Ecclesiastes 7:2 (WEB)

Passage

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.

Ecclesiastes 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "better", "house", "mourning", "than", "feasting", "living", and "should". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "better" and "house", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "A good name is better than fine..." into verse 3's "Sorrow is better than laughter for by...", so "better" and "house" 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 "better" and "house" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.