Ecclesiastes 7:14

Ecclesiastes 7:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
• New International Version (NIV)When 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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)In 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:14

12For wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: wisdom preserves the life of the one who possesses it. 13Consider the work of God, for who can straighten what He has bent? In a time of prosperity, prosper! But in a time of adversity, consider: God has made one as well as the other. Therefore man cannot discover anything about his future. 15During my fleeting days I have seen both of these things: sometimes a righteous one perishes in his righteousness and sometimes a wicked one lives long in his wickedness. 16Do not be overly righteous nor overly wise— why confound yourself?

Ecclesiastes 7:14 word by word

בְּי֤וֹם טוֹבָה֙ הֱיֵ֣ה בְט֔וֹב וּבְי֥וֹם רָעָ֖ה רְאֵ֑ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־זֶ֤ה לְעֻמַּת־זֶה֙ עָשָׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־דִּבְרַ֗ת שֶׁלֹּ֨א יִמְצָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם אַחֲרָ֖יו מְאֽוּמָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of prosperityטוֹבָהţôb · welfareH2896
• be joyfulטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
• of adversityרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• considerרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• also hath setעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• the one over againstעֻמָּה‛ûmmâh · closeH5980
• the other, to the endדִּבְרָהdibrâh · causeH1700
• that manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• should findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• nothingמְא֫וּמָהme'ûmâh · anythingH3972
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:14

• Ecclesiastes 3:4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance;
• Deuteronomy 28:47Instead of serving Adonai your God with joy and goodness of heart, out of the abundance of everything,
• Psalms 30:11Hear, Adonai, and be gracious to me. Adonai, be my help.”
• Psalms 40:3He brought me up out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. Then He set my feet on a rock. He made my steps firm.
• Matthew 9:13Now go and learn what this means: ‘Mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.’ For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but the sinful.”
• John 16:22So also you have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you!
• James 5:13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.
• Deuteronomy 8:3He afflicted you and let you hunger, then He fed you manna —which neither you nor your fathers had known—in order to make you understand that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of Adonai.
• 1 Kings 8:47yet if they take it to the heart in the land which they have been carried captive, and they repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captors, saying: ‘We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly,’
• 1 Kings 17:17After these things, it came to pass that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house fell sick, and his sickness was getting much worse until he had no breath left in him.
• 2 Chronicles 33:12In his distress, he entreated Adonai his God and greatly humbled himself before the God of his fathers.
• Job 10:1“I loathe my own life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak out of the bitterness of my soul.
• Psalms 94:12Blessed is the one You discipline, Adonai, and teach him from Your Torah,
• Psalms 119:71It is good for me that I was afflicted, so that I may learn Your decrees.
• Isaiah 22:12Now in that day, Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot will call for weeping and wailing, for baldness and putting on sackcloth.
• Isaiah 26:11Adonai, Your hand is lifted up, yet they do not see it; They will see Your zeal for the people and be put to shame. Yes, fire will devour Your enemies.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14In the day of prosperity be joyful - When ye receive these temporal gifts from God, enjoy them, and be thankful to the Giver: but remember, this sunshine will not always last. God has balanced prosperity and adversity against each other; and were it not so, how many would put the former in the place of God himself!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Good and prosperous days are in God‘s design special times of comfort and rejoicing: the days of affliction and trouble, are in God‘s design the proper seasons of recollection and serious consideration. The Providence of God hath so contrived it, that our good and evil days should be intermingled each with the other. This mixture of good and evil days is by the Divine Providence so proportioned, that it sufficiently justifies the dealings of God toward…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. 14Enjoying prosperity is good, but these gifts do not last. A wise person accepts God's control in everything (see Philippians 4:11–13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. consider--resumed from Ec 7:13. "Consider," that is, regard it as "the work of God"; for "God has made (Hebrew, for 'set') this (adversity) also as well as the other (prosperity)." "Adversity" is one of the things which "God has made crooked," and which man cannot "make straight." He ought therefore to be "patient" (Ec 7:8). after him--equivalent to "that man may not find anything (to blame) after God" (that is, after "considering God's work," Ec…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:14

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Prosperity
• Thankfulness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adversity
• Bosom
• Consider
• Crackling
• Living
• Rest
• Ecclesiastes, the Preacher
• End

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