the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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New Living Translation
Ecclesiastes 7:3
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Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
Sorrow is better than laughter, and sadness has a good influence on you.
Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.
Sorrow [is] better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad (deep in thought) the heart may be happy [because it is growing in wisdom].
Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
Choose sorrow over laughter because a sad face may hide a happy heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
Sorrow is better than joy; when the face is sad the mind gets better.
Grief is better than laughter, for sadness can improve a person.
Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Sorrow is even better than laughter, because when our face is sad, our heart becomes good.
Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart may be gladdened.
Sorrow is better then laughter: for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better.
To have sorrow is better than to laugh because when a face is sad, the heart may become strong.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad.
Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Sorrow is better than laughter; it may sadden your face, but it sharpens your understanding.
Better is grief than laughter, - for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
(7-4) Anger is better than laughter: because by the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is corrected.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad.
Grauitie is better then to laugh: for when the countenaunce is heauie, the heart is refourmed.
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good warning to his heart.
Grief is better than laughter,for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made good.
Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
It is better to be sory then to laugh, for whe the countenaunce is heuy, the herte is ioyfull.
Crying is better than laughing. It blotches the face but it scours the heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
Better is vexation than laughter,For when a face is sad a heart may be merry.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Sorrow: or, Anger
is better: Psalms 119:67, Psalms 119:71, Psalms 126:5, Psalms 126:6, Jeremiah 31:8, Jeremiah 31:9, Jeremiah 31:15-20, Jeremiah 50:4, Jeremiah 50:5, Daniel 9:3-19, Daniel 10:2, Daniel 10:3, Daniel 10:19, Zechariah 12:10-14, Luke 6:21, Luke 6:25, John 16:20-22, 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, James 4:8-10
by: Romans 5:3, Romans 5:4, 2 Corinthians 4:17, Hebrews 12:10, Hebrews 12:11, James 1:2-4
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Sorrow [is] better than laughter,.... Sorrow, expressed in the house of mourning, is better, more useful and commendable, than that foolish laughter, and those airs of levity, expressed in the house of feasting; or sorrow on account of affliction and troubles, even adversity itself, is oftentimes much more profitable, and conduces more to the good of men, than prosperity; or sorrow for sin, a godly sorrow, a sorrow after a godly sort, which works repentance unto salvation, that needeth not to be repented of, is to be preferred to all carnal mirth and jollity. It may be rendered, "anger [is] better than laughter" h; which the Jews understand of the anger of God in correcting men for sin; which is much better than when he takes no notice of them, but suffers them to go on in sin, as if he was pleased with them; the Midrash gives instances of it in the generation of the flood and the Sodomites: and the Targum inclines to this sense,
"better is the anger, with which the Lord of that world is angry against the righteous in this world, than the laughter with which he derides the ungodly.''
Though it may be better, with others, to understand it of anger in them expressed against sin, in faithful though sharp rebukes for it; which, in the issue, is more beneficial than the flattery of such who encourage in it; see Proverbs 27:5;
for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better: when the sadness is not hypocritical, as in the Scribes and Pharisees, but serious and real, arising from proper reflections on things in the mind; whereby the heart is drawn off from vain, carnal, and sensual things; and is engaged in the contemplation of spiritual and heavenly ones, which is of great advantage to it: or by the severity of the countenance of a faithful friend, in correcting for faults, the heart is made better, which receives those corrections in love, and confesses its fault, and amends.
h טוב כעס משחוק "melior est ira risu", Pagninus, Mercerus; "melior est indigatio risu", Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Sorrow - Rather, Seriousness.
The heart is made better - i. e., is made bright and joyful (compare 2 Corinthians 6:10). The mind which bears itself equally in human concerns, whether they be pleasant or sorrowful, must always be glad, free, and at peace.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ecclesiastes 7:3. Sorrow is better than laughter — The reason is immediately given; for by the sorrow of the countenance - the grief of heart that shows itself in the countenance -
The heart is made better. — In such cases, most men try themselves at the tribunal of their own consciences, and resolve on amendment of life.
