Ecclesiastes 7:19-22

Wisdom Needed Because No One is Truly Righteous

7:19 Wisdom gives a wise person more protection ¹ 

than ten rulers in a city.

7:20 For ²  there is not one truly ³  righteous person on the earth

who continually does good and never sins.

7:21 Also, do not pay attention to everything that people ⁴  say;

otherwise, ⁵  you might even hear ⁶  your servant cursing you.

7:22 For you know in your own heart ⁷ 

that you also have cursed others many times.

[7:19]  ¹ tn Heb “gives strength.”

[7:20]  ² tn The introductory particle כִּי (ki) is rendered variously: “for” (KJV); “indeed” (NASB); not translated (NIV); “for” (NJPS). The particle functions in an explanatory sense, explaining the need for wisdom in v. 19. Righteousness alone cannot always protect a person from calamity (7:15-16); therefore, something additional, such as wisdom, is needed. The need for wisdom as protection from calamity is particularly evident in the light of the fact that no one is truly righteous (7:19-20).

[7:20]  ³ tn The term “truly” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Qoheleth does not deny the existence of some people who are relatively righteous.

[7:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “so that you do not hear…”; or “lest you hear….”

[7:21]  ⁶ tn The imperfect tense verb תִשְׁמַע (tishma’; from שָׁמַע [shama’, “to hear”]) functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility: “you might hear” (see IBHS 508 §31.4e).

[7:22]  ⁷ tn Heb “your heart knows.”