Ecclesiastes 7:21 (DRB)

Passage

For there is no just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:19 It is good that thou shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.

Ecclesiastes 7:21 For there is no just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.

Ecclesiastes 7:22 But do not apply thy heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant reviling thee.

Ecclesiastes 7:23 For thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "just", "upon", "earth", "doth", "good", and "sinneth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "just" and "upon", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than..." into verse 22's "But do not apply thy heart to...", so "just" and "upon" 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 "just" and "upon" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.