English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 7:16
16Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Ecclesiastes 7:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
- New International Version (NIV)Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
- New Living Translation (NLT)So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?
Context of Ecclesiastes 7:16
14In 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. 15In 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. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes 7:16 word by word
אַל־תְּהִ֤י צַדִּיק֙ הַרְבֵּ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתְחַכַּ֖ם יוֹתֵ֑ר לָ֖מָּה תִּשּׁוֹמֵֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:16
- Proverbs 25:16If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
- Matthew 6:1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
- Matthew 9:14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
- Matthew 15:2"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat."
- Matthew 23:5They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
- Luke 18:12I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'
- Romans 10:2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
- Philippians 3:6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
- 1 Timothy 4:3who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
- Ecclesiastes 12:12My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
- Genesis 3:6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
- Job 11:12But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man!
- Job 28:28And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"
- Proverbs 23:4Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.
- Romans 11:25Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
- Romans 12:3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Why shouldest thou destroy thyself? - תשומם tishshomem, make thyself desolate, so that thou shalt be obliged to stand alone; neither make thyself over-wise, תתחכם tithchaccam, do not pretend to abundance of wisdom. Why shouldest thou be so singular? In other words, and in modern language, "There is no need of all this watching, fasting, praying, self-denial, etc., you carry things to extremes. Why should you wish to be reputed singular and precise?" To…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. 16No matter how hard we work, there is always more to do, and we might harm ourselves in the process.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Holden makes Ec 7:16 the scoffing inference of the objector, and Ec 7:17 the answer of Solomon, now repentant. So (1Co 15:32) the skeptic's objection; (1Co 15:33) the answer. However, "Be not righteous over much," may be taken as Solomon's words, forbidding a self-made righteousness of outward performances, which would wrest salvation from God, instead of receiving it as the gift of His grace. It is a fanatical, pharisaical righteousness, separated…Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:16
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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