Ecclesiastes
Chapter 7
What Is Better
An honorable reputation is worth more than fragrant oil. It is better to face death than to welcome birth.
It is better to visit a house of mourning than a house of celebration, for everyone eventually comes, and the living should remember this:
Sorrow is better than laughter; a joyful heart can be hidden behind sad looks.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the heart of the fool is in the house of feasting.
It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than to heed a fool’s song.
Like the crackling of thorns under a pot is the fool’s laughter.
Corruption makes a wise man mad, and a bribe blinds his heart.
It is better to reach the end than to start. Patience is better than a haughty spirit.
Don’t be easily discouraged, for discouragement lies in the heart of fools.
Do not ask why the past was better than the present; it is not wisdom to ask such questions.
Wisdom is as valuable as an inheritance; it is a blessing for those blessed by the sun.
If wisdom guards you, money will also guard you. This is the advantage of gaining wisdom: it helps its owner live well.
Observe the work of God. Who can straighten what he has bent?
Be happy during both times of prosperity and sorrow, reflect: God has given us both, and many may later learn what is to come.
Honesty and Wisdom
In this meaningless life of mine, I have seen both: the righteous perish in their righteousness, and the wicked live long in their wickedness.
Do not be overly righteous or excessively wise, lest you harm yourself.
Don’t be too wicked or too foolish, lest you die before your time.
…
Wisdom gives strength to the wise more than ten rulers in the city.
There is no righteous person on earth who always does good and never sins.
Don’t take everything you hear seriously, lest you hear your servant speak ill of you.
You know well how many times you have spoken badly of others!
After examining all this carefully, I said, “I will be wise!”
But how far it is from me! More distant than anything, and deep, very deep. Who could discover it?
Women
I set myself wholeheartedly to know, study, and seek wisdom and reason; so I saw that wickedness is folly, and foolishness, stupidity.
I find a woman more bitter than death. She is a trap; her heart is a snare, and her arms are chains. Those who please God will escape from her, but the sinner will be caught.
See what I discovered—says the Teacher—after considering each one carefully, eager to understand.
I’ve been searching but haven’t found one; I can find a man among a thousand, but not a woman among them all.
See what I discovered: God made man simple, but they get lost in their numerous thoughts.
Commentaries
What Is Better.
The title of this new section is very general. It does not specify the topic that Qohelet will discuss but only shows how the sentences are built. One of the features of this book, as we have already mentioned, is the challenge of organizing it around a central theme. We see a clear example of this here: sentences or groups of verses that make sense on their own and rarely rely on each other. They are like maxims or proverbs meant to be read and contemplated slowly. What connects them is the phrase “it is better…,” a common form used in the wisdom books of the Bible.
A rough division could be: 1-4: wisdom and pain; 5-7: wisdom and praise; 8-10: wisdom and patience; 11 onward: wisdom and riches; 13-18: wisdom and fear of God. Here too, it is not hard to relate to the thoughts expressed, which are full of wisdom, experience, and common sense. It is easy to find references to the classical wisdom of the Old Testament, for example: verse 1 is similar to Prov 10:7; 22:1, where a parallel is drawn between “Name” and “Perfume”; verse 5 is classic in the education of young people (Prov 13:1, 18); in verses 11 onward, the union of wisdom and riches appears, as in Proverbs 8:18-21. The most characteristic feature of Old Testament wisdom is found in verses 13-18: human beings cannot understand God’s plans, but the wise man is he who recognizes himself within them.
However, Qohelet’s differences from traditional wisdom are also clear; for example, verse 2 criticizes the idea that fame is gained at the end of life (Sir 11:28). Verse 7 highlights the challenge that the wise man must face—perhaps showing the weakness of the wise man who cannot calmly handle either misfortune or excessive praise. In verse 10, the words about the past contradict what the ancient wise men expressed. Finally, verse 12 likely uses a traditional proverb ironically.
Ecclesiastes has just outlined its connection between wisdom and other aspects—pain, praise, patience, and so on. What is the relationship that we personally establish? The wise man now encourages us to meditate slowly on his judgments; it’s not about merely learning wisdom, but about contemplating it and deepening our understanding.
Honesty and Wisdom.
Qohelet again openly disputes the wisdom tradition: verse 15 contradicts Deut 4:40; verses 16ff ironically advise not to take life too seriously—perhaps influenced by the Hellenistic concept of the “golden mean.” Verses 23ff affirm that wisdom is beyond reach, as in Job 28:1-27. But ultimately, his primary focus remains, as in classical wisdom, on being wise—verse 19 compares wisdom and the wise man with power, in what appears to be a quote from Prov 24:5-.
The view of reality and experience is always the main focus of Ecclesiastes’ reflection, even when it goes against what has long been thought or passed down as true. This is where his critique comes from, driven by his genuine desire to find true wisdom.(Also 7:19-24)
Women.
The theme of women is common in the wisdom literature of the Bible as well as in the surrounding cultures of Israel, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Typically, the portrayal is negative. Women are depicted as traps in Judges 16:4-6. The ancient Egyptian wisdom of “Ptah-hotep” and the later wisdom of “Ani,” or the “Babylonian Dialogue of a Master with his Slave,” warn against women. See also Proverbs 22:14; 23:27-29, etc. Therefore, it is not surprising that Qohelet concludes this section in a similar way.
We don’t know why many parts of the Bible, including Qohelet, seem so misogynistic. Once again, we need to understand that we should interpret and study the texts of Scripture, not just assume their meaning; otherwise, we won’t really understand what they are trying to say. Ecclesiastes reflects the views of his time. The most important thing to notice is the main idea we find: his thoughts are shaped by his personal experience, and in his quest for wisdom, he’s willing to question even the most accepted classical beliefs.