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7:7 Surely oppression <06233> can turn a wise person <02450> into a fool <01984>; likewise, a bribe <04979> corrupts <06> the heart <03820>. 7:8 The end <0319> of a matter <01697> is better <02896> than its beginning <07225>; likewise, patience <07307> <0750> is better <02896> than pride <07307> <01362>. 7:9 Do not <0408> let yourself be quickly <0926> provoked <03707>, for <03588> anger <03708> resides <05117> in the lap <02436> of fools <03684>. 7:10 Do not <0408> say <0559>, “Why <04100> were <01961> the old <07223> days <03117> better <02896> than these <0428> days?” for <03588> it is not <03808> wise <02451> to ask <07592> that <02088>. 7:11 Wisdom <02451>, like an inheritance <05159>, is a good <02896> thing; it benefits <03148> those who see <07200> the light of day <08121>. 7:12 For <03588> wisdom <02451> provides protection <06738>, just as money <03701> provides protection <06738>. But the advantage <03504> of knowledge <01847> is this: Wisdom <02451> preserves the life <02421> of its owner <01167>. 7:13 Consider <07200> the work <04639> of God <0430>: For <03588> who <04310> can <03201> make straight <08626> what <0834> he has bent <05791>? 7:14 In times <03117> of prosperity <02896> be <01961> joyful, but in times <03117> of adversity <07451> consider <07200> this <02088>: God <0430> has made <06213> one as <01571> well <05980> as the other <02088>, so that <01700> no <03808> one <0120> can discover <04672> what the future <0310> holds <03972>. 7:15 During the days <03117> of my fleeting life <01892> I have seen <07200> both of these things <03605>: Sometimes <03426> a righteous person <06662> dies prematurely <06> in spite of his righteousness <06664>, and sometimes <03426> a wicked person <07563> lives long <0748> in spite of his evil <07451> deeds. 7:16 So do not <0408> be <01961> excessively <07235> righteous <06662> or <0408> excessively <03148> wise <02449>; otherwise <04100> you might be disappointed <08074>. 7:17 Do not <0408> be excessively <07235> wicked <07561> and do not <0408> be <01961> a fool <05530>; otherwise <04100> you might die <04191> before <03808> your time <06256>. 7:18 It is best <02896> to take hold <0270> of one warning <02088> without <0408> letting <01571> go <03027> <03240> of the other warning <02088>; for <03588> the one who fears <03373> God <0430> will follow <0854> <03318> both <03605> warnings. 7:19 Wisdom <02451> gives <05810> a wise <02450> person more protection <05810> than ten <06235> rulers <07989> in a city <05892>. 7:20 For <03588> there is not one <0369> truly righteous <06662> person <0120> on the earth <0776> who <0834> continually does <06213> good <02896> and never <03808> sins <02398>. 7:21 Also <01571>, do not <0408> pay <05414> attention <03820> to everything <01697> <03605> that <0834> people say <01696>; otherwise, you might even hear <08085> your servant <05650> cursing <07043> you. 7:22 For <03588> you know <03045> in your own heart <03820> that <0834> you <0859> also <01571> have cursed <07043> others <0312> many <07227> times <06471>. 7:23 I have examined <05254> all <03605> this <02090> by wisdom <02451>; I said <0559>, “I am determined <02449> to comprehend <02449> this <01931>”– but it was beyond <04480> my grasp <07350>. 7:24 Whatever <04100> has happened <01961> is beyond <07350> human understanding; it is far deeper <06013> <06013> than anyone <04310> can fathom <04672>. 7:25 I <0589> tried <05437> to understand <03045>, examine <08446>, and comprehend <01245> the role of wisdom <02451> in the scheme of things <02808>, and to understand <01847> the stupidity <03689> of wickedness <07562> and the insanity <01947> of folly <05531>. 7:26 I <0589> discovered <04672> this: More bitter <04751> than death <04194> is the kind of woman <0802> who <0834> is like a hunter’s snare <04685>; her heart <03820> is like a hunter’s net <02764> and her hands <03027> are like prison chains <0612>. The man who pleases <02896> God <0430> escapes <04422> her, but the sinner <02398> is captured <03920> by <04480> her. 7:27 The Teacher <06953> says <0559>: I discovered <04672> this <02088> while trying to discover <04672> the scheme <02808> of things, item <0259> by item <0259>. 7:28 What <0834> I have continually <05750> sought <01245>, I have not <03808> found <04672>; I have found <04672> only one <0259> upright man <0120> among a thousand <0505>, but I have not <03808> found <04672> one upright <0428> woman <0802> among all <03605> of them. 7:29 This <02088> alone <0905> have I discovered <04672>: God <0430> made <06213> humankind <0120> upright <03477>, but they <01992> have sought <01245> many <07227> evil schemes <02810>.

