Ecclesiastes 7:16

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself {H3148} overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אַל־תְּהִי צַדִּיק הַרְבֵּה וְאַל־תִּתְחַכַּם יוֹתֵר לָמָּה תִּשּׁוֹמֵם

Transliteration

ʾAl-təhî ṣaddîq harbēh wə-ʾal-tiṯḥakkam yôṯēr why tiššômēm

Grammar Details

• *ʾAl*: negative particle - do not
• *təhî*: Qal jussive 2nd masculine singular - be
• *ṣaddîq*: adjective, masculine singular - righteous
• *harbēh*: adverb - much/greatly
• *wə-ʾal*: conjunction + negative particle - and do not
• *tiṯḥakkam*: Hithpael imperfect 2nd masculine singular - show yourself wise
• *yôṯēr*: adverb - excessively
• *tiššômēm*: Hithpolel imperfect 2nd masculine singular - be desolate/be appalled

Word Meanings

• *təhî* *ṣaddîq* *harbēh*: be overly righteous/be excessively scrupulous
• *tiṯḥakkam* *yôṯēr*: make yourself too wise/be excessively clever
• *tiššômēm*: be desolate/be appalled/destroy yourself

Referenced Verses

• Rom 12:3 : 3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but so to think as to think {G1519} soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith.
• Luke 18:12 : 12 I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.
• Prov 25:16 : 16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
• Phil 3:6 : 6 as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
• Col 2:18 : 18 Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
• Col 2:23 : 23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; [but are] not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.
• 1 Tim 4:3 : 3 forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.
• Jas 3:13-17 : 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first {G3303} pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, {G2532} without hypocrisy.
• Rev 18:19 : 19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
• Eccl 12:12 : 12 And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
• Matt 6:1-7 : 1 Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. 5 And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. 7 And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
• Matt 9:14 : 14 Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
• Matt 15:2-9 : 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given [to God]; 6 he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching [as their] doctrines the precepts of men.
• Matt 23:5 : 5 But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders [of] [their] [garments],
• Matt 23:23-24 : 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!
• Matt 23:29 : 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,
• Matt 23:38 : 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
• Rom 10:2 : 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
• Rom 11:25 : 25 For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest {G3361} ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;
• 1 Cor 3:18 : 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.
• 1 Cor 3:20 : 20 and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.
• Gen 3:6 : 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
• Job 11:12 : 12 But vain man is void of understanding, Yea, man is born [as] a wild ass's colt.
• Job 28:28 : 28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.
• Prov 23:4 : 4 Weary not thyself to be rich; Cease from thine own wisdom.