Commentary
Old Testament : Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
The Song of Songs
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
collapse all
Text -- Ecclesiastes 7:11-29 (NET)
Strongs On/Off
Context
Wisdom Can Lengthen One’s Life
7:11 Wisdom , like an inheritance , is a good thing; it benefits those who see the light of day .
7:12 For wisdom provides protection , just as money provides protection . But the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner .
Wisdom Acknowledges God’s Orchestration of Life
7:13 Consider the work of God : For who can make straight what he has bent ?
7:14 In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this : God has made one as well as the other , so that no one can discover what the future holds .
Exceptions to the Law of Retribution
7:15 During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things : Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness , and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds.
7:16 So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise ; otherwise you might be disappointed .
7:17 Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool ; otherwise you might die before your time .
7:18 It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning ; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings.
Wisdom Needed Because No One is Truly Righteous
7:19 Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than ten rulers in a city .
7:20 For there is not one truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins .
7:21 Also , do not pay attention to everything that people say ; otherwise, you might even hear your servant cursing you.
7:22 For you know in your own heart that you also have cursed others many times .
Human Wisdom is Limited
7:23 I have examined all this by wisdom ; I said , “I am determined to comprehend this ”– but it was beyond my grasp .
7:24 Whatever has happened is beyond human understanding; it is far deeper than anyone can fathom .
True Righteousness and Wisdom are Virtually Nonexistent
7:25 I tried to understand , examine , and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things , and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly .
7:26 I discovered this: More bitter than death is the kind of woman who is like a hunter’s snare ; her heart is like a hunter’s net and her hands are like prison chains . The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is captured by her.
7:27 The Teacher says : I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item .
7:28 What I have continually sought , I have not found ; I have found only one upright man among a thousand , but I have not found one upright woman among all of them.
7:29 This alone have I discovered : God made humankind upright , but they have sought many evil schemes .
Parallel
Cross Reference (TSK)
ITL
Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Philosophy |
Life |
Instruction |
Wisdom |
God |
Women |
Riches |
Ignorance |
Depravity of Mankind |
Prudence |
Speaking |
Mankind |
Temptation |
Thankfulness |
Zeal |
Wicked |
Money |
Net |
Prosperity |
Heart |
more