Ecclesiastes 7:26

Ecclesiastes 7:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
• New International Version (NIV)I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:26

24Whatever it may be, it is far off and very profound—who can fathom it? 25So I turned my heart to understand, to search and seek out wisdom and an explanation of things and to know the stupidity of wickedness and madness of folly. I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap, and whose hands are chains. He who pleases God will escape her, but a sinner will be captured by her. 27“Look,” said Kohelet, “I have discovered this while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28which my soul is still seeking, but not finding—I found one upright man among a thousand, but one upright woman among them all I have not found.

Ecclesiastes 7:26 word by word

וּמוֹצֶ֨א אֲנִ֜י מַ֣ר מִמָּ֗וֶת אֶת־הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁר־הִ֨יא מְצוֹדִ֧ים וַחֲרָמִ֛ים לִבָּ֖הּ אֲסוּרִ֣ים יָדֶ֑יהָ ט֞וֹב לִפְנֵ֤י הָאֱלֹהִים֙ יִמָּלֵ֣ט מִמֶּ֔נָּה וְחוֹטֵ֖א יִלָּ֥כֶד בָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• more bitterמַרmar mârâh · bitterH4751
• than deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• whose heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• snaresמָצוֹדmâtsôd metsôdâh metsôdâh · netH4685
• and netsחֵ֫רֶםchêrem cherem · netH2764
• her handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• bandsאֵסוּר'êsûr · bondH612
• whoso pleasethפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• whoso pleasethטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• shall escapeמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
• from her; but the sinnerחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• shall be takenלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:26

• Judges 16:18Now when Delilah realized that he had confided to her all his heart, she sent and called for the Philistine lords saying, “Come up this time, for he has told me all his heart.” So the Philistine lords came up to her and brought the silver in their hand.
• Proverbs 2:18For her house sinks down to death and her tracks to the dead.
• Proverbs 5:3For a seducing woman’s lips drip honey and her mouth is smoother than oil.
• Proverbs 7:21With her persistent pleading she entices him, with smooth talk she seduces him.
• Proverbs 9:18But he does not know that the dead are there— her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
• Proverbs 22:14The mouth of a seducing woman is a deep pit—into it will fall one with whom Adonai is angry.
• Proverbs 23:27For a prostitute is a deep pit, an adulterous woman is a narrow pit.
• Ecclesiastes 2:26For to the one who pleases Him, He gives wisdom, knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating wealth to give it to one who pleases God. This also is only vapor and striving after the wind.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26And I find more bitter than death the woman - After all his investigation of the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness, he found nothing equally dangerous and ruinous with the blandishments of cunning women. When once the affections are entangled, escape without ruin is almost impossible. Whoso pleaseth God - The man who walks with God, and he alone, shall escape this sore evil: and even he that fears God, if he get with an artful woman, may…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26Compare the account of Solomon‘s wives 1 Kings 11:1-8: see also Proverbs 2:16-19; Proverbs 5:3 …Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-29Verses 23-29 Solomon, in his search into the nature and reason of things, had been miserably deluded. But he here speaks with godly sorrow. He alone who constantly aims to please God, can expect to escape; the careless sinner probably will fall to rise no more. He now discovered more than ever the evil of the great sin of which he had been guilty, the loving many strange women, I Kin. 11:1. A woman thoroughly upright and godly, he had not found. How was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26a woman who is a snare: Compare Proverbs 5; 6:20–7:27.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. "I find" that, of all my sinful follies, none has been so ruinous a snare in seducing me from God as idolatrous women (1Ki 11:3, 4; Pr 5:3, 4; 22:14). As "God's favor is better than life," she who seduces from God is "more bitter than death." whoso pleaseth God--as Joseph (Ge 39:2, 3, 9). It is God's grace alone that keeps any from falling.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:26

• Heart
• Net
• Temptation
• Women

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adversity
• Bosom
• Consider
• Crackling
• Living
• Rest
• Band
• Bitter; Bitterness

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