Ecclesiastes 7:21
in Ecclesiastes 7Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;
KJV
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 7
Commentary
10 notes on this verse"Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. For there is not a just man on the earth, that does good and does not sin. "Therefore wisdom strengthens the righteous, and not even the aid of all the citizens of the city can help him, for although someone may be righteous, yet while he is alive he is subject to vices and sins, and he therefore needs greater protection.
This site's exposition
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger
on Ecclesiastes 7:19-22
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city. The admission follows at once: there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. The counsel not to heed every word that is spoken guards against a servant's curse overheard.
This site's exposition
pay attention to every word
Gill ties the counsel to verse 20: even good men speak careless words, so a wise man lets them pass. Clarke renders the cursing as speaking evil of a master. Henry notes that the good name of the great lies at the mercy of the lowest servant.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Here the fourth instruction is touched upon, in which he exhorts to the overlooking of one's own injury: whence one ought not to inquire nor believe every one who reports. Therefore he says: "But also to all the words that are spoken, do not apply …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken,.... Seeing so it is, that imperfection attends the best of men, no man is wise at all times, foolish words and unguarded expressions will sometimes drop from him, which it is better to take no notice of; they should not be strictly attended to, and closely examined, since they will not bear it.
Perhaps it is a servant thou hast wronged and dealt unjustly with, and, though he dares not tell thee so, he tells others so, and tells God so, and then thy own conscience will join with him in the reproach, which will make it much more uneasy." The good names of the greatest lie much at the mercy even of the meanest.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
In short, the best way to save ourselves from the vexation which the vanity of the world creates us is to keep our temper and to maintain a strict government of our passions. He laments his own iniquity, as that which was more vexatious than any of these vanities, that mystery of iniquity, the having of many wives, by which he was drawn away from God and his duty,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken - This is good advice, and much for every man’s peace through life. Thy servant curse thee - מקללך mekallelecha, make light of thee, speak evil of thee.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
As therefore thou being far from perfectly "just" thyself, hast much to be forgiven by God, do not take too strict account, as the self-righteous do (Ec 7:16;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Curse ... cursed - Rather, speak evil of ... spoken evil of.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּ֤ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַדְּבָרִים֙ | hadevarim | the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ | yedaberu | people speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּתֵּ֖ן | titen | you give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִבֶּ֑ךָ | libekha | heart your | H3820 → | 595 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִשְׁמַ֥ע | tishma' | you will hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֖ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| מְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃ | mekalecha | cursing you | H7043 → | 82 times |
גַּ֤םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הַדְּבָרִים֙the words
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יְדַבֵּ֔רוּpeople speak
yedaberuH1696 →1141 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּתֵּ֖ןyou give
titenH5414 →2011 times
לִבֶּ֑ךָheart your
libekhaH3820 →595 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִשְׁמַ֥עyou will hear
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַבְדְּךָ֖servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
מְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃cursing you
mekalechaH7043 →82 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
Proverbs 30:10Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.
it leads to
- Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
- Daniel 3:8–18
At this time some astrologers came forward and maliciously accused the Jews,
- 2 Chronicles 24:22–24
Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call…
- Romans 14:4
Through
Isaiah 29:21those who indict a man with a word, who ensnare the mediator at the gate, and who with false charges deprive the innocent of justice.
it leads to
- Amos 5:10–12
There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity.
- James 5:6
You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.
- Amos 5:10–12
Through
2 Samuel 16:10But the king replied, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses me because the LORD told him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why did you do this?’”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 19:22
And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed…
- Romans 9:20
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
- 2 Samuel 19:22
Through
2 Samuel 19:19and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 22:15
Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew…
- 1 Samuel 22:15
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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.