New International Version
Ecclesiastes 7:15
15In 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people.
Context of Ecclesiastes 7:15
13Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? 14When 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. 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. 16Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself? 17Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?
Read all of Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes 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 2:23All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
- Ecclesiastes 5:16This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind?
- Ecclesiastes 6:12For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?
- Genesis 47:9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.”
- Psalms 39:6“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.
- Ecclesiastes 3:16And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
- Ecclesiastes 8:14There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
- Ecclesiastes 9:1So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.
- 1 Samuel 22:18The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.
- 1 Kings 21:13Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
- 2 Chronicles 24:21But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.
- Job 9:22It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
- Matthew 23:34Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
- John 16:2They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
- Acts 7:52Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—
- Ecclesiastes 8:12Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
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
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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