New Living Translation
Ecclesiastes 7:9
9Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Context of Ecclesiastes 7:9
7Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart. 8Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. 10Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise. 11Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes 7:9 word by word
אַל־תְּבַהֵ֥ל בְּרֽוּחֲךָ֖ לִכְע֑וֹס כִּ֣י כַ֔עַס בְּחֵ֥יק כְּסִילִ֖ים יָנֽוּחַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:9
- 1 Samuel 25:21David had just been saying, “A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good.
- 2 Samuel 19:43“But there are ten tribes in Israel,” the others replied. “So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?” The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel.
- Esther 3:5When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage.
- Proverbs 14:17Short-tempered people do foolish things, and schemers are hated.
- Proverbs 16:32Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
- Jonah 4:9Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”
- Ephesians 4:26And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
- James 1:19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
- Genesis 4:5but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.
- Genesis 34:7Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, something that should never be done.
- 2 Samuel 13:22And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister.
- Proverbs 26:23Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot.
- Mark 6:19So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless,
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Anger resteth in the bosom of fools - A wise man, off his guard, may feel it for a moment: but in him it cannot rest: it is a fire which he immediately casts out of his breast. But the fool - the man who is under the dominion of his own tempers, harbors and fosters it, till it takes the form of malice, and then excites him to seek full revenge on those whom he deems enemies. Hence that class of dangerous and empty fools called duellists.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-10Verses 7-10 The event of our trials and difficulties is often better than at first we thought. Surely it is better to be patient in spirit, than to be proud and hasty. Be not soon angry, nor quick in resenting an affront. Be not long angry; though anger may come into the bosom of a wise man, it passes through it as a way-faring man; it dwells only in the bosom of fools. It is folly to cry out upon the badness of our times, when we have more reason to cry…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9anger settles in the lap of a fool: Compare Proverbs 14:29 and 29:11. See the “Anger” Theme Note.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. angry--impatient at adversity befalling thee, as Job was (Ec 5:2; Pr 12:16).Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:9
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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