Ecclesiastes 7:15-29
Fear God and Avoid Extremes
15In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
16Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
18It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.
19Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
20Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
22For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
24What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
25I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
26And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
28While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
29Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
Berean Standard Bible
The Teacher has seen a righteous person perish in righteousness and a wicked person live long in wickedness. The observation challenges the assumption that every earthly outcome immediately reveals a person's moral standing.
He warns against being overly righteous and overly wise, then also against being excessively wicked and foolish. These lines do not tell people to practice a measured amount of sin. They warn against self-made righteousness, moral pride, and the foolish confidence that one can manage life by taking an extreme posture.
The Teacher says it is good to grasp one warning without letting the other go, because the person who fears God will follow both. Reverence for God keeps wisdom from becoming self-admiration and keeps realism from becoming permission for evil.
He then says there is no righteous person on earth who always does good and never sins. That sentence resists both superiority and despair. We cannot claim flawless goodness, and we do not need to pretend that wrongdoing is harmless.
The Teacher advises against listening to every word spoken by others. A servant may curse his master, but the hearer knows that he too has cursed others. Remembering our own failures can make us less eager to collect every insult.
The final observation says God made mankind upright, but people have sought many schemes. Proverbs warns against trusting our own understanding. Romans says all people are accountable and that the Law exposes sin rather than giving us a basis for boasting.
The difficult material about a woman as a snare should be read in the context of the Teacher's search and the ancient setting, not as a license for contempt toward women. The closing statement names a universal problem: people devise many schemes after God made them upright.
How We Know
Proverbs 3:5-7 warns against relying on one's own understanding and calls for humility before the LORD. Romans 3:9-20 says all people are under sin and that the Law makes guilt known. Ecclesiastes warns against pride, extremes, and schemes while calling people to fear God.
Questions
1 What had the Teacher observed about righteous and wicked people?
AnswerHe had seen a righteous person perish in righteousness and a wicked person live long in wickedness.
2 What kind of righteousness should people avoid?
AnswerThey should avoid self-exalting or overly confident righteousness.
3 Who will follow both warnings?
AnswerThe person who fears God will follow both warnings.
4 What did God make mankind to be?
AnswerGod made mankind upright, but people have sought many schemes.
What This Means for Us
Reject moral superiority and moral carelessness alike. Fear God, admit your own sin, and do not turn a difficult line into permission to despise anyone.
Prayer
God, keep us humble and honest. Protect us from self-righteousness, foolish permission, and contempt for others; teach us to fear You and walk uprightly. Amen.