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Contemporary English Version
Ecclesiastes 7:16
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Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Don't be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ?
Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?
Don't be too right, and don't be too wise. Why destroy yourself?
Do not be excessively righteous [like those given to self-conceit], and do not be overly wise (pretentious)—why should you bring yourself to ruin?
Don't be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?
Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you make yourself desolate?
Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
So don't be overly righteous or overly wise; why should you disappoint yourself?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
So why ruin your life? Don't be too good or too bad, and don't be too wise or too foolish. Why should you die before your time?
Be not overrighteous; neither make yourself overwise; lest you should become stupid.
So don't be too good or too wise—why kill yourself
Do not be excessively righteous, and do not act excessively wise, lest you destroy yourself.
Do not be too much righteous, nor make yourself overly wise; why destroy yourself?
Therfore be thou nether to rightuous ner ouer wyse, yt thou perish not:
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise; why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Be not righteous ouer much, neither make thy selfe ouer wise: why shouldest thou destroy thy selfe?
Therfore be thou neither to righteous nor ouer wyse, that thou perishe not.
I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
Don't be overly righteous; neither make yourself overly wise: why should you destroy yourself?
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?
So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise; otherwise you might be disappointed.
Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?
Do not be too right and good, and do not be too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself?
Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, - wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
(7-17) Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.
Be not righteous overmuch, and do not make yourself overwise; why should you destroy yourself?
Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
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?" Proverbs 25:16, Matthew 6:1-7, Matthew 9:14, Matthew 15:2-9, Matthew 23:5, Matthew 23:23, Matthew 23:24, Matthew 23:29, Luke 18:12, Romans 10:2, Philippians 3:6, 1 Timothy 4:3
neither: Ecclesiastes 12:12, Genesis 3:6, Job 11:12, Job 28:28, Proverbs 23:4, Romans 11:25, Romans 12:3, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Corinthians 3:20, Colossians 2:18, Colossians 2:23, James 3:13-17
destroy thyself: Heb. be desolate, Matthew 23:38, Revelation 18:19
Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 1:18 - For in
Cross-References
The Lord told Noah: Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me.
Take seven pairs of every kind of animal that can be used for sacrifice and one pair of all others.
Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird with you. Do this so there will always be animals and birds on the earth.
Seven days from now I will send rain that will last for forty days and nights, and I will destroy all other living creatures I have made.
Noah was six hundred years old when he went into the boat to escape the flood, and he did everything the Lord had told him to do. His wife, his sons, and his daughters-in-law all went inside with him.
Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth.
The eternal God is our hiding place; he carries us in his arms. When God tells you to destroy your enemies, he will make them run.
And so, we won't be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea.
You will walk safely and never stumble;
While the foolish girls were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The girls who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors were closed.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Be not righteous over much,.... This is not meant of true and real righteousness, even moral righteousness, a man cannot be too holy or too righteous; but of a show and ostentation of righteousness, and of such who would be thought to be more righteous and holy than others, and therefore despise those who, as they imagine, do not come up to them; and are very rigid and censorious in their judgment of others, and very severe in their reproofs of them; and, that they may appear very righteous persons, will do more than what the law requires of them to do, even works of supererogation, as the Pharisees formerly, and Papists now, pretend, and abstain from the lawful use of things which God has given to be enjoyed; and macerate their bodies by abstinence, fastings, pilgrimages, penance, scourges, and the like, as the Eremites among the Christians, and the Turks, as Aben Ezra on the place observes; and many there be, who, by an imprudent zeal for what they judge right, and which sometimes are mere trifles, and by unseasonable reproofs for what is wrong, expose themselves to resentment and danger. Some understand this of political and punitive justice, exercising it in too strict and rigorous a manner, according to the maxim, "summum jus saepe summa injuria est" w; and Schultens x, from the use of the word in the Arabic language, renders it, "be not too rigid"; and others, in a contrary sense, of too much mercy and pity to offenders. So the Midrash; and Jarchi illustrates it by the case of Saul, who had mercy on the wicked, and spared Agag. The Targum is,
"be not over righteous at a time that a sinner is found guilty of slaughter in thy court of judicature, that thou shouldest spare and not kill him;''
neither make thyself over wise; above what is written, or pretend to be wiser than others. So the Arabic version, "show not too much wisdom"; do not affect, as not to be more righteous than others, so not more wise, by finding fault with present times, or with the dispensations of Providence, or with the manners and conduct of men; setting up for a critic and a censurer of men and things; or do not pry into things, and seek after a knowledge of them, which are out of your reach, and beyond your capacity;
why shouldest thou destroy thyself? either by living too strictly and abstemiously, or by studying too closely, or by behaving in such a manner to men, as that they will seek thy destruction, and bring it on thee: or "why shouldest thou", or "whereby", or "lest, thou shouldest be stupid" y; lose thy sense and reason, as persons who study the knowledge of things they have not a capacity for: or why shouldest thou become foolish in the eyes of all men by thy conduct and behaviour? or, "why shouldest thou be desolate" z; alone, and nobody care to have any conversation and acquaintance with thee?
w Terent. Heautont. Act. 4. Sc. 4. x De Defect. Hod. Ling. Heb. s. 230. y ××× ×ª×©××× "ut quid obstupesces?" Vatablus, Amama; "cur obstupesces?" Mercerus; "cur in stuporem te dares?" Cocceius; "qua teipsum stupidum facies?" Tigurine version; "ne obstupescas", V. L. so Sept. and Syriac versions. z "Ne quid desolaberis?" Pagninus, Montanus; "quare desolationem tibi accerseres?" Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The days of my vanity - This does not imply that those days of vanity were ended (see Ecclesiastes 1:12 note).
The meaning may be best explained by a paraphrase. Solomon states how the wise man should regard the âcrooked Ecclesiastes 7:13 work of Godâ when it bears upon him. He says in effect, âDo not think that thou couldest alter the two instances (described in Ecclesiastes 7:15) of such crooked work so as to make it straight, that thou art more righteous or more wise than He is Who ordained these events. To set up thy judgment in opposition to His would imply an excess of wickedness and folly, deserving the punishment of premature death. But rather it is good for thee to grasp these seeming anomalies; if thou ponder them they will tend to impress on thee that fear of God which is a part of wisdom, and will guide thee safely through all the perplexities of this lifeâ (compare Ecclesiastes 8:12-13). The suggestion that these verses are intended to advocate a middle course between sin and virtue is at variance with the whole tenor of the book.
Ecclesiastes 7:16
Destroy thyself - The Septuagint and Vulgate render it: âbe amazed.â Compare âmarvel notâ Ecclesiastes 5:8.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. Why shouldest thou destroy thyself? — תש××× tishshomem, make thyself desolate, so that thou shalt be obliged to stand alone; neither make thyself over-wise, תת××× tithchaccam, do not pretend to abundance of wisdom. Why shouldest thou be so singular? In other words, and in modern language, "There is no need of all this watching, fasting, praying, self-denial, &c., you carry things to extremes. Why should you wish to be reputed singular and precise?" To this the man of God answers:
