Ecclesiastes 7:14

Ecclesiastes 7:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
• New International Version (NIV)When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:14

12Both wisdom and money can keep you safe. But wisdom is better. If you are wise, your knowledge can save your life. 13Think about the things that God has done. If God has bent something, nobody can make it straight again. If your life is good, you should be happy. But if you have trouble, think about this: God causes both joy and trouble in our lives. We do not know what will happen next. 15In my short life on the earth I have seen these things which have no purpose: Sometimes righteous people may die when they are still young. They did good things, but they died. And sometimes wicked people continue to live for along time. They did evil things, but they continued to live. 16So do not try to be too good or too wise. That might cause you to have trouble.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 word by word

בְּי֤וֹם טוֹבָה֙ הֱיֵ֣ה בְט֔וֹב וּבְי֥וֹם רָעָ֖ה רְאֵ֑ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־זֶ֤ה לְעֻמַּת־זֶה֙ עָשָׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־דִּבְרַ֗ת שֶׁלֹּ֨א יִמְצָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם אַחֲרָ֖יו מְאֽוּמָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of prosperityטוֹבָהţôb · welfareH2896
• be joyfulטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
• of adversityרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• considerרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• also hath setעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• the one over againstעֻמָּה‛ûmmâh · closeH5980
• the other, to the endדִּבְרָהdibrâh · causeH1700
• that manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• should findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• nothingמְא֫וּמָהme'ûmâh · anythingH3972
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:14

• Ecclesiastes 3:4There is a time to weep. There is a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad. There is a time to dance.
• Deuteronomy 28:47The Lord has given you many good things. But you have not agreed to serve the Lord your God with joy.
• Psalms 30:11Now you have caused me to stop crying, so that I dance instead! I do not need to wear sackcloth, because I am no longer sad. Instead, you have made me very happy.
• Psalms 40:3He gave me a new song to sing. It was a song to praise our God. Many people will see what God has done to help me. Then they will respect and obey him. Yes, they will trust in the Lord.
• Matthew 9:13Go and study what it says in the Bible. God says there, “I want people to be kind to each other. I do not want them only to offer sacrifices to me.” Some people think that they always obey God. I did not come to help people like that. Some people know that they have done wrong things. I am asking those people to come to me for help.’
• John 16:22It is like that for you. You are sad now. But I will see you again, and then you will be happy. You will be really happy. Nobody will be able to take away your joy.
• James 5:13Is anyone among you in trouble? Then they should pray to God about it. Or, is anyone feeling happy? They should praise God with songs.
• Deuteronomy 8:3He caused you to become hungry and then he fed you with manna. Neither you nor your ancestors had ever seen this food before. In this way, he taught you that food alone cannot cause people to live. They need to hear every word that the Lord speaks. That is what gives them true life.
• 1 Kings 8:47Then your people may think about the bad things that they have done. While they are prisoners in their enemy's country, they may be sorry about their sins. They may pray to you and ask you to forgive them. They may say, “We have turned away from God and we have done wicked things.”
• 1 Kings 17:17Some time after that, the widow's son became ill. He became very ill until he could no longer breathe.
• 2 Chronicles 33:12This gave Manasseh a lot of pain. He asked the Lord his God to be kind to him. He made himself humble and he prayed for help to the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
• Job 10:1I do not want to live any longer. I must continue to complain. I am very upset and I have to speak about it.
• Psalms 94:12Lord, when you teach people what is right, you have really blessed them. You use your Law to teach them.
• Psalms 119:71When I suffered, it was good for me. It helped me to learn your commands.
• Isaiah 22:12At that time, the Lord Almighty told you to be very sad and weep. He told you to cut all the hair off your heads and to wear rough clothes.
• Isaiah 26:11Lord, you are ready to punish them, but they do not realize that. Make them see that you love your own people. Then they will become ashamed. In your anger, punish them with fire, as your enemies deserve.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14In the day of prosperity be joyful - When ye receive these temporal gifts from God, enjoy them, and be thankful to the Giver: but remember, this sunshine will not always last. God has balanced prosperity and adversity against each other; and were it not so, how many would put the former in the place of God himself!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Good and prosperous days are in God‘s design special times of comfort and rejoicing: the days of affliction and trouble, are in God‘s design the proper seasons of recollection and serious consideration. The Providence of God hath so contrived it, that our good and evil days should be intermingled each with the other. This mixture of good and evil days is by the Divine Providence so proportioned, that it sufficiently justifies the dealings of God toward…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-22Verses 11-22 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea better. It shelters from the storms and scorching heat of trouble. Wealth will not lengthen out the natural life; but true wisdom will give spiritual life, and strengthen men for services under their sufferings. Let us look upon the disposal of our condition as the work of God, and at last all will appear to have been for the best. In acts of righteousness, be not carried into heats or passions, no…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Enjoying prosperity is good, but these gifts do not last. A wise person accepts God's control in everything (see Philippians 4:11–13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. consider--resumed from Ec 7:13. "Consider," that is, regard it as "the work of God"; for "God has made (Hebrew, for 'set') this (adversity) also as well as the other (prosperity)." "Adversity" is one of the things which "God has made crooked," and which man cannot "make straight." He ought therefore to be "patient" (Ec 7:8). after him--equivalent to "that man may not find anything (to blame) after God" (that is, after "considering God's work," Ec…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:14

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Prosperity
• Thankfulness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adversity
• Bosom
• Consider
• Crackling
• Living
• Rest
• Ecclesiastes, the Preacher
• End

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