Ecclesiastes 7:10 (ASV)

Passage

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; [and] the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

Ecclesiastes 7:11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "cause", "former", "days", "better", "than", and "dost". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "cause", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "Be not hasty in thy spirit to..." into verse 11's "Wisdom is as good as an inheritance...", so "thou" and "cause" belong inside that flow. In Ecclesiastes context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thou" and "cause" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.