Ecclesiastes 7:16 (YLT)

Passage

Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:14 In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging <FI>himself<Fi> in his wrong.

Ecclesiastes 7:16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

Ecclesiastes 7:17 Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

Ecclesiastes 7:18 <FI> It is<Fi> good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "over-righteous", "show", "thyself", "wise", "thou", and "desolate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "over-righteous" and "show", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "The whole I have considered in the..." into verse 17's "Do not much wrong neither be thou...", so "over-righteous" and "show" 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 "over-righteous" and "show" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.