Ecclesiastes 7:15

Ecclesiastes 7:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
• New International Version (NIV)In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:15

13Think about the things that God has done. If God has bent something, nobody can make it straight again. 14If 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. In 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. 17But do not be too wicked. Do not be a fool. That might cause you to die when you are still young.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 word by word

אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל רָאִ֖יתִי בִּימֵ֣י הֶבְלִ֑י יֵ֤שׁ צַדִּיק֙ אֹבֵ֣ד בְּצִדְק֔וֹ וְיֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֔ע מַאֲרִ֖יךְ בְּרָעָתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• have I seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• in the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of my vanityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
• there isיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• a justצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• that perishethאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• in his righteousnessצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
• and there is a wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• that prolongethאָרַךְ'ârak · to prolongH748
• in his wickednessרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:15

• Ecclesiastes 2:23Every day, their work causes their bodies to suffer. At night, their minds do not have any rest. All this has no purpose.
• Ecclesiastes 5:16This is also a terrible thing to happen. People leave this earth with nothing, as they came into it with nothing. All their hard work has been useless, like someone who tries to catch the wind.
• Ecclesiastes 6:12Nobody knows the best way for us to live our lives. We live for only a few years and our lives seem to have no purpose. Our lives quickly disappear, like a shadow. Nobody can tell us what will happen on the earth after our death.
• Genesis 47:9Jacob replied, ‘I have been alive for 130 years. My years have been few, and they have been difficult. I have not lived for as long as my ancestors lived.’
• Psalms 39:6As we live, we are just like shadows. We work to get things for ourselves. We may get a lot of money, but we do not know who will have it after we die.’
• Ecclesiastes 3:16I saw something else that happens on the earth. Judges should choose what is right, but instead they choose what is wicked. They should decide what is fair, but they do evil things.
• Ecclesiastes 8:14But this is something else that is difficult to understand: Sometimes righteous people suffer in the way the wicked people deserve. And sometimes wicked people enjoy the good things that righteous people deserve. I think that this is difficult to understand.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1I thought about all these things so that I could understand them. I realized that God controls what happens to people. That includes righteous people and wise people. God decides the things that they do. Nobody knows what will happen in their lives. Other people may love them, or they may hate them.
• 1 Samuel 22:18So the king said to Doeg, ‘You must kill the priests.’ So Doeg, the man from Edom, killed the priests that same day. He killed 85 priests who wore linen ephods.
• 1 Kings 21:13Then two wicked men came and they sat near to him. They accused Naboth so that the people could all hear them. They said, ‘Naboth has insulted God and the king.’ So the people took him outside the city. They threw stones at him until he was dead.
• 2 Chronicles 24:21The people decided to punish Zechariah. The king gave a command to punish him with death. So they threw stones at him to kill him in the yard of the Lord's temple.
• Job 9:22The same thing happens to good people and to wicked people. So I say, “God destroys people who are not guilty as well as those who are guilty.”
• Matthew 23:34So listen to this. God says, “I will send prophets to you. I will also send to you people who know many things. And I will send people to teach you what is true. But you will kill some of these people. You will kill some of them on a cross. In the places where you meet to pray, you will hit some of them with whips. They will run from one town to another town, but you will follow them.”
• John 16:2People will send you away from their meeting places. There will be a time when people will want to kill you. When they do this, they will even think that they are doing what God wants.
• Acts 7:52Your ancestors did bad things to every prophet that God sent to them. They even killed the prophets who told them about the Righteous Man that God would send. Now you have given that Man to his enemies. You have made them kill him.
• Ecclesiastes 8:12People who do lots of wicked things may live for a long time. But if someone respects and obeys God, they will surely enjoy a good life.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15There is a just man that perisheth - This is another objection as if he had said, "I also have had considerable experience; and I have not discovered any marked approbation of the conduct of the righteous, or disapprobation of that of the wicked. On the contrary, I have seen a righteous man perish, while employed in the work of righteousness; and a wicked man prosperous, and even exalted, while living wickedly. The former is indeed a victim to his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 The days of my vanity - This does not imply that those days of vanity were ended (see Ecclesiastes 1:12 note). The meaning may be best explained by a paraphrase. Solomon states how the wise man should regard the “crooked Ecclesiastes 7:13 work of God” when it bears upon him. He says in effect, “Do not think that thou couldest alter the two instances (described in Ecclesiastes 7:15) of such crooked work so as to make it straight, that thou art…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. 1-22God's control over everything is serious, but it gives us hope.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. An objection entertained by Solomon in the days of his vanity--his apostasy (Ec 8:14; Job 21:7). just ... perisheth--(1Ki 21:13). Temporal not eternal death (Joh 10:28). But see on Ec 7:16; "just" is probably a self-justiciary. wicked ... prolongeth--See the antidote to the abuse of this statement in Ec 8:12.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:15

• Death

In the dictionaries

• Adversity
• Bosom
• Consider
• Crackling
• Living
• Rest
• Prolong
• Synagogue, the Great

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