Ecclesiastes 10:18 Meaning and Explanation
“By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Neglect quietly ruins what it touches: through laziness a building sags and the roof of a house begins to leak.
What Does Ecclesiastes 10:18 Mean?
The Preacher offers a homely proverb about a house left untended. Slothfulness lets the structure decay, and idle hands allow the roof to drip and fail. The damage is not sudden disaster but slow ruin through simple neglect.
The picture warns against the quiet danger of doing nothing. What we fail to maintain slowly falls apart, whether a roof, a relationship, or the life of the soul. Faithful, steady diligence preserves what carelessness would lose. This commends the small daily labors of care, by which God keeps our households and our hearts in good repair.
Ecclesiastes 10:18 in the Original Language
atsaltayim (עַצְלָתַיִם), 'slothfulness' -- a doubled form stressing deep, settled laziness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecclesiastes 10:18
What does Ecclesiastes 10:18 mean?
Neglect quietly ruins what it touches: through laziness a building sags and the roof of a house begins to leak.