Ecclesiastes 7 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 (Old Testament)
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 (Old Testament)
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ?
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| טוֹב — tov | Verse 1 — “A good name is better…” | “Good,” beneficial. | Tov (“good”) denotes intrinsic worth (“good/beneficial”). Qoheleth contrasts transient pleasures with enduring reputation. The term stresses moral value. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on Ecclesiastes (1875) |
| כָּעַס — kaʿas | Verse 3 — “Sorrow is better than laughter…” | “Vexation,” sorrow. | Kaʿas (“sorrow”) describes inward heaviness (“grief/vexation”). Delitzsch notes that such sorrow refines the heart. The term highlights corrective wisdom. — C. F. Keil, Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary (1885) |
| שָׁמַע — shamaʿ | Verse 5 — “It is better to hear…” | “Hear,” obey. | Shamaʿ (“to hear”) implies receptive obedience (“listen/heed”). True wisdom requires moral attentiveness. The term emphasizes teachability. — George Adam Smith, The Wisdom Literature (1899) |
| קִנְאָה — qinʾah | Verse 9 — “Be not hasty… in anger.” | “Jealousy,” zeal, anger. | Qinʾah (“zeal/anger”) can denote intense emotional heat (“anger”). Qoheleth warns against inner combustion. The term portrays destructive passion. — James Strong, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary (1890) |
| חָכָם — ḥakham | Verse 11 — “Wisdom is good…” | “Wise,” skillful. | Hakham (“wise”) indicates cultivated insight (“wisdom”). It enriches life like an inheritance. The term underscores divine gift. — Joseph Angus, The Bible Handbook (1891) |
| תּוֹכַחַת — tokhakhat | Verse 5 — “…rebuke of the wise.” | “Reproof,” correction. | Tokhakhat (“reproof”) conveys disciplinary instruction (“rebuke”). Correction enhances maturity. The term frames wisdom as moral guidance. — Samuel Cox, The Book of Ecclesiastes (1888) |
| יֹשֶׁר — yosher | Verse 20 — “There is not a just man…” | “Uprightness,” straightness. | Yosher (“uprightness”) expresses ethical straightness (“upright”). Qoheleth acknowledges universal moral failure. The term intensifies dependence on divine mercy. — Charles Bridges, Commentary on Ecclesiastes (1860) |
| מָשָׁל — mashal | Verse 27 — “…this have I found… to give an account…” | “Proverb,” comparison. | Mashal (“parable/proverb”) implies interpretive insight (“proverb”). Qoheleth reflects on life through condensed wisdom. The term signifies teaching by comparison. — George Rawlinson, Wisdom Books Commentary (1893) |
| חֶשְׁבּוֹן — ḥeshbon | Verse 27 — “the account…” | “Calculation,” reasoning. | Heshbon (“calculation”) denotes reflective analysis (“account/reasoning”). Qoheleth explores life’s complexities intellectually. The term highlights philosophical investigation. — Keil, OT Commentary (1885) |
| מָצָא — matsaʿ | Verse 26 — “I find more bitter…” | “Find,” discover. | Matsaʿ (“to find”) implies experiential discovery (“discover/find”). Wisdom arises from lived reality. The term underscores observation. — Delitzsch, Commentary on Ecclesiastes (1875) |
Memory verse: Ecclesiastes. 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
In our journey through life, what God had in intention for us is that we should live our lives in joy, but God will not always withhold trials or challenging situations from us, because it’s for our good and for His glory. When things look challenging we look for means to solve them, and in that process, we become more developed and mature than the way we use to be before.
Job, as an example of a man who God had permitted trying times to befall. This helped Job as a person to get closer to God and have a deeper relationship with Him. Job could spell words like this— Job 42:5; “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You”— out of his mouth because this broadens his horizon and made him have developed knowledge of who God is. It is very unlikely for us in joyful moments to think deeper, because by then we'll have been mesmerized, and when people are too joyous they don't usually see the need for seeking God’s way.
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