• Ecc 7:7-10 -- Human Wisdom Overturned by Adversity
• Ecc 7:11-12 -- Wisdom Can Lengthen One's Life
• Ecc 7:13-14 -- Wisdom Acknowledges God's Orchestration of Life
• Ecc 7:15-18 -- Exceptions to the Law of Retribution
• Ecc 7:19-22 -- Wisdom Needed Because No One is Truly Righteous
• Ecc 7:23-24 -- Human Wisdom is Limited
• Ecc 7:25-29 -- True Righteousness and Wisdom are Virtually Nonexistent

• Wisdom

  [isbe] WISDOM - wiz'-dum: 1. Linguistic 2. History 3. Religious Basis 4. Ideals 5. Teaching of Christ 6. Remainder of the New Testament (1) James (2) Paul 7. Hypostasis LITERATURE 1. Linguistic: In the Revised Version (British and ...
  [nave] WISDOM Of Joseph, Gen. 41:16, 25-39; Acts 7:10. Of Moses, Acts 7:22. Of Bezaleel, Ex. 31:3-5; 35:31-35; 36:1. Of Aholiab, Ex. 31:6; 35:34, 35; 36:1; of other skilled artisans, Ex. 36:2; of women, Ex. 35:26. Of Hiram, 1 K...
  

• Sanctification

  [ebd] involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles...
  

• SPIRIT

  [isbe] SPIRIT - spir'-it (ruach; pneuma; Latin, spiritus): 1. Primary and Figurative Senses (1) As Wind, Breath (2) As Anger or Fury (3) As Mental and Moral Qualities in Man 2. Shades of Meaning (1) As Life-Principle (2) As Survivi...
  

• REST

  [isbe] REST - (nuach, menuchah, "cessation from motion," "peace," "quiet," etc.; anapausis, [@katapausis): "Rest" in the above sense is of frequent occurrence, and is the translation of several words with various applications and s...
  

• Philosophy

  [nave] PHILOSOPHY The nature of things, Eccl. 1-7. A philosophical inquiry on wisdom, Job. 28. Philosophical inductions and deductions relating to God and his providence, Job 5:8-20; 9; 10:2-21; 12:6-24; 33:12-30; 37. Reveals th...
  

• PROLONG

  [isbe] PROLONG - pro-long' ('arakh, mashakh): "Prolong," "prolonged" are the translations of 'arakh, "to stretch," "to make long" (Dt 4:26, and frequently, "prolong days"; 4:40, etc.; Job 6:11 the King James Version; Prov 28:16; Ec...
  

• ORDER

  [isbe] ORDER - or'-der (`arakh, "to arrange"; tassein (> diatassein, taxis, tagma)): "Order" in Biblical phrases may indicate (1) arrangement in rows, (2) sequence in time, (3) classification and organization, (4) likeness or manne...
  

• Madness

  [ebd] This word is used in its proper sense in Deut. 28:34, John 10:20, 1 Cor. 14:23. It also denotes a reckless state of mind arising from various causes, as over-study (Eccl. 1:17; 2:12), blind rage (Luke 6:11), or a depraved te...
  

• Life

  [nave] LIFE. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Brevity and Uncertainty of; Everlasting; From God; Long; Spiritual. Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics Breath of, Gen. 2:7. Called Spirit of God, Job 27:3. Tree of,...
  

