Ecclesiastes 7 (KJV) - 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 record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (Rom. 10:2)

Eccl. 12:12• ¹²And further, by these, my son, be admonished: 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 filled therewith, and vomit it. (Prov. 25:16)

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Matt. 6:1‑7• ¹Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
²Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
³But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
⁴That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
⁵And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
⁶But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. (Matt. 6:1‑7)

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

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Matt. 15:2‑9• ²Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
³But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
⁴For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
⁵But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
⁶And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
⁷Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
⁸This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
⁹But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matt. 15:2‑9)

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Matt. 23:5,23‑24,29• ⁵But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
²³Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
²⁴Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
²⁹Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, (Matt. 23:5,23‑24,29)

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Luke 18:12• ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (Luke 18:12)

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

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Phil. 3:6• ⁶Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Phil. 3:6)

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1 Tim. 4:3• ³Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (1 Tim. 4:3)

neither.

Eccl. 12:12• ¹²And further, by these, my son, be admonished: 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 when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Gen. 3:6)

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Job 11:12• ¹²For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. (Job 11:12)

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Job 28:28• ²⁸And unto man he said, Behold, 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• ⁴Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. (Prov. 23:4)

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

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Rom. 12:3• ³For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Rom. 12:3)

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1 Cor. 3:18,20• ¹⁸Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
²⁰And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. (1 Cor. 3:18,20)

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Col. 2:18,23• ¹⁸Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
²³Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh. (Col. 2:18,23)

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James 3:13‑17• ¹³Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
¹⁴But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
¹⁵This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
¹⁶For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
¹⁷But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (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 they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she 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?