Ecclesiastes 7:3

Bishops' Bible (1568)

Grauitie is better then to laugh: for when the countenaunce is heauie, the heart is refourmed.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

טוֹב כַּעַס מִשְּׂחֹק כִּי־בְרֹעַ פָּנִים יִיטַב לֵב

Transliteration

Ṭôḇ kaʿas from-śəḥōq kî-in-rōaʿ pānîm yîṭaḇ lēḇ

Grammar Details

• *Ṭôḇ*: adjective, masculine singular - good/better
• *kaʿas*: noun, masculine singular - vexation/grief/sorrow
• *śəḥōq*: noun, masculine singular - laughter/mirth
• *kî*: conjunction - for/because
• *rōaʿ*: noun, masculine singular - sadness/severity
• *pānîm*: noun, masculine plural - faces/countenance
• *yîṭaḇ*: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - it is made better
• *lēḇ*: noun, masculine singular - heart

Word Meanings

• *Ṭôḇ*: better/more beneficial
• *kaʿas*: grief/sorrow/sadness/vexation
• *śəḥōq*: laughter/mirth/gaiety
• *rōaʿ* *pānîm*: sadness of face/severity of countenance/solemn expression
• *yîṭaḇ* *lēḇ*: heart becomes better/character is improved

Referenced Verses

• 2 Cor 7:9-9 : 9 I nowe reioyce, not that ye were sorie, but that ye so sorowed to repent: for ye sorowed godly, so that in nothyng ye were hurt by vs. 10 For godly sorowe, causeth repentaunce vnto saluatio, not to be repented of: but the sorowe of the world causeth death. 11 For beholde this thing, what carefulnesse this godly sorow that ye toke, hath wrought in you: yea what clearing of your selues, yea what indignation, yea what feare, yea what vehemet desire, yea what zeale, yea what punishment. For in all thynges ye haue shewed your selues that ye were cleare in ye matter.
• Heb 12:10-11 : 10 For they veryly, for a fewe dayes, chastened vs after their owne pleasure: but he, for our profite, that we myght be partakers of his holynesse. 11 No chashsyng for the present seemeth to be ioyous, but greeuous: Neuerthelesse, afterwarde it bryngeth the quiet fruite of ryghteousnesse, vnto the which are exercised therby.
• Rom 5:3-4 : 3 Not that only: but also we reioyce in tribulations, knowyng that tribulation worketh pacience: 4 Pacience profe, profe hope:
• Jas 4:8-9 : 8 Drawe nye to God, and he wyll drawe nye to you. Clense your handes ye sinners, and purifie your heartes ye double mynded. 9 Suffer afflictions, and mourne, and weepe: Let your laughter be turned to mournyng, and your ioy to heauinesse. 10 Humble your selues in the sight of the Lorde, and he shall lyft you vp.
• 2 Cor 4:17 : 17 For our exceedyng tribulation which is momentanie & lyght, prepareth an exceedyng and an eternall wayght of glorie vnto vs.
• Jas 1:2-4 : 2 My brethren, count it all ioy whe ye fall into diuers temptations: 3 Knowyng (this) that the trying of your fayth worketh patience: 4 And let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect & sounde, lackyng nothyng.
• Ps 119:67 : 67 Before I felt affliction I swarued out of the way: but nowe I kepe thy word.
• Ps 119:71 : 71 It is good for me that I am brought into miserie: by that meanes I shall learne thy statutes.
• Ps 126:5-6 : 5 They that sowe in teares: shall reape in ioy. 6 He that goeth foorth on his way, and wepyng beareth pretious seede: shall doubtlesse returning, come againe with a ioyfull noyse, bryngyng his sheaues with hym.
• Jer 31:8-9 : 8 Beholde, I wyll bryng them agayne from out of the north lande, and gather them from the endes of the worlde, with the blynde & lame that are among them, with the women that be great with chylde, & such as be also deliuered: and the companie of them that come agayne shalbe great. 9 They shall come weepyng, and with mercifull pitie will I bring them hither agayne: I will leade them to the riuers of water in a strayght way where they shall not stumble: For I am Israels father, and Ephraim is my first borne.
• Jer 31:15-20 : 15 Thus saith the Lorde, The voyce of heauinesse, weepyng, and lamentation was hearde on hye, euen of Rachel mournyng for her children, and woulde not be comforted because they were not. 16 But nowe saith the Lorde, leaue of from weepyng and crying, withholde thine eyes from teares: for thy labour shalbe rewarded saith the Lorde, and they shall come agayne out of the lande of their enemies. 17 Yea euen thy posteritie shall haue consolation in this saith the Lorde, that thy children shal come agayne into their owne lande. 18 Moreouer, I hearde Ephraim that was led away captiue complayne on this maner: O Lorde thou hast correct me, & thy chastenyng haue I receaued, as an vntamed calfe, conuert thou me and I shalbe conuerted: for thou art my Lorde God. 19 Yea assoone as thou turnest me, I shall refourme my selfe, and when I vnderstande, I shall smite vpon my thygh: For veryly I haue committed shamefull thynges: for I haue borne the reproofe and confusion of my youth. 20 Upon this complaynt I thought thus by my selfe: Is not Ephraim my deare sonne? Is he not the childe with whom I haue had all my mirth and pastime? For since the tyme that I first comuned with hym, I haue hym euer in remembraunce: therfore my heart driueth me vnto hym, gladly and louyngly wyll I haue mercie vpon him, saith the Lorde.
• Jer 50:4-5 : 4 In those dayes, and at that tyme saith the Lorde, the chyldren of Israel shall come, they and the children of Iuda, weeping and making haste, and shal seeke the Lorde their God. 5 They shall aske the way to Sion, thither shall they turne their faces, saying: Come, and we wyll cleaue to the Lorde in a couenaunt that neuer shalbe broken.
