the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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World English Bible
Ecclesiastes 7:1
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Better is a good name than good oil,And better is the day of one's death than the day of one's birth.
A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.
A good name is more worth then precious oyntment: & the day of death, is better the the day of byrth.
A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one's birth;
A good name is better than good ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good reputation is better than expensive pleasures. The day someone dies is better than the day they were born.
A Good name is better then precious ointment: and the day of death, then the day of ones birth.
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good name is more worth then a precious oyntment, and the daye of death is better the ye daye of byrth.
A good reputation is better than a fat bank account. Your death date tells more than your birth date.
A good name is better than precious perfume, And the day of one's death better than the day of one's birth.
A good name is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one's birth.
A good name is better than oil of great price, and the day of death than the day of birth.
A [good] name is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one's birth.
A good name [is] better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good reputation is better than precious perfume; likewise, the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.
A good reputation at the time of death is better than loving care at the time of birth.
A good name is better than perfumed oil, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
A good name is better then a good oyntment, and the day of death, then the day that one is borne.
A GOOD name is better than a precious ointment; and the day of ones death than the day of his birth.
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.
A good name is better than precious oil; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born.
A good name is better than oil of much worth. And the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.
What advantage has a man? for who knows what is good for a man in his life, during the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
A GOOD name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one's day of death is better than his day of birth.
A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death, than the day of birth.
Better a name, than precious ointment, - and the day of death, than the day of one's birth.
(7-2) A good name is better than precious ointments: and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of one's birth.
A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.
A good name is better than good oil, And the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.
It is better to have respect than good perfume. The day of death is better than the day of birth.
A good reputation is better than expensive perfume; and the day you die is better than the day you are born.
A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of one's death than the day of one's birth.
A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death, than the day of birth.
Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
name: Proverbs 15:30, Proverbs 22:1, Isaiah 56:5, Luke 10:20, Hebrews 11:2, Hebrews 11:39
precious: Ecclesiastes 10:1, Psalms 133:2, Proverbs 27:9, Song of Solomon 1:3, Song of Solomon 4:10, John 13:2
the day: Ecclesiastes 4:2, Job 3:17, Isaiah 57:1, Isaiah 57:2, 2 Corinthians 5:1, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:21-23, Revelation 14:13
Reciprocal: Genesis 44:7 - General Ruth 3:14 - Let it not Nehemiah 6:13 - and that they Jonah 4:3 - for
Cross-References
This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.
Yahweh said to Noah, "Come with all of your household into the ark, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation.
In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Every living thing that I have made, I will destroy from the surface of the ground."
Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth.
Noah went into the ark with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, because of the waters of the flood.
Clean animals, animals that are not clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground
went by pairs to Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah.
It happened after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came on the earth.
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky's windows were opened.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
A good name [is] better than precious ointment,.... The word "good" is not in the text, but is rightly supplied, as it is by Jarchi; for of no other name can this be said; that which is not good cannot be better. Some understand this of the name of God, which is God himself, who is the "summum bonum", and chief happiness of men, and take it to be an answer to the question Ecclesiastes 6:12; this and this only is what is a man's good, and is preferable to all outward enjoyments whatever; interest in him as a covenant God; knowledge of him in Christ, which has eternal life annexed to it; communion with him; the discoveries of his lovingkindness, which is better than little; and the enjoyment of him to all eternity. This is true of the name of Christ, whose name Messiah which signifies anointed, is as ointment poured forth, and is preferable to it, Song of Solomon 1:3; so his other names, Jesus a Saviour; Jehovah, our righteousness; Immanuel, God with us; are exceeding precious to those who know the worth of him, and see their need of righteousness and salvation by him; his person, and the knowledge of him; his Gospel, and the fame and report it gives of him; infinitely exceed the most precious and fragrant ointment; see 2 Corinthians 2:14. So the name or names given to the people of God, the new names of Hephzibah and Beulah, the name of sons of God, better than that of sons and daughters; and of Christians, or anointed ones, having received that anointing from Christ which teacheth all things, and so preferable to the choicest ointment, Isaiah 56:5. Likewise to have a name written in heaven, in the Lamb's book of life, and to have one's name confessed by Christ hereafter before his Father and his holy angels; or even a good name among men, a name for a truly godly gracious person; for love to Christ, zeal for his cause, and faithfulness to his truths and ordinances; such as the woman got, better than the box of ointment poured on Christ's head; and which the brother had, whose praise in the Gospel was throughout the churches; and as Demetrius, who had good report of all then, and of the truth itself, Matthew 26:13 3 John 1:12. Such a good name is better than precious ointment for the value of it, being better than all riches, for which this may be put; see Isaiah 39:2; and for the fragrancy of it, emitting a greater; and for the continuance of it, being more lasting, Psalms 112:6. The Targum is,
"better is a good name the righteous get in this world, thin the anointing oil which was poured upon the heads of kings and priests.''
