Ecclesiastes 7 (JND) - Bible Truth Library

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Ecclesiastes 7

Eccl. 7:16 KJV (With Strong’s)

Bec not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou βdestroye thyself?

Rom. 10:2• ²For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. (Rom. 10:2)

Eccl. 12:12• ¹²And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Eccl. 12:12)

be desolate.

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Righteousness

Cross References

Ministry on This Verse

Be not.This verse is probably the language of an ungodly man; to which Solomon answers, as in the following verse, "Do not multiply wickedness; do not add direct opposition to godliness, to the rest of your crimes.

Why should you provoke God to destroy you before your time?"

Prov. 25:16• ¹⁶Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be surfeited therewith, and vomit it. (Prov. 25:16)

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Matt. 6:1‑7• ¹Take heed not to do your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens.
²When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
³But thou, when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand does;
⁴so that thine alms may be in secret, and thy Father who sees in secret will render it to thee.
⁵And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets so that they should appear to men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
⁶But *thou*, when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who sees in secret will render it to thee.
⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as those who are of the nations: for they think they shall be heard through their much speaking. (Matt. 6:1‑7)

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Matt. 9:14• ¹⁴Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but thy disciples fast not? (Matt. 9:14)

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Matt. 15:2‑9• ²Why do thy disciples transgress what has been delivered by the ancients? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.
³But he answering said to them, Why do *ye* also transgress the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching?
⁴For God commanded saying, Honour father and mother; and, He that speaks ill of father or mother, let him die the death.
⁵But *ye* say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever it be by which received from me thou wouldest be profited:
⁶and he shall in no wise honour his father or his mother; and ye have made void the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching.
⁷Hypocrites! well has Esaias prophesied about you, saying,
⁸This people honour me with the lips, but their heart is far away from me;
⁹but in vain do they worship me, teaching as teachings commandments of men. (Matt. 15:2‑9)

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Matt. 23:5,23‑24,29• ⁵And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments,
²³Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
²⁴Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel.
²⁹Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just, (Matt. 23:5,23‑24,29)

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Luke 18:12• ¹²I fast twice in the week, I tithe everything I gain. (Luke 18:12)

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Rom. 10:2• ²For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. (Rom. 10:2)

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Phil. 3:6• ⁶as to zeal, persecuting the assembly; as to righteousness which is in the law, found blameless; (Phil. 3:6)

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1 Tim. 4:3• ³forbidding to marry, bidding to abstain from meats, which God has created for receiving with thanksgiving for them who are faithful and know the truth. (1 Tim. 4:3)

neither.

Eccl. 12:12• ¹²And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Eccl. 12:12)

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Gen. 3:6• ⁶And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a pleasure for the eyes, and the tree was to be desired to give intelligence; and she took of its fruit, and ate, and gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen. 3:6)

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Job 11:12• ¹²Yet a senseless man will make bold, though man be born like the foal of a wild ass. (Job 11:12)

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Job 28:28• ²⁸And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:28)

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Prov. 23:4• ⁴Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence: (Prov. 23:4)

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Rom. 11:25• ²⁵For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, that ye may not be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the nations be come in; (Rom. 11:25)

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Rom. 12:3• ³For I say, through the grace which has been given to me, to every one that is among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should think; but to think so as to be wise, as God has dealt to each a measure of faith. (Rom. 12:3)

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1 Cor. 3:18,20• ¹⁸Let no one deceive himself: if any one thinks himself to be wise among you in this world, let him become foolish, that he may be wise.
²⁰And again, The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise that they are vain. (1 Cor. 3:18,20)

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Col. 2:18,23• ¹⁸Let no one fraudulently deprive you of your prize, doing his own will in humility and worship of angels, entering into things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh,
²³(which have indeed an appearance of wisdom in voluntary worship, and humility, and harsh treatment of the body, not in a certain honour,) to the satisfaction of the flesh. (Col. 2:18,23)

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James 3:13‑17• ¹³Who is wise and understanding among you; let him shew out of a good conversation his works in meekness of wisdom;
¹⁴but if ye have bitter emulation and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
¹⁵This is not the wisdom which comes down from above, but earthly, natural, devilish.
¹⁶For where emulation and strife are, there is disorder and every evil thing.
¹⁷But the wisdom from above first is pure, then peaceful, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, unquestioning, unfeigned. (James 3:13‑17)

destroy thyself.

Heb. be desolate.

Matt. 23:38• ³⁸Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; (Matt. 23:38)

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Rev. 18:19• ¹⁹and cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and grieving, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were enriched through her costliness! for in one hour she has been made desolate. (Rev. 18:19)

• The just man dies in his righteousness, whilst the wicked lives on in his wickedness: therefore be not righteous overmuch; do not abstain, or withdraw thyself, from the natural blessings of life, making it joyless and desolate. (“Ecclesiastes 7” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?