Christian Standard Bible
Ecclesiastes 7:2
2It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to 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
1A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart. 3Grief is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad. 4The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in a 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 48:1Some time after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is weaker.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- Genesis 49:2Come together and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel:
- Genesis 50:15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.”
- Job 1:4His sons used to take turns having banquets at their homes. They would send an invitation to their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
- Isaiah 5:11Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of beer, who linger into the evening, inflamed by wine.
- Isaiah 22:12On that day the Lord God of Armies called for weeping, for wailing, for shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth.
- Amos 6:3You dismiss any thought of the evil day and bring in a reign of violence.
- Matthew 5:4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- Matthew 14:6When Herod’s birthday celebration came, Herodias’s daughter danced before them and pleased Herod.
- 1 Peter 4:3For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.
- Numbers 23:10Who has counted the dust of Jacob or numbered even one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright; let the end of my life be like theirs.
- Deuteronomy 32:29If only they were wise, they would comprehend this; they would understand their fate.
- Romans 6:21So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death.
- Philippians 3:19Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things.
- Hebrews 9:27And just as it is appointed for people to die once — and after this, judgment —
- Deuteronomy 32:46he said to them, “Take to heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to follow all the words of this law carefully.
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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