So Alshech,
"a good name is better than the greatness of a king, though anointed with oil;''
and the day of death than the day of one's birth; some render it, in connection with the preceding clause, "as a good name is better, c. so the day of death than the day of one's birth" f that is, the day of a man's death than the day of his birth. This is to be understood not of death simply considered; for that in itself, abstracted from its connections and consequences, is not better than to be born into the world, or come into life, or than life itself; it is not preferable to it, nor desirable; for it is contrary to nature, being a dissolution of it; a real evil, as life, and long life, are blessings; an enemy to mankind, and a terrible one: nor of ether persons, with whom men have a connection, their friends and relations; for with them the day of birth is a time of rejoicing, and the day of death is a time of mourning, as appears from Scripture and all experience; see John 16:21. It is indeed reported g of some Heathenish and barbarous people in Thrace, and who inhabited Mount Caucasus, that they mourned at the birth of their children, reckoning up the calamities they are entering into, and rejoiced at the death of their friends, being delivered from their troubles: but this is to be understood of the persons themselves that are born and die; not of all mankind, unless as abstracted from the consideration of a future state, and so it is more happy to be freed from trouble than to enter into it; nor of wicked men, it would have been better indeed if they had never been born, or had died as soon as born, that their damnation might not have been aggravated by the multitude of their sins; but after all, to die cannot be best for them, since at death they are cast into hell, into everlasting fire, and endless punishment: this is only true of good men, that have a good name living and dying; have a good work of grace upon them, and so are meet for heaven; the righteousness of Christ on them, and so have a title to it; they are such who have hope in their death, and die in faith and in the Lord: their death is better than their birth; at their birth they come into the world under the imputation and guilt of sin, with a corrupt nature; are defiled with sin, and under the power of it, liable in themselves to condemnation and death for it: at the time of their death they go out justified from sin through the righteousness of Christ, all being expiated by his sacrifice, and pardoned for his sake; they are washed from the faith of sin by the blood of Christ, and are delivered from the power and being of it by the Spirit and grace of God; and are secured from condemnation and the second death: at their coming into the world they are liable to sin yet more and more; at their going out they are wholly freed from it; at the time of their birth they are born to trouble, and are all their days exercised with it, incident to various diseases of the body, have many troubles in the world, and from the men of it; many conflicts with a body of sin and death, and harassed with the temptations of Satan; but at death they are delivered from all these, enter into perfect peace and unspeakable joy; rest from all their labours and toils, and enjoy uninterrupted communion with God, Father, Son, and Spirit, angels, and glorified saints. The Targum is,
"the day in which a man dies and departs to the house of the grave, with a good name and with righteousness, is better than the day in which a wicked man is born into the world.''
So the Midrash interprets it of one that goes out of the world with a good name, considering this clause in connection with the preceding, as many do.
f So Schmidt, and some in Vatablus. g Herodot. Terpsichore, sive l. 5. c. 4. Valer. Maxim. l. 2. c. 6. s. 12. Alexander ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 25.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Name ... ointment - The likeness between reputation and odor supplies a common metaphor: the contrast is between reputation, as an honorable attainment which only wise people win, and fragrant odor, as a gratification of the senses which all people enjoy.
The connection of this verse with the preceding verses is this: the man, who wants to know what is profitable for man and good in this life, is here told to act in such a way as ordinarily secures a good reputation (i. e., to act like a wise man), and to teach himself this hard lesson - to regard the day of death as preferable to the day of birth. Though Solomon seems in some places to feel strongly (Ecclesiastes 2:16; Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 ff) that natural fear of death which is, in a great measure, mistrust founded on the ignorance which Christ dispelled; yet he states the advantage of death over life in respect of its freedom from toil, oppression, restlessness Ecclesiastes 2:17; Ecclesiastes 4:2; Ecclesiastes 6:5, and in respect of its implying an immediate and a nearer approach to God Ecclesiastes 3:21; Ecclesiastes 12:7. While Solomon preferred the day of death, he might still (with Luther here) have regarded birth as a good thing, and as having its place in the creation of God.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER VII
The value of a good name, 1.
Advantages of sorrow and correction, 2-5.
The emptiness of a fool's joy, 6.
Of oppression, 7.
The end better than the beginning, 8.
Against hastiness of spirit, 9.
Comparison of former and present times, 10.
Excellence of wisdom, 11, 12.
Of the dispensations of Providence, 13-15.
Against extremes, 16-18.
The strength of wisdom, 19.
Man is ever liable to sin and mistake, 20.
We should guard our words, 21, 22.
Difficulty of obtaining wisdom, 23-25,
A bad woman dangerous, 26.
There are few who are really upright, 27-29.
NOTES ON CHAP. VII
Verse Ecclesiastes 7:1. A good name — Unsatisfactory as all sublunary things are, yet still there are some which are of great consequence, and among them a good name. The place is well paraphrased in the following verses:
"A spotless name,
By virtuous deeds acquired, is sweeter far
Than fragrant balms, whose odours round diffused
Regale the invited guests. Well may such men
Rejoice at death's approach, and bless the hours
That end their toilsome pilgrimage; assured
That till the race of life is finish'd none
Can be completely blest."
