Ecclesiastes 7:22 (DBY)

Passage

For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

Nearby Context

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

Ecclesiastes 7:21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.

Ecclesiastes 7:22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

Ecclesiastes 7:23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

Ecclesiastes 7:24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thine", "heart", "knoweth", "oftentimes", "thou", "thyself", "likewise", and "hast". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thine" and "heart", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "Also give not heed unto all words..." into verse 23's "All this have I tried by wisdom...", so "thine" and "heart" 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 "thine" and "heart" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.