• Dan 9:3-9 : 3 And I turned my face vnto the Lord God, and sought by prayer and supplication, with fasting, sackcloth, and asshes. 4 I prayed vnto the Lorde my God, & made my confession, saying. O Lorde God, great and feare full, which kepeth couenaunt and mercie with them that loue him and kepe his commaundementes: 5 We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie, and haue done wickedly, yea we haue rebelled, & haue departed from thy preceptes, & from thy iudgementes. 6 We woulde not obey thy seruauntes the prophetes, that spake in thy name to our kinges and princes, to our forefathers, and to all the people of the lande. 7 O Lorde, righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee, vnto vs open shame, as is came to passe this day vnto euery man of Iuda, and to them that dwel at Hierusalem yea vnto all Israel, whether they be farre or nye throughout all the landes whither thou hast driuen them, because of their offences that they haue done against thee. 8 Yea O Lorde, vnto vs, to our kinges & princes, to our forefathers that haue offended thee, belongeth open shame. 9 Unto the Lorde our God pertayneth compassion and forgeuenesse, though we haue rebelled against him. 10 And we haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde our God, to walke in his lawes which he layde before vs, by the hande of his seruauntes the prophetes. 11 Yea all Israel haue transgressed and gone backe from thy lawe, so that they haue not hearkened vnto thy voyce: wherefore the curse and oth that is written in the lawe of Moyses the seruaunt of God, against whom we haue offended, is poured vpon vs. 12 And he hath confirmed his wordes, which he spake against vs and against our iudges that iudged vs, to bring vpon vs such a great plague as neuer was vnder heauen, lyke as it is now come to passe in Hierusalem. 13 Yea, all this plague as it is written in the lawe of Moyses, is come vpon vs: yet made we not our prayers before the Lorde our God, that we might turne againe from our wickednes, and vnderstand thy trueth. 14 Therfore hath the Lord watched vpon the plague, and brought it vpon vs: for the Lorde our God is righteous in all his workes which he doth: for we would not hearken vnto his voyce. 15 And now O Lord our God, thou that with a mightie hande hast brought thy people out of the lande of Egypt to get thy selfe a name, which remayneth this day, we haue sinned, we haue done wickedly. 16 O Lorde, according to all thy righteousnes, I beseche thee let thyne anger and thy wrath be turned away from thy citie of Hierusalem, thy holy hill: for because of our sinnes, and for the wickednesse of our fathers, Hierusalem and thy people are a reproche to all them that are about vs. 17 Now therefore O our God heare the prayer of thy seruaunt, and his intercession: O let thy face thine ouer thy sanctuarie that lyeth waste, for the Lordes sake. 18 O my God, encline thyne eare & hearken, open thyne eyes, beholde howe we be desolated, yea and the citie also which is called after thy name: for we do not present our prayers before thee in our owne righteousnes, but in thy great mercies. 19 O Lorde heare, O forgeue Lorde, O Lorde consider and do it, defer not, for thyne owne sake O my God: because thy name is called vpon thy citie, & vpon thy people.
• Dan 10:2-3 : 2 At the same time, I Daniel mourned for the space of three weekes of dayes. 3 I ate no pleasaunt bread, as for flesh and wine there came none within my mouth: no, I did not once annoynt my selfe till the whole three weekes of dayes were fulfilled.
• Dan 10:19 : 19 And saide, O man greatly beloued feare not, peace be vnto thee, be strong and of good courage. So when he had spoken vnto me, I was strengthened and saide, Speake on my Lorde: for thou hast strengthened me.
• Zech 12:10-14 : 10 Moreouer, vpon the house of Dauid & vpon the citezins of Hierusalem wyll I poure out the spirite of grace & compassion, so that they shall loke vpon me whom they haue pearsed, and they shal lamet for him as men mourne for their onely begotten sonne: yea, and be sory for him, as men are sory for their first childe. 11 Then shal there be a great mourning at Hierusalem, like as the lamentation at Adadremmon in the fielde of Mageddon. 12 And the lande shal bewaile, euery kindred by them selues alone: the kindred of the house of Dauid by them selues, and their wyues by them selues: the kindred of the house of Nathan them selues, and their wyues by them selues: 13 The kindred of the house of Leui them selues alone, and their wyues by them selues: the kindred of the house of Semei them selues alone, and their wyues by them selues. 14 In lyke maner, all the other generations euery one by them selues alone, and their wyues by them selues.
• Luke 6:21 : 21 Blessed are ye that hunger nowe, for ye shalbe satisfied. Blessed are ye that weepe nowe, for ye shall laugh.
• Luke 6:25 : 25 Wo vnto you that are full: for ye shall hunger. Wo vnto you that nowe laugh: for ye shall wayle and weepe.
• John 16:20-22 : 20 Ueryly veryly I say vnto you, ye shall wepe and lament, the worlde shall reioyce: ye shall sorowe, but your sorowe shalbe turned to ioy. 21 A woman, when she trauayleth, hath sorowe, because her houre is come: but assoone as she is deliuered of the childe, she remembreth no more the anguishe, for ioy that a man is borne into ye world. 22 And ye nowe therefore haue sorowe: but I wyll see you agayne, and your heartes shall reioyce, and your ioy shall no man take from you.