American Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 7:2
2It 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.
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
1Agoodname is better than precious oil; and the day of death, 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 is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 3Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad. 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
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
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:2
- Genesis 48:1And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- Genesis 49:2Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; And hearken unto Israel your father.
- Genesis 50:15And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
- Job 1:4And his sons went and held a feast in the house of each one upon his day; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
- Isaiah 5:11Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that tarry late into the night, till wine inflame them!
- Isaiah 22:12And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
- Amos 6:3—ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
- Matthew 5:4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
- Matthew 14:6But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod.
- 1 Peter 4:3For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:
- Numbers 23:10Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my last end be like his!
- Deuteronomy 32:29Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!
- Romans 6:21What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
- Philippians 3:19whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
- Hebrews 9:27And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment;
- Deuteronomy 32:46and he said unto them, Set your heart unto all the words which I testify unto you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, even 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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries