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Ecclesiastes 7 KJV

Wisdom and Folly

Wisdom Literature 4 min 29 verses Solomon

Wisdom and Folly

The chapter's opening proverb on a good name surpassing ointment exploits a Hebrew wordplay between 'shem' and 'shemen' that underscores reputation's enduring value over fleeting luxury, a motif echoing ancient Near Eastern royal inscriptions.

A1🔗 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.

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.

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.

Continue Reading Ecclesiastes 8 Obey the King

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Chapter Context

Reading Plans Bible in a Year

Did You Know?

1

The chapter's opening proverb on a good name surpassing ointment exploits a Hebrew wordplay between 'shem' and 'shemen' that underscores reputation's enduring value over fleeting luxury, a motif echoing ancient Near Eastern royal inscriptions.

2

Verse 16's warning against excessive righteousness critiques overzealous application of Torah piety, possibly reflecting Qoheleth's observation of emerging Hellenistic tensions between Jewish legalism and pragmatic survival under foreign rule.

3

The numerical proverb in verse 28 about rarity among a thousand draws on ancient Semitic hyperbolic counting formulas found in Ugaritic and Akkadian wisdom texts, framing human fidelity as statistically elusive under divine mystery.

4

By bookending its maxims with reflections on death in verses 1-2 and 26, the chapter structurally subordinates all human wisdom-seeking to mortality, inverting traditional wisdom literature's optimism about teachable virtue.

5

The portrayal of woman as a snare in verses 26-28 reworks Proverbs' Lady Wisdom versus Strange Woman binary into a pessimistic key, suggesting even relational wisdom remains inaccessible amid Qoheleth's empirical disillusionment.

6
Solomon

Solomon's throne, overlaid with gold and ivory, featured six steps flanked by twelve lions symbolizing the tribes of Israel and incorporated a calf-shaped seat back, making it a unique artifact unmatched by any other royal throne of the era.

7
David

Jonathan sealed his covenant with David by giving him his royal robe, armor, sword, bow, and belt, ritually transferring symbols of kingship despite being Saul's heir.

8
Jerusalem

Three major world religions consider Jerusalem a holy city.