Amplified Bible
Ecclesiastes 7:2
2It is better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that [day of death] is the end of every man, And the living will take it to heart and solemnly ponder its meaning.
Ecclesiastes 7:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.
- English Standard Version (ESV)It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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 take it to heart.
Context of Ecclesiastes 7:2
1A good name is better than precious perfume, And the day of one’s death better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that [day of death] is the end of every man, And the living will take it to heart and solemnly ponder its meaning. 3Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad (deep in thought) the heart may be happy [because it is growing in wisdom]. 4The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes 7:2 word by word
ט֞וֹב לָלֶ֣כֶת אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵ֗בֶל מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֕ר ה֖וּא ס֣וֹף כָּל־הָאָדָ֑ם וְהַחַ֖י יִתֵּ֥ן אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- to goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- of mourningאֵ֫בֶל'êbel · mourningH60
- of feastingמִשְׁתֶּהmishteh · feastH4960
- forבַאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · in whichH834
- the endסוֹףsôph · endH5490
- of all menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- and the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- will layנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- to his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:2
- Genesis 48:1Now some time after these things happened, Joseph was told, “Your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him [to go to Goshen].
- Genesis 49:2Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to Israel (Jacob) your father.
- Genesis 50:15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph carries a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him?”
- Job 1:4His sons used to go [in turn] and feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
- Isaiah 5:11Woe (judgment is coming) to those who rise early in the morning to pursue intoxicating drink, Who stay up late in the night till wine inflames them!
- Isaiah 22:12Therefore in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to mourning, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth [in humiliation].
- Amos 6:3Do you put off the day of punishment, Yet cause the seat of violence to come near?
- Matthew 5:4“Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].
- Matthew 14:6But when Herod’s birthday came, [his niece Salome], the daughter of Herodias danced [immodestly] before them and pleased and fascinated Herod,
- 1 Peter 4:3For the time already past is [more than] enough for doing what the [unsaved] Gentiles like to do—living [unrestrained as you have done] in a course of [shameless] sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries.
- Numbers 23:10Who can count the dust (the descendants) of Jacob And the number of even the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God], And let my end be like his!”
- Deuteronomy 32:29O that they were wise, that they understood this, That they could discern their future and ultimate fate!
- Romans 6:21So what benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None!] For the outcome of those things is death!
- Philippians 3:19whose fate is destruction, whose god is their belly [their worldly appetite, their sensuality, their vanity], and whose glory is in their shame—who focus their mind on earthly and temporal things.
- Hebrews 9:27And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment,
- Deuteronomy 32:46he said to them, “Take to heart all the words of warning which I am speaking to you today; and you shall command your children to observe them carefully—to do all the words of this law.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2It is better to go to the house of mourning - Birthdays were generally kept with great festivity, and to these the wise man most probably refers; but according to his maxim, the miseries of life were so many and so oppressive that the day of a man's death was to be preferred to the day of his birth. But, in dependently of the allusion, it is much more profitable to visit the house of mourning for the dead than the house of festivity. In the former we find…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2That - Namely, what is seen in the house of mourning. Lay it to his heart - Consider it attentively.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4These proverbs are like the sayings in the Book of Proverbs.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Proving that it is not a sensual enjoyment of earthly goods which is meant in Ec 3:13; 5:18. A thankful use of these is right, but frequent feasting Solomon had found dangerous to piety in his own case. So Job's fear (Ec 1:4, 5). The house of feasting often shuts out thoughts of God and eternity. The sight of the dead in the "house of mourning" causes "the living" to think of their own "end."Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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