Ecclesiastes 7:11 (DRB)

Passage

Say not: What thinkest thou is the cause that former times were better than they are now? for this manner of question is foolish.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:9 Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 Be not quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.

Ecclesiastes 7:11 Say not: What thinkest thou is the cause that former times were better than they are now? for this manner of question is foolish.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 Wisdom with riches is more profitable, and bringeth more advantage to them that see the sun.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 For as wisdom is a defence, so money is a defence: but learning and wisdom excel in this, that they give life to him that possesseth them.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Be not quickly angry for anger resteth..." into verse 12's "Wisdom with riches is more profitable and...", so "thinkest" 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 "thinkest" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.