New English Translation
Ecclesiastes 7:16
16So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise; otherwise you might be disappointed.
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?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Context of Ecclesiastes 7:16
14In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds. 15During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds. So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise; otherwise you might be disappointed. 17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool; otherwise you might die before your time. 18It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings.
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 25:16When you find honey, eat only what is sufficient for you, lest you become stuffed with it and vomit it up.
- Matthew 6:1“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.
- Matthew 9:14Then John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”
- Matthew 15:2“Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.”
- Matthew 23:5They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long.
- Luke 18:12I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’
- Romans 10:2For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not in line with the truth.
- Philippians 3:6In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.
- 1 Timothy 4:3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
- Ecclesiastes 12:12Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. There is no end to the making of many books, and much study is exhausting to the body.
- Genesis 3:6When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
- Job 11:12But an empty man will become wise, when a wild donkey’s colt is born a human being.
- Job 28:28And he said to mankind, ‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Proverbs 23:4Do not wear yourself out to become rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.
- Romans 11:25For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
- Romans 12:3For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.
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
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