• LONGSUFFERING

  [isbe] LONGSUFFERING - long-suf'-er-ing ('erekh 'appayim; makrothumia): The words 'erekh 'appayim, translated longsuffering, mean literally, "long of nose" (or "breathing"), and, as anger was indicated by rapid, violent breathing t...
  

• Instruction

  [nave] INSTRUCTION From nature, Prov. 24:30-34; Eccl. 1:13-18; 3; 4:1; Matt. 6:25-30. See: Parables. From the study of human nature, Eccl. 3-12. By Object Lessons: The pot of maa, Ex. 16:32. The pillar of twelve stones at the f...
  

• FOOL; FOLLY

  [isbe] FOOL; FOLLY - fool nabhal, 'ewil, kecil, cakhal and forms; aphron, aphrosune, moros): I. In the Old Testament. 1. General: Taking the words generally, apart from the Wisdom literature, we find nabhal frequently translated "f...
  

• FALL, THE

  [isbe] FALL, THE - fol: 1. Meaning of Genesis 3 2. Genesis 3 in the Old and New Testaments 3. The Fall and the Theory of Evolution 4. The Character of the Fall The question concerning the origin, the age and the written record of t...
  

• Engines

  [ebd] (1.) Heb. hishalon i.e., "invention" (as in Eccl. 7:29) contrivances indicating ingenuity. In 2 Chr. 26:15 it refers to inventions for the purpose of propelling missiles from the walls of a town, such as stones (the Roman ba...
  

• EXCELLENCY

  [isbe] EXCELLENCY - ek'-se-len-si (ga-on, ga'awah; huperbole): "Excellency" in the Old Testament is chiefly the translation of ga'on, "mounting," "swelling" (Ex 15:7; Job 37:4 the King James Version; Ps 47:4 the King James Version;...
  

• END

  [isbe] END - (qets, 'ephec, kalah; telos, sunteleo): The end of anything is its termination, hence, also, final object or purpose. It is the translation of several Hebrew and Greek words, chiefly in the Old Testament of qets (prope...
  

• CROOKED

  [isbe] CROOKED - krook'-ed (`awah, `aqash, `aqalqal, `aqallathon, pethaltol; skolios): Primarily designates something that is bent, twisted or deformed (Isa 27:1; 45:2 the King James Version). Figurative: (1) It designates a course...
  

• BITTER; BITTERNESS

  [isbe] BITTER; BITTERNESS - bit'-er, bit'-er-nes (mar, or marah = "bitter" (literally or figuratively); also (noun) "bitterness" or (adverb) "bitterly"; "angry," "chafed," "discontented," "heavy" (Gen 27:34; Ex 15:23; Nu 5:18,19,23...
  

• BAND

  [isbe] BAND - The English word has two generic meanings, each shading off into several specific meanings: (1) that which holds together, binds or encircles: a bond; (2) a company of men. The second sense may philologically and logi...
  

• ANTHROPOLOGY

  [isbe] ANTHROPOLOGY - an-thro-pol'-o-ji: I. TERMS EMPLOYED II. NATURE OF MAN BIBLICAL CONCEPTION III. ORIGIN OF MAN FROM SCRIPTURE ACCOUNT: NARRATIVES OF CREATION IV. UNITY OF THE RACE: VARIOUS THEORIES V. EVOLUTIONARY THEORY AS TO...
  

• What Is Wisdom?

  

• Why la It Wrong to Harbor Angry Feelings?
  God forbids it (Ecc. 7:9; Matt. 5:22; Rom. 12:19); it is a characteristic of fools and a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 14:29; Prov. 27:3; Ecc. 7:9). Anger is connected with pride, cruelty, clamorous and evi...
• Why Is It Wrong to Harbor Angry Feelings?
  God forbids it (Ecc. 7:9; Matt. 5:22; Rom. 12:19); it is a characteristic of fools and a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 14:29; Prov. 27:3; Ecc. 7:9). Anger is connected with pride, cruelty, clamorous and evi...
• Is It Possible for One to Be Over-righteous ?
  Commentators interpret the phrase "righteous overmuch" (Ecc 7:16) as descriptive of religious presumption; of that self-made righteousness which would lay the greatest stress upon outward performances and would claim personal...

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