# Is “A fly in the ointment” in the Bible?

> Yes. “A fly in the ointment” comes from the Bible, from Ecclesiastes 10:1.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-fly-in-the-ointment
By Andrew Kittridge · November 9, 2026

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](https://www.lumin.faith/read/ecclesiastes/10#1) (Lumin Translation)

The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse.

## 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.

## Common questions

### 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.

## More

- [Is “A house divided against itself cannot stand” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-house-divided-against-itself-cannot-stand.md)
- [Is “A labor of love” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-labor-of-love.md)
- [Is “Live by the sword, die by the sword” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/live-by-the-sword-die-by-the-sword.md)
- [Is “Man does not live by bread alone” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/man-does-not-live-by-bread-alone.md)
- [Is “Out of the mouths of babes” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/out-of-the-mouths-of-babes.md)
- [Is “The salt of the earth” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-salt-of-the-earth.md)
- [Is “The straight and narrow” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-straight-and-narrow.md)
- [Is “Train up a child in the way he should go” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/train-up-a-child-in-the-way-he-should-go.md)
- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)