Ecclesiastes 7:18 (DBY)

Passage

It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Ecclesiastes 7:17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

Ecclesiastes 7:18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

Ecclesiastes 7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "thou", "shouldest", "take", "hold", "withdraw", "hand", and "feareth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "good" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Be not overmuch wicked neither be thou..." into verse 19's "Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten...", so "good" and "thou" 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 "good" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.