Ecclesiastes 7:18 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ?

Ecclesiastes 7:17 Be not over much 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 this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

Ecclesiastes 7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "thou", "shouldest", "take", "hold", "withdraw", "thine", and "hand". 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 over much wicked neither be..." 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.