New International Version
Ecclesiastes 7:20
20Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.
Context of Ecclesiastes 7:20
18It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. 19Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city. Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. 21Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you— 22for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes 7:20 word by word
כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־טּ֖וֹב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:20
- 1 Kings 8:46“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near;
- 2 Chronicles 6:36“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near;
- Job 15:14“What are mortals, that they could be pure, or those born of woman, that they could be righteous?
- Psalms 130:3If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
- Psalms 143:2Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
- Proverbs 20:9Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?
- Isaiah 53:6We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
- Romans 3:23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- James 3:2We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
- 1 John 1:8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
- Isaiah 64:6All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not - יחטא לא lo yechta, that may not sin. There is not a man upon earth, however just he may be, and habituated to do good, but is peccable - liable to commit sin; and therefore should continually watch and pray, and depend upon the Lord. But the text does not say, the just man does commit sin, but simply that he may sin; and so our translators have rendered it in 1 Samuel 2:25, twice in 1…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The connection of this verse with Ecclesiastes 7:18-19 becomes clearer if it is borne in mind that the fear of God, wisdom, and justice, are merely different sides of one and the same character, the formation of which is the aim of all the precepts in this chapter. The words “just” Ecclesiastes 7:15, Ecclesiastes 7:20 and “righteous” Ecclesiastes 7:16 are exactly the same in Hebrew.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. 20no righteous man...never sins: See 1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9; Romans 3:23.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Referring to Ec 7:16. Be not "self-righteous," seek not to make thyself "just" before God by a superabundance of self-imposed performances; "for true 'wisdom,' or 'righteousness,' shows that there is not a just man," &c.Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:20
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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