Ecclesiastes 7:29 (LSB)

Passage

See, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:27 “See, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

Ecclesiastes 7:28 which my soul still seeks but has not found. I have found one man out of a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 See, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "found", "only", "upright", "sought", and "devices". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "found" and "only", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "which my soul still seeks but has...", giving immediate footing for "found" and "only". In Ecclesiastes context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "found" and "only" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.