Ecclesiastes 7:10 (YLT)

Passage

Say not thou, `What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better <FI>is<Fi> the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better <FI>is<Fi> the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 Say not thou, `What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

Ecclesiastes 7:11 Wisdom <FI>is<Fi> good with an inheritance, And an advantage <FI>it is<Fi> to those beholding the sun.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom <FI>is<Fi> a defense, money <FI>is<Fi> a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom <FI>is<Fi> , She reviveth her possessors.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "former", "days", "better", "than", "hast", and "asked". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "former", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "Be not hasty in thy spirit to..." into verse 11's "Wisdom FI is Fi good with an...", so "thou" and "former" 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 "thou" and "former" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.