Berean Standard Bible
Ecclesiastes 7:3
3Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
Ecclesiastes 7:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
- New International Version (NIV)Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
Context of Ecclesiastes 7:3
1A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth. 2It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart. 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. 5It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes 7:3 word by word
ט֥וֹב כַּ֖עַס מִשְּׂחֹ֑ק כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥עַ פָּנִ֖ים יִ֥יטַב לֵֽב׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:3
- Psalms 119:67Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now I keep Your word.
- Psalms 126:5Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.
- Jeremiah 31:8Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, including the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor. They will return as a great assembly!
- Jeremiah 50:4“In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God.
- Daniel 9:3So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
- Daniel 10:2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks.
- Zechariah 12:10Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
- Luke 6:21Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
- John 16:20Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
- 2 Corinthians 7:9yet now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.
- James 4:8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- Romans 5:3Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
- 2 Corinthians 4:17For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
- Hebrews 12:10Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.
- James 1:2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Sorrow is better than laughter - The reason is immediately given; for by the sorrow of the countenance - the grief of heart that shows itself in the countenance: - The heart is made better - In such cases, most men try themselves at the tribunal of their own consciences, and resolve on amendment of life.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Sorrow - Rather, Seriousness. The heart is made better - i. e., is made bright and joyful (compare 2 Corinthians 6:10). The mind which bears itself equally in human concerns, whether they be pleasant or sorrowful, must always be glad, free, and at peace.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4good for the heart: Thinking clearly about death helps us understand the seriousness of God's curse on sin and shows us the importance of enjoying life wisely (Ecclesiastes 9:10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Sorrow--such as arises from serious thoughts of eternity. laughter--reckless mirth (Ec 2:2). by the sadness ... better--(Psa 126:5, 6; 2Co 4:17; He 12:10, 11). Maurer translates: "In sadness of countenance there is (may be) a good (cheerful) heart." So Hebrew, for "good," equivalent to "cheerful" (Ec 11:9); but the parallel clause supports English Version.Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:3
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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