Click
here to show/hide instructions.
Instructions on how to use the page:
The commentary for the selected verse is is displayed below.
All commentary was produced against the King James, so the same verse from that translation may appear as well. Hovering your mouse over a commentary's scripture reference attempts to show those verses.
Use the browser's back button to return to the previous page.
Or you can also select a feature from the Just Verses menu appearing at the top of the page.
Selected Verse: Ecclesiates 7:1 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ec 7:1 |
Strong Concordance |
A good name [08034] is better [02896] than precious [02896] ointment [08081]; and the day [03117] of death [04194] than the day [03117] of one's birth [03205]. |
| |
King James |
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
(Ecc. 7:1-29)
(See on Ecc 6:12).
name--character; a godly mind and life; not mere reputation with man, but what a man is in the eyes of God, with whom the name and reality are one thing (Isa 9:6). This alone is "good," while all else is "vanity" when made the chief end.
ointment--used lavishly at costly banquets and peculiarly refreshing in the sultry East. The Hebrew for "name" and for "ointment," have a happy paronomasia, Sheem and Shemen. "Ointment" is fragrant only in the place where the person is whose head and garment are scented, and only for a time. The "name" given by God to His child (Rev 3:12) is for ever and in all lands. So in the case of the woman who received an everlasting name from Jesus Christ, in reward for her precious ointment (Isa 56:5; Mar 14:3-9). Jesus Christ Himself hath such a name, as the Messiah, equivalent to Anointed (Sol 1:3).
and the day of [his] death, &c.--not a general censure upon God for creating man; but, connected with the previous clause, death is to him, who hath a godly name, "better" than the day of his birth; "far better," as Phi 1:23 has it. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
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 (Ecc 2:16; Ecc 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 Ecc 2:17; Ecc 4:2; Ecc 6:5, and in respect of its implying an immediate and a nearer approach to God Ecc 3:21; Ecc 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. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
"Better is a name than precious ointment; and better is the day of death than the day when one is born." Like ראה and ירא, so שׁם and שׁמן stand to each other in the relation of a paronomasia (vid., Song under Sol 1:3). Luther translates: "Ein gut Gercht ist besser denn gute Salbe" "a good odour (= reputation) is better than good ointment. If we substitute the expression denn Wolgeruch than sweet scent, that would be the best possible rendering of the paronomasia. In the arrangement טוב ... טוב שׁם, tov would be adj. to shem (a good reputation goes beyond sweet scent); but tov standing first in the sentence is pred., and shem thus in itself alone, as in the cogn. prov., Pro 22:1, signifies a good, well-sounding, honourable, if not venerable name; cf. anshē hashshem, Gen 6:4; veli-shem, nameless, Job 30:8. The author gives the dark reverse to this bright side of the distich: the day of death better than the day in which one (a man), or he (the man), is born; cf. for this reference of the pronoun, Ecc 4:12; Ecc 5:17. It is the same lamentation as at Ecc 4:2., which sounds less strange from the mouth of a Greek than from that of an Israelite; a Thracian tribe, the Trausi, actually celebrated their birthdays as days of sadness, and the day of death as a day of rejoicing (vid., Bhr's Germ. translat. of Herodotus, Ecc 4:4). - Among the people of the Old Covenant this was not possible; also a saying such as Ecc 7:1 is not in the spirit of the O.T. revelation of religion; yet it is significant that it was possible
(Note: "The reflections of the Preacher," says Hitzig (Sd. deut. ev. protest. Woch. Blatt, 1864, No. 2) "present the picture of a time in which men, participating in the recollection of a mighty religious past, and become sceptical by reason of the sadness of the present time, grasping here and there in uncertainty, were in danger of abandoning that stedfastness of faith which was the first mark of the religion of the prophets.")
within it, without apostasy from it; within the N.T. revelation of religion, except in such references as Mat 26:24, it is absolutely impossible without apostasy from it, or without rejection of its fundamental meaning. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Of death - Seeing this life is so full of vanity, and vexation, and misery, it is more desirable for a man to go out of it, than to come into it. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
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 fragant balms, whose odors 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." |
23 For [1063] I am in a strait [4912] betwixt [1537] two [1417], having [2192] a desire [1939] to [1519] depart [360], and [2532] to be [1511] with [4862] Christ [5547]; which is far [4183] [3123] better [2908]:
3 Because of the savour [07381] of thy good [02896] ointments [08081] thy name [08034] is as ointment [08081] poured forth [07324], therefore do the virgins [05959] love [0157] thee.
3 And [2532] being [846] [5607] in [1722] Bethany [963] in [1722] the house [3614] of Simon [4613] the leper [3015], as he [846] sat at meat [2621], there came [2064] a woman [1135] having [2192] an alabaster box [211] of ointment [3464] of spikenard [3487] [4101] very precious [4185]; and [2532] she brake [4937] the box [211], and poured [2708] it on [2596] his [846] head [2776].
4 And [1161] there were [2258] some [5100] that had indignation [23] within [4314] themselves [1438], and [2532] said [3004], Why [1519] [5101] was [1096] this [3778] waste [684] of the ointment [3464] made [1096]?
5 For [1063] it [5124] might [1410] have been sold [4097] for more than [1883] three hundred [5145] pence [1220], and [2532] have been given [1325] to the poor [4434]. And [2532] they murmured against [1690] her [846].
6 And [1161] Jesus [2424] said [2036], Let [863] her [846] alone [863]; why [5101] trouble ye [2873] [3930] her [846]? she hath wrought [2038] a good [2570] work [2041] on [1519] me [1691].
7 For [1063] ye have [2192] the poor [4434] with [3326] you [1438] always [3842], and [2532] whensoever [3752] ye will [2309] ye may [1410] do [4160] them [846] good [2095]: but [1161] me [1691] ye have [2192] not [3756] always [3842].
