על הלוחש לנחש ועל הנחש אשר אין לו נחש: למשמעות הצירוף 'בעל הלשון' בקהלת י, יא

The Bible regarded expertise in the mysteries of enchantment as a quality attribute of wisdom. Masters of magic were called "wise" (Gen 41:8; Exod 7:11; Dan 2:13, 27) and admired even in polemical texts against idolatrous practices (Isa 44:25; 47:9—13). In light of this evaluation, the juxtaposition of the saying in Eccl 10:11, 'If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer' (NRSV) to certain routinely dangerous activities listed in vss. 8—10 is surprising. This article attempts to connect the saying about the snake to the sayings about the fool which follow it (Eccl 10:12—15), offering an additional understanding of the expressions בעל הלשון and בלוא לחש in relation to the fool. Examination of the image of the wicked man in two Psalms (58:4—5; 140: 4), along with the epithet איש לשון (140:12) in relation to snake proverbs, suggests a similarity to the image of the fool in Proverbs. This relationship adds to our understanding of בעל הלשון and its connection to the sayings about the fool (Eccl 10:12—15).