Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Read the Bible

Updated Bible Version

Ecclesiastes 7:8

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; [and] the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Meekness;   Patience;   Thompson Chain Reference - Patience-Impatience;   The Topic Concordance - Patience;   Pride/arrogance;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Patience;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wisdom literature;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Pride;   Spirit;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Longsuffering;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Longsuffering;   Patience;   Spirit;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bat Ḳol;   God;   Jacob;   Ḳohelet (Ecclesiastes) Rabbah;   Midrash Haggadah;   Patience;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 2;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Better is the end of a matter than its beginning;Better is patience of spirit than haughtiness of spirit.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Better is it to consider the ende of a thing then the beginning: The pacient of spirite, is better then the hye minded.
Darby Translation
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
New King James Version
The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Literal Translation
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Easy-to-Read Version
It is better to finish something than to start it. It is better to be gentle and patient than to be proud and impatient.
World English Bible
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
King James Version (1611)
Better is the ende of a thing then the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.
King James Version
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The ende of a thinge is better then the begynnynge. The pacient of sprete is better then the hie mynded.
THE MESSAGE
Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out.
Amplified Bible
The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit (pride).
American Standard Version
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Bible in Basic English
The end of a thing is better than its start, and a gentle spirit is better than pride.
Webster's Bible Translation
Better [is] the end of a thing than its beginning: [and] the patient in spirit [is] better than the proud in spirit.
New English Translation
The end of a matter is better than its beginning; likewise, patience is better than pride.
Contemporary English Version
Something completed is better than something just begun; patience is better than too much pride.
Complete Jewish Bible
The end of something is better than its beginning, so the patient are better than the proud.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.
George Lamsa Translation
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; and the patient man in humbleness is better than the proud in spirit.
Hebrew Names Version
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
New Living Translation
Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.
New Life Bible
The end of something is better than its beginning. Not giving up in spirit is better than being proud in spirit.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
English Revised Version
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Berean Standard Bible
The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
New Revised Standard
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, - Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-9) Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous.
Lexham English Bible
The end of a matter is better than its beginning; better to be slow to anger than hot-headed.
English Standard Version
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
New American Standard Bible
The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than arrogance of spirit.
New Century Version
It is better to finish something than to start it. It is better to be patient than to be proud.
Good News Translation
The end of something is better than its beginning. Patience is better than pride.
Christian Standard Bible®
The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
Revised Standard Version
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Young's Literal Translation
Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

Contextual Overview

7 Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding. 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; [and] the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Don't be in a hurry in your spirit to be angry; for anger rests in the bosom of fools. 10 Don't say, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Better: Psalms 126:5, Psalms 126:6, Isaiah 10:24, Isaiah 10:25, Isaiah 10:28-34, Luke 16:25, James 5:11, 1 Peter 1:13

the patient: Proverbs 13:10, Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 15:18, Proverbs 16:32, Proverbs 28:25, Luke 21:19, Romans 2:7, Romans 2:8, Hebrews 10:36, James 5:8, 1 Peter 2:20, 1 Peter 2:21, 1 Peter 5:5, 1 Peter 5:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 42:36 - all these things are against me 1 Kings 12:14 - My father made 1 Kings 21:4 - And he laid him 2 Chronicles 10:14 - My father Job 42:12 - So Proverbs 17:14 - leave Proverbs 21:24 - haughty 1 Corinthians 13:4 - vaunteth not itself 1 Timothy 3:3 - patient James 1:19 - slow to wrath

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Better [is] the end of a thing than the beginning thereof,.... If the thing is good, other ways the end of it is worse; as the end of wickedness and wicked men, whose beginning is sweet, but the end bitter; yea, are the ways of death, Proverbs 5:4; and so the end of carnal professors and apostates, who begin in the Spirit, and end in the flesh, Galatians 3:3; but the end of good things, and of good men, is better than the beginning; as the end of Job was, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual, Job 8:7; see

Psalms 37:37;

[and] the patient in spirit [is] better than the proud in spirit; patience is a fruit of the Spirit of God; and is of great use in the Christian's life, and especially in bearing afflictions, and tends to make men more humble, meek, and quiet; and such are highly esteemed of God; on them he looks, with them he dwells, and to them he gives more grace; when such who are proud, and elated with themselves, their riches or righteousness, are abominable to him; see Luke 16:15.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Better - Inasmuch as something certain is attained, man contemplates the end throughout an entire course of action, and does not rest upon the beginning.

Patient ... proud - literally, “Long,” long-suffering ...“high,” in the sense of impatient.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 7:8. Better is the end — We can then judge of the whole, and especially if the matter relate to the conduct of Divine Providence. At the beginning we are often apt to make very rash conjectures, and often suppose that such and such things are against us; and that every thing is going wrong. Dr. Byrom gives good advice on such a subject: -

"With patient mind thy course of duty run:

God nothing does, nor suffers to be done,

But thou wouldst do thyself, couldst thou but see

The end of all events, as well as HE."

I may add, in the words of our paraphrast: -

"Wait the result, nor ask with frantic rage

Why God permits such things. His ways, though now

Involved in clouds and darkness, will appear

All right, when from thine eyes the mist is cleared.

Till then, to learn submission to his will

More wisdom shows, than vainly thus to attempt

Exploring what thou canst not comprehend,

And God for wisest ends thinks fit to hide."

C.


 
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