Ecclesiastes 7:26

Ecclesiastes 7:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:26

24Whatever has been is far off, deeply remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it [for it is beyond the grasp of man]? 25I turned around and directed my heart to know, to investigate and to seek [skillful and godly] wisdom and the reason for things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness [leading to stupidity and recklessness]. And I discovered that [of all irrational sins none has been so destructive in beguiling one away from God as immoral women for] more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is [composed of] snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken captive by her [evil]. 27“Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “while adding one thing to another to find an explanation, 28which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand [who pleases God], but I have not found [such] a woman among all these [a thousand in my harem].

Ecclesiastes 7:26 word by word

וּמוֹצֶ֨א אֲנִ֜י מַ֣ר מִמָּ֗וֶת אֶת־הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁר־הִ֨יא מְצוֹדִ֧ים וַחֲרָמִ֛ים לִבָּ֖הּ אֲסוּרִ֣ים יָדֶ֑יהָ ט֞וֹב לִפְנֵ֤י הָאֱלֹהִים֙ יִמָּלֵ֣ט מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְחוֹטֵ֖א יִלָּ֥כֶד בָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• more bitterמַרmar mârâh · bitterH4751
• than deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• whose heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• snaresמָצוֹדmâtsôd metsôdâh metsôdâh · netH4685
• and netsחֵ֫רֶםchêrem cherem · netH2764
• her handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• bandsאֵסוּר'êsûr · bondH612
• whoso pleasethפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• whoso pleasethטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• shall escapeמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
• from her; but the sinnerחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• shall be takenלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:26

• Judges 16:18Then Delilah realized that he had told her everything in his heart, so she sent and called for the Philistine lords, saying, “Come up this once, because he has told me everything in his heart.” Then the Philistine lords came up to her and brought the money [they had promised] in their hands.
• Proverbs 2:18For her house leads down to death And her paths lead to the dead;
• Proverbs 5:3For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey [like a honeycomb] And her speech is smoother than oil;
• Proverbs 7:21With her many persuasions she caused him to yield; With her flattering lips she seduced him.
• Proverbs 9:18But he does not know that the spirits of the dead are there, And that her guests are [already] in the depths of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).
• Proverbs 22:14The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit [deep and inescapable]; He who is cursed by the Lord [because of his adulterous sin] will fall into it.
• Proverbs 23:27For a prostitute is a deep pit, And an immoral woman is a narrow well.
• Ecclesiastes 2:26For to the person who pleases Him God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who pleases God. This too is vanity and chasing after the wind.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26And I find more bitter than death the woman - After all his investigation of the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness, he found nothing equally dangerous and ruinous with the blandishments of cunning women. When once the affections are entangled, escape without ruin is almost impossible. Whoso pleaseth God - The man who walks with God, and he alone, shall escape this sore evil: and even he that fears God, if he get with an artful woman, may…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26Compare the account of Solomon‘s wives 1 Kings 11:1-8: see also Proverbs 2:16-19; Proverbs 5:3 …Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-29Verses 23-29 Solomon, in his search into the nature and reason of things, had been miserably deluded. But he here speaks with godly sorrow. He alone who constantly aims to please God, can expect to escape; the careless sinner probably will fall to rise no more. He now discovered more than ever the evil of the great sin of which he had been guilty, the loving many strange women, I Kin. 11:1. A woman thoroughly upright and godly, he had not found. How was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26a woman who is a snare: Compare Proverbs 5; 6:20–7:27.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. "I find" that, of all my sinful follies, none has been so ruinous a snare in seducing me from God as idolatrous women (1Ki 11:3, 4; Pr 5:3, 4; 22:14). As "God's favor is better than life," she who seduces from God is "more bitter than death." whoso pleaseth God--as Joseph (Ge 39:2, 3, 9). It is God's grace alone that keeps any from falling.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:26

• Heart
• Net
• Temptation
• Women

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adversity
• Bosom
• Consider
• Crackling
• Living
• Rest
• Band
• Bitter; Bitterness

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