Ecc 7 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Eccl 7:1-4: 7:1-4 These proverbs are similar to the sayings in the book of Proverbs. 7:1 The effort to pursue luxuries such as costly perfume is better spent seeking a good reputation for wisdom and righteousness (Prov 22:1 ; 28:6 ). • the day you die is better than the day you are born: There is a sense of relief when the troubles of life are over. The difficulties of life can make one look forward to the peace of death (Eccl 1:18 ; 2:22 ; 4:2-3 ; 12:1 ).

Summary for Eccl 7:1-4: 7:1-4 ^a These proverbs are similar to the sayings in the book of Proverbs. 7:1 ^b The effort to pursue luxuries such as costly perfume is better spent seeking a good reputation for wisdom and righteousness (Prov 22:1 ^c; 28:6 ^d).

• the day you die is better than the day you are born: There is a sense of relief when the troubles of life are over. The difficulties of life can make one look forward to the peace of death (Eccl 1:18 ^e; 2:22 ^f; 4:2-3 ^g; 12:1 ^h).
Summary for Eccl 7:2-6: 7:2-6 ⁱ Frivolous merry-making is foolish when wisdom demands sobriety about death (see also 2:12-13 ^j).
Summary for Eccl 7:3-4: 7:3-4 ^k refining influence: Thinking soberly about death leads us to see the severity of God’s curse on sin and convinces us of the need to enjoy life wisely (9:10 ^l).
Summary for Eccl 7:5-6: 7:5-6 ^m Being praised by a fool and enjoying a fool’s laughter are short-lived and worthless. Being criticized by a wise person can lead to real gain (Prov 17:10 ⁿ).
7:8 ^o Finishing a project by exercising patience is better than starting a project with the pride of boastful words.
7:9 ^p anger labels you a fool: Cp. Prov 14:29 ^q; 29:11 ^r; see thematic note for Anger at end of chapter.
Summary for Eccl 7:11-12: 7:11-12 ^s Wisdom and money are powerful means to bring us benefit.

• but only wisdom can save your life: See 7:17 ^t; Prov 10:2 ^u; 11:4 ^v.
7:13 ^w God’s sovereign acts are irresistible; it is useless to counter or avoid his purposes.
7:14 ^x Enjoying prosperity is beneficial, but such gifts are fleeting. The wise person accepts God’s sovereign hand in everything (cp. Phil 4:11-13 ^y).
7:16 ^z However hard we work, we could always do more, and we can destroy ourselves in the process.
7:17 ^aa don’t be too wicked either: Wicked foolishness can lead to an early death (e.g., 1 Sam 25 ^ab).
7:19 ^ac One wise person: E.g., see 9:14-15 ^ad; 2 Sam 20:15-22 ^ae.
7:20 ^af Not a single person ... always good and never sins: Cp. 1 Kgs 8:46 ^ag; Prov 20:9 ^ah; Rom 3:23 ^ai.
7:22 ^aj It is right to forgive and be gracious toward others’ indiscretions or slips of the tongue.
Summary for Eccl 7:23-25: 7:23-25 ^ak it didn’t work: The Teacher was not able to find the wisdom that he sought or the reason for things. Such reasons are hidden in the mind of God (3:11 ^al; 8:17 ^am).
7:26 ^an a seductive woman: Cp. Prov 5 ^ao; 6:20–7:27 ^ap.
7:28 ^aq The NLT adds the phrase is virtuous (based on 7:29 ^ar) to give the sense of the verse. Virtue is extremely rare: In his own experience, the Teacher found only a few men, and no women, with that quality.
7:29 ^as After much searching, the Teacher did find that humanity’s downward path from God’s created order (Gen 1:27-28 ^at; 2:23-25 ^au; 3:1-19 ^av) was repeated by Adam and Eve’s descendants (cp. Rom 3:10-18 ^aw, 23 ^ax).

Thematic note: Anger
Wise people do not fly off the handle in anger. “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness” (Prov 14:29 ^ay). Because anger can cloud judgment, it is vitally important for the wise to reflect on their actions before responding (14:16 ^az).
Although the book of Proverbs comments on anger only in a negative light, Scripture does not portray all anger as bad. Many psalms express anger (e.g., Ps 77 ^ba), and Jesus became angry as he threw the money changers out of the Temple (Mark 11:15-17 ^bb; John 2:13-16 ^bc). People must learn to distinguish righteous anger from unrighteous anger, though it is often hard to tell the two apart. Unrighteous anger is only concerned to protect or promote oneself (e.g., Gen 4:3-8 ^bd; 1 Sam 18:8-9 ^be; 1 Kgs 21:3-4 ^bf; 2 Kgs 5:11 ^bg; 2 Chr 25:10 ^bh; Jon 4 ^bi). Righteous anger reflects God’s hatred of evil and love of justice (e.g., Exod 32 ^bj; Num 11:1 ^bk, 10 ^bl; see also Nah 1:3 ^bm; Rom 9:22 ^bn). The wise person reads the circumstances and discerns whether and to what degree to express anger (see also Prov 22:24 ^bo; Eccl 7:9 ^bp; Matt 5:22 ^bq; Rom 12:19 ^br; Eph 4:26-27 ^bs, 31 ^bt; Jas 1:19-20 ^bu).

Passages for Further Study
1 Sam 18:8-11 ^bv; 1 Kgs 21:3-16 ^bw; Pss 30:5 ^bx; 37:8 ^by; Prov 12:16 ^bz; 14:29 ^ca; 15:1 ^cb, 18 ^cc; 16:14 ^cd; 19:11-12 ^ce, 19 ^cf; 22:24-25 ^cg; 27:4 ^ch; Eccl 7:9 ^ci; Nah 1:2-3 ^cj; Matt 5:22 ^ck; Eph 4:26-27 ^cl, 31-32 ^cm; 1 Tim 2:8 ^cn; Titus 1:7 ^co; Jas 1:19-21 ^cp