Study notes

Ecclesiastes 7

Introducing EcclesiastesWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

1:12–11:6 Section

The Teacher carefully studied himself and the world around him. He studied the things that human beings spend their time and energy doing. These things make them different from animals and the rest of creation. The Teacher did this in order to test which of these things had meaning.

He studied pleasure. This included laughter, beauty and anything that made the body feel good. He studied wisdom, foolishness, knowledge and understanding. People can never have enough wisdom to fully understand the world or fully understand God.

The Teacher studied hard work and the things that he and others accomplished. He studied the many different ways that people suffer on earth. He studied the ways that people pray, offer sacrifices and worship God. He studied riches, honour and authority. He also studied the evil things that people do.

The teacher learnt that none of these things gives human beings any advantage over animals. This doesn’t mean that human beings live like animals do. It doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t live wisely as explained in the Teacher’s proverbs. It means that none of the things human beings do keeps them from dying.

The Teacher explained that everyone will die someday. This is true no matter who a person is, what they have or what they do. For the Teacher, things that ended in death didn’t have meaning. They made life not worth living. He learnt that what made life worth living was receiving God’s gifts and enjoying them. Food, drink, work, wisdom, knowledge, happiness and family are gifts from God. The ability to enjoy these things is also a gift from God. One reason the Teacher respected God is because everything that God does lasts for ever.

6:10–7:22

God's control over everything is serious, but it gives us hope.

7:1

It is better to seek a good reputation for wisdom and righteousness than to pursue luxuries like expensive perfume (Proverbs 22:1; 28:6).
one’s day of death is better than his day of birth: There is relief when life's troubles end. Life's difficulties can make one look forward to the peace of death (Ecclesiastes 1:18; 2:22; 4:2–3; 12:1).

7:1–4

These proverbs are like the sayings in the Book of Proverbs.

7:2–6

It is unwise to engage in carefree fun when wisdom calls for serious reflection on death (see also Ecclesiastes 2:12–13).

7:3–4

good for the heart: Thinking clearly about death helps us understand the seriousness of God's curse on sin and shows us the importance of enjoying life wisely (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

7:5–6

Praise from a fool and enjoying a fool’s laughter are temporary and worthless. Criticism from a wise person can lead to real benefits (Proverbs 17:10).

7:8

It is better to finish a project with patience than to start it with boastful words.

7:9

anger settles in the lap of a fool: Compare Proverbs 14:29 and 29:11. See the “Anger” Theme Note.

7:11–12

Wisdom and money are powerful tools for gaining benefits.
wisdom preserves the life of its owner: See Ecclesiastes 7:17; Proverbs 10:2; 11:4.

7:13

God's powerful actions cannot be resisted; trying to oppose or escape his plans is pointless.

7:14

Enjoying prosperity is good, but these gifts do not last. A wise person accepts God's control in everything (see Philippians 4:11–13).

7:16

No matter how hard we work, there is always more to do, and we might harm ourselves in the process.

7:17

Do not be excessively wicked: Foolish wickedness can lead to an early death (for example, 1 Samuel 25).

7:19

the wise man: For example, see Ecclesiastes 9:14–15; 2 Samuel 20:15–22.

7:20

no righteous man...never sins: See 1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9; Romans 3:23.

7:22

It is good to forgive and be kind when others make mistakes or say something wrong.

7:23–25

it was beyond me: The Teacher could not find the wisdom or reasons he sought. Such reasons are hidden in God's mind (Ecclesiastes 3:11; 8:17).

7:26

a woman who is a snare: Compare Proverbs 5; 6:20–7:27.

7:28

The New Living Translation adds the phrase "is virtuous" (based on Ecclesiastes 7:29) to clarify the verse. Virtue is very rare. The Teacher found only a few virtuous men and no virtuous women in his experience.

7:29

After much searching, the Teacher found that humanity's decline from God's created order (Genesis 1:27–28; 2:23–25; 3:1–19) was repeated by Adam and Eve's descendants (compare Romans 3:10–18, 23).

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources