Ecclesiastes 7:20 (WEB)

Passage

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn’t sin.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:18 It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that don’t withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come out of them all.

Ecclesiastes 7:19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn’t sin.

Ecclesiastes 7:21 Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;

Ecclesiastes 7:22 for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "surely", "righteous", "earth", "does", "good", and "doesn". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "surely" and "righteous", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Wisdom is a strength to the wise..." into verse 21's "Also don t take heed to all...", so "surely" and "righteous" 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 "surely" and "righteous" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.