8 She hath done [4160] what [3739] she [3778] [846] could [2192]: she is come aforehand [4301] to anoint [3462] my [3450] body [4983] to [1519] the burying [1780].
9 Verily [281] I say [3004] unto you [5213], Wheresoever [3699] [302] this [5124] gospel [2098] shall be preached [2784] throughout [1519] the whole [3650] world [2889], this also [2532] that [3739] she [3778] [846] hath done [4160] shall be spoken [2980] of for [1519] a memorial [3422] of her [846].
5 Even unto them will I give [05414] in mine house [01004] and within my walls [02346] a place [03027] and a name [08034] better [02896] than of sons [01121] and of daughters [01323]: I will give [05414] them an everlasting [05769] name [08034], that shall not be cut off [03772].
12 Him [846] that overcometh [3528] will I make [4160] a pillar [4769] in [1722] the temple [3485] of my [3450] God [2316], and [2532] he shall go [1831] no [3364] more [2089] out [1854]: and [2532] I will write [1125] upon [1909] him [846] the name [3686] of my [3450] God [2316], and [2532] the name [3686] of the city [4172] of my [3450] God [2316], which is [3588] new [2537] Jerusalem [2419], which [3588] cometh down [2597] [2597] out of [1537] heaven [3772] from [575] my [3450] God [2316]: and [2532] I will write upon him my [3450] new [2537] name [3686].
6 For unto us a child [03206] is born [03205], unto us a son [01121] is given [05414]: and the government [04951] shall be upon his shoulder [07926]: and his name [08034] shall be called [07121] Wonderful [06382], Counsellor [03289], The mighty [01368] God [0410], The everlasting [05703] Father [01], The Prince [08269] of Peace [07965].
12 For who knoweth [03045] what is good [02896] for man [0120] in this life [02416], all [04557] the days [03117] of his vain [01892] life [02416] which he spendeth [06213] as a shadow [06738]? for who can tell [05046] a man [0120] what shall be after [0310] him under the sun [08121]?
7 Then shall the dust [06083] return [07725] to the earth [0776] as it was: and the spirit [07307] shall return [07725] unto God [0430] who gave [05414] it.
21 Who knoweth [03045] the spirit [07307] of man [01121] [0120] that goeth [05927] upward [04605], and the spirit [07307] of the beast [0929] that goeth [03381] downward [04295] to the earth [0776]?
5 Moreover he hath not seen [07200] the sun [08121], nor known [03045] any thing: this [02088] hath more rest [05183] than [02088] the other.
2 Wherefore I praised [07623] the dead [04191] which are already [03528] dead [04191] more than the living [02416] which are yet [05728] alive [02416].
17 Therefore I hated [08130] life [02416]; because the work [04639] that is wrought [06213] under the sun [08121] is grievous [07451] unto me: for all is vanity [01892] and vexation [07469] of spirit [07307].
19 For that which befalleth [04745] the sons [01121] of men [0120] befalleth [04745] beasts [0929]; even one thing [0259] befalleth [04745] them: as the one dieth [04194], so dieth [04194] the other [02088]; yea, they have all one [0259] breath [07307]; so that a man [0120] hath no preeminence [04195] above a beast [0929]: for all is vanity [01892].
20 All go [01980] unto one [0259] place [04725]; all are of the dust [06083], and all turn [07725] to dust [06083] again [07725].
16 For there is no remembrance [02146] of the wise [02450] more than [05973] of the fool [03684] for ever [05769]; seeing that which now [03528] is in the days [03117] to come [0935] shall all be forgotten [07911]. And how dieth [04191] the wise [02450] man? as the fool [03684].
24 [3303] The Son [5207] of man [444] goeth [5217] as [2531] it is written [1125] of [4012] him [846]: but [1161] woe [3759] unto that [1565] man [444] by [1223] whom [3739] the Son [5207] of man [444] is betrayed [3860] ! it had been [2258] good [2570] for that [1565] man [846] if [1487] he [444] had [1080] not [3756] been born [1080].
1 A good name [08034] is better [02896] than precious [02896] ointment [08081]; and the day [03117] of death [04194] than the day [03117] of one's birth [03205].
4 Again, I considered [07200] all travail [05999], and every right [03788] work [04639], that for this a man [0376] is envied [07068] of his neighbour [07453]. This is also vanity [01892] and vexation [07469] of spirit [07307].
2 Wherefore I praised [07623] the dead [04191] which are already [03528] dead [04191] more than the living [02416] which are yet [05728] alive [02416].
17 All his days [03117] also he eateth [0398] in darkness [02822], and he hath much [07235] sorrow [03707] and wrath [07110] with his sickness [02483].
12 And if one [0259] prevail [08630] against him, two [08147] shall withstand [05975] him; and a threefold [08027] cord [02339] is not quickly [04120] broken [05423].
8 They were children [01121] of fools [05036], yea, children [01121] of base men [08034]: they were viler [05217] than the earth [0776].
4 There were giants [05303] in the earth [0776] in those days [03117]; and also after [0310] that [03651], when [0834] the sons [01121] of God [0430] came in [0935] unto the daughters [01323] of men [0120], and they bare [03205] children to them, the same [01992] became mighty men [01368] which were of old [05769], men [0582] of renown [08034].
1 A good name [08034] is rather to be chosen [0977] than great [07227] riches [06239], and loving [02896] favour [02580] rather than silver [03701] and gold [02091].
3 Because of the savour [07381] of thy good [02896] ointments [08081] thy name [08034] is as ointment [08081] poured forth [07324], therefore do the virgins [05959] love [0157] thee.