Ecclesiastes 7:3

Ecclesiastes 7:3

The Value of Practical Wisdom

1 A ^agood name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s ^bbirth;

2 Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to ^aheart.

3 ¹Sorrow is better than laughter,
^aFor by a sad countenance the heart is made¹ better.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 ^aIt is better to¹ hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.

6 ^aFor like the¹ crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

<< Ecclesiastes 7:2

Ecclesiastes 7:4 >>

Sorrow—such as arises from serious thoughts of eternity.

laughter—reckless mirth (Ecclesiastes 2:2).

by the sadness . . . better— (Psalms 126:5-6; II Corinthians 4:17; Hebrews 12:10-11). MAURER translates: "In sadness of countenance there is (may be) a good (cheerful) heart." So Hebrew, for "good," equivalent to "cheerful" (Ecclesiastes 11:9); but the parallel clause supports English Version.

**Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Ecclesiastes 7:3:**

Ecclesiastes 9:5
Ecclesiastes 12:13

<< Ecclesiastes 7:2

Ecclesiastes 7:4 >>

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