10:1. In the Lumin Translation, Ecclesiastes 10:1 reads: “Dead flies make the perfumer’s oil stink and ferment; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.”
Who said “A fly in the ointment”?
The Teacher of Ecclesiastes says it. Tradition names him as Solomon.
What does “A fly in the ointment” mean in the Bible?
A few dead flies spoil a whole jar of perfume. In the same way a little folly can outweigh a lot of wisdom. Today it means one small flaw that spoils something good.
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