Berean Standard Bible
Ecclesiastes 7:26
26And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
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
24What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it? 25I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness. And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared. 27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation. 28While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes 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
- And Iאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
- findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- more bitterמַרmar mârâh · bitterH4751
- than deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- whoאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- whoהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- a snareמָצוֹדmâtsôd metsôdâh metsôdâh · netH4685
- whose heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- a netחֵ֫רֶםchêrem cherem · netH2764
- and whose handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- chainsאֵסוּר'êsûr · bondH612
- The man who pleasesטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- The man who pleasesפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- escapesמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
- herמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
- but the sinnerחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- is ensnaredלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:26
- Judges 16:18When Delilah realized that he had revealed to her all that was in his heart, she sent this message to the lords of the Philistines: “Come up once more, for he has revealed to me all that is in his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came to her, bringing the money in their hands.
- Proverbs 2:18For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.
- Proverbs 5:3Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil,
- Proverbs 7:21With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
- Proverbs 9:18But they do not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
- Proverbs 22:14The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.
- Proverbs 23:27For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well.
- Ecclesiastes 2:26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of 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
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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