Ecclesiastes 7:14
in Ecclesiastes 7In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything that shall be after him.
KJV
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 7
Commentary
9 notes on this verseIn the day of prosperity be joyful - When ye receive these temporal gifts from God, enjoy them, and be thankful to the Giver: but remember, this sunshine will not always last. God has balanced prosperity and adversity against each other; and were it not so, how many would put the former in the place of God himself!
This site's exposition
Consider the work of God
on Ecclesiastes 7:13-14
The counsel Consider the work of God turns on a question, Who can straighten what He has bent. In the day of prosperity, be joyful, and in adversity consider that God has made one of these along with the other. The bent and the straight come from God's hand.
This site's exposition
In the day of prosperity
Henry calls the day of adversity the proper time to consider, when a man is most disposed to it. Barnes renders the second clause as God making the one as well as the other, and notes that Sirach seems to echo it. Clarke warns constant prosperity would take God's place.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked? "Symmachus translates this passage in this way: "learn the word of God, because no one can correct what He has ruined". That is he supplies from the Holy Scriptures, or from thinking of the elements, to know and understand those things, which are done; but not to ask the causes and reasons why one thing is done in this way, or why it ought to have been done differently from the way in which it has been done.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
This is the third instruction, in which he teaches that discretion must be exercised regarding times: because God did not make all times uniformly, but diversely, and man ought to dispose himself according to the diverse times. Therefore he says: "In the good day, enjoy …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
"When the world smiles, rejoice in God, and praise him, and let the joy of the Lord be thy strength. " [2.] In a day of adversity (and that is but a day too) consider. Times of affliction are proper times for consideration, then God calls to consider ( Hag. i. 5 ), then, if ever, we are disposed to it, and no good will be gotten by the affliction without it.
Be joyful - Enjoy God's favours with thankfulness. Consider - Consider that it is God's hand, and therefore submit to it: consider also why God sends it, for what sins, and with what design.
In the day of prosperity be joyful,.... Or, "in a good day" (q).
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Good and prosperous days are in God’s design special times of comfort and rejoicing: the days of affliction and trouble, are in God’s design the proper seasons of recollection and serious consideration. The Providence of God hath so contrived it, that our good and evil days should be intermingled each with the other. This mixture of good and evil days is by the Divine Providence so proportioned, that it sufficiently justifies the dealings of God toward the sons of men, and obviates all their discontent and complaints against Him. Set the one over against the other - Rather, made this as well as that, i. e., the day of adversity, as well as the day of prosperity. The seeming imitation of this passage in Ecclesiasticus (Ecclesiasticus 36:13-15) affords a strong presumption that this book was written before the days of the son of Sirach. To the end ... - God hath constituted the vicissitude of prosperity and adversity in such a way that no man can forecast the events that shall follow when he is removed from his present state. Compare the Ecc 6:12 note.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On a day of goodness [prosperity], be in good spirits. On a day in which you have the ability to do good, 35 Alternatively, on a day of good fortune be happy and enjoy it. (Metsudas Dovid) be among those who do good.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Consider the deeds of God. How everything is prepared according to man’s actions, the Garden of Eden for the righteous and Gehinnom for the wicked. Consider to which you should cling.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בְּי֤וֹם | beyom | on a day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| טוֹבָה֙ | tovah | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| הֱיֵ֣ה | heyeh | be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְט֔וֹב | vetov | in good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וּבְי֥וֹם | uveyom | and on a day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| רָעָ֖ה | raah | adversity | H7451 → | 662 times |
| רְאֵ֑ה | reeh | consider | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| גַּ֣ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זֶ֤ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| לְעֻמַּת־ | leumat- | <to> exactly as | H5980 → | |
| זֶה֙ | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| עָשָׂ֣ה | ʾasah | he has made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| דִּבְרַ֗ת | divrat | reason | H1700 → | 5 times |
| שֶׁלֹּ֨א | shelo' | that not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִמְצָ֧א | yimtza' | he will find out | H4672 → | 455 times |
| הָֽאָדָ֛ם | haadam | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| אַחֲרָ֖יו | ʾacharav | after him | H310 → | 715 times |
| מְאֽוּמָה׃ | meumah | anything | H3972 → | 32 times |
בְּי֤וֹםon a day of
beyomH3117 →2304 times
טוֹבָה֙good
tovahH2896 →538 times
הֱיֵ֣הbe
heyehH1961 →3559 times
בְט֔וֹבin good
vetovH2896 →538 times
וּבְי֥וֹםand on a day of
uveyomH3117 →2304 times
רָעָ֖הadversity
raahH7451 →662 times
רְאֵ֑הconsider
reehH7200 →1300 times
גַּ֣םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
זֶ֤הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
לְעֻמַּת־<to> exactly as
leumat-H5980 →
זֶה֙this
zehH2088 →1180 times
עָשָׂ֣הhe has made
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
דִּבְרַ֗תreason
divratH1700 →5 times
שֶׁלֹּ֨אthat not
shelo'H3808 →5168 times
יִמְצָ֧אhe will find out
yimtza'H4672 →455 times
הָֽאָדָ֛ם<the> humankind
haadamH120 →551 times
אַחֲרָ֖יוafter him
ʾacharavH310 →715 times
מְאֽוּמָה׃anything
meumahH3972 →32 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ecclesiastes 12:13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your…
- Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Deuteronomy 6:2
so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that…
- Psalms 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Deuteronomy 10:12
Through
Deuteronomy 8:3He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone,…
it leads to
- Matthew 4:4
But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
- Luke 4:4
But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
- Matthew 4:4
Through
James 5:13Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
it leads to
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Psalms 50:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.