Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 7:16–17
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?
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Ecclesiastes 7:16
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do not | אַל־ | ’al- | Adverb | H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . . |
| be | תְּהִ֤י | tə·hî | Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| overly | הַרְבֵּ֔ה | har·bêh | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute | H7235 be, or become, much, many, great |
| righteous | צַדִּיק֙ | ṣad·dîq | Adjective - masculine singular | H6662 just, righteous |
| and do not | וְאַל־ | wə·’al- | Conjunctive waw; Adverb | H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . . |
| make yourself too | יוֹתֵ֑ר | yō·w·ṯêr | Noun - masculine singular | H3148 superiority, advantage, excess |
| wise | תִּתְחַכַּ֖ם | tiṯ·ḥak·kam | Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | H2449 be wise |
| Why | לָ֖מָּה | lām·māh | Interrogative | H4100 what? how? aught |
| should you destroy yourself | תִּשּׁוֹמֵֽם׃ | tiš·šō·w·mêm | Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | H8074 be desoleted, appalled |
Ecclesiastes 7:17
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do not | אַל־ | ’al- | Adverb | H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . . |
| be excessively | הַרְבֵּ֖ה | har·bêh | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute | H7235 be, or become, much, many, great |
| wicked | תִּרְשַׁ֥ע | tir·ša‘ | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | H7561 be wicked, act wickedly |
| and do not | וְאַל־ | wə·’al- | Conjunctive waw; Adverb | H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . . |
| be | תְּהִ֣י | tə·hî | Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| a fool | סָכָ֑ל | sā·ḵāl | Noun - masculine singular | H5530 fool |
| Why | לָ֥מָּה | lām·māh | Interrogative | H4100 what? how? aught |
| should you die | תָמ֖וּת | ṯā·mūṯ | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | H4191 die |
| before | בְּלֹ֥א | bə·lō | Preposition-b; Adverb - Negative particle | H3808 not |
| your time | עִתֶּֽךָ׃ | ‘it·te·ḵā | Noun - common singular construct; second person masculine singular | H6256 time |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Ecclesiastes 7:16 Romans 12:3 · Proverbs 25:16 · Colossians 2:18 · Matthew 6:1–7 · James 3:13–17 · 1 Corinthians 3:18 · Ecclesiastes 12:12 · Genesis 3:6 · Colossians 2:23 · Luke 18:12 · Job 11:12 · Job 28:28
Ecclesiastes 7:17 Proverbs 10:27 · Psalm 55:23 · Job 22:16 · Acts 12:23 · Acts 5:10 · Acts 5:5 · 1 Samuel 25:38 · Genesis 38:7–10 · Job 15:32–33 · James 1:21
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.