Ecclesiastes 7:2

Geneva Bible (1560)

(7:4) It is better to goe to the house of mourning, then to goe to the house of feasting, because this is the ende of all men: and the liuing shall lay it to his heart.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

טוֹב לָלֶכֶת אֶל־בֵּית־אֵבֶל מִלֶּכֶת אֶל־בֵּית מִשְׁתֶּה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא סוֹף כָּל־הָאָדָם וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל־לִבּוֹ

Transliteration

Ṭôḇ lāleḵeṯ to-bêṯ-ʾēḇel from-lekeṯ to-bêṯ mišteh in-which he sôp̄ all-the-ʾāḏām wə-haḥay yittēn to-libbô

Grammar Details

• *Ṭôḇ*: adjective, masculine singular - good/better
• *lāleḵeṯ*: Qal infinitive construct with preposition - to go
• *bêṯ*-*ʾēḇel*: construct chain - house of mourning
• *lekeṯ*: Qal infinitive construct - going
• *bêṯ* *mišteh*: noun + noun - house of feasting
• *sôp̄*: noun, masculine singular - end
• *ʾāḏām*: noun, masculine singular with definite article - the man/mankind
• *wə-haḥay*: conjunction + article + adjective/participle - and the living
• *yittēn*: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - he will give/set
• *libbô*: noun, masculine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his heart

Word Meanings

• *Ṭôḇ*: good/better/more beneficial
• *bêṯ*-*ʾēḇel*: house of mourning/place of grief
• *bêṯ* *mišteh*: house of feasting/place of banquet
• *sôp̄*: end/conclusion/destiny
• *ʾāḏām*: mankind/humanity/every person
• *haḥay*: the living one/one who is alive
• *yittēn* *ʾel-libbô*: will take to heart/will consider deeply/will reflect

Referenced Verses

• Ps 90:12 : 12 Teach vs so to nomber our dayes, that we may apply our heartes vnto wisdome.
• Isa 5:11-12 : 11 Wo vnto them, that rise vp early to followe drunkennes, and to them that continue vntill night, till the wine doe inflame them. 12 And the harpe and viole, timbrel, and pipe, and wine are in their feastes: but they regard not the worke of the Lorde, neither consider the worke of his handes.
• Isa 22:12-14 : 12 And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call vnto weeping and mourning, and to baldnes and girding with sackecloth. 13 And beholde, ioy and gladnes, slaying oxen and killing sheepe, eating flesh, & drinking wine, eating and drinking: for to morowe we shall die. 14 And it was declared in ye eares of the Lorde of hostes. Surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you, til ye die, saith the Lord God of hostes.
• Isa 47:7 : 7 And thou saidest, I shal be a ladie for euer, so that thou diddest not set thy mind to these things, neither diddest thou remeber ye latter end therof.
• Amos 6:3-6 : 3 Ye that put farre away the euill day, and approch to the seate of iniquitie? 4 They lie vpon beddes of yuorie, & stretch themselues vpon their beddes, & eate the lambes of the flocke, and the calues out of the stall. 5 They sing to the sounde of the viole: they inuent to themselues instruments of musike like Dauid. 6 They drinke wine in bowles, and anoynt themselues with the chiefe ointments, but no man is sory for the affliction of Ioseph.
• Hag 1:5 : 5 Now therefore thus saith ye Lord of hostes, Consider your owne wayes in your hearts.
• Mal 2:2 : 2 If yee will not heare it, nor consider it in your heart, to giue glory vnto my Name, sayth the Lorde of hostes, I will euen sende a curse vpon you, and will curse your blessings: yea, I haue cursed them alreadie, because yee doe not consider it in your heart.
• Matt 5:4 : 4 Blessed are they that mourne: for they shall be comforted.
• Matt 14:6-9 : 6 But when Herods birth day was kept, the daughter of Herodias daunced before them, and pleased Herod. 7 Wherefore he promised with an othe, that he would giue her whatsoeuer she would aske. 8 And shee being before instructed of her mother, sayde, Giue mee here Iohn Baptists head in a platter. 9 And the King was sorie: neuerthelesse because of the othe, and them that sate with him at the table, he commanded it to be giuen her, 10 And sent, and beheaded Iohn in the prison. 11 And his head was brought in a platter, and giuen to the maide, and shee brought it vnto her mother. 12 And his disciples came, and tooke vp the bodie, and buried it, and went, and tolde Iesus.
• Rom 6:21-22 : 21 What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are nowe ashamed? For the ende of those things is death. 22 But now being freed from sinne, and made seruants vnto God, ye haue your fruit in holines, and the end, euerlasting life.
• Phil 3:19 : 19 Whose ende is damnation, whose God is their bellie, and whose glorie is to their shame, which minde earthly things.
• Heb 9:27 : 27 And as it is appointed vnto men that they shall once die, and after that commeth the iudgement:
• 1 Pet 4:3-4 : 3 For it is sufficient for vs that we haue spet the time past of ye life, after the lust of the Gentiles, walking in wantonnes, lustes, drunkenes, in gluttonie, drinkings, & in abominable idolatries. 4 Wherein it seemeth to them strange, that yee runne not with them vnto the same excesse of riot: therefore speake they euill of you,
• Gen 48:1-9 : 1 Againe after this, one sayd to Ioseph, Loe, thy father is sicke: then hee tooke with him his two sonnes, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 Also one told Iaakob, and said, Behold, thy sonne Ioseph is come to thee, and Israel tooke his strength vnto him and sate vpon the bed. 3 Then Iaakob sayde vnto Ioseph, God almightie appeared vnto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me. 4 And he sayde vnto me, Behold, I wil make thee fruitefull, and will multiplie thee, and will make a great number of people of thee, and will giue this lande vnto thy seede after thee for an euerlasting possession. 5 And now thy two sonnes, Manasseh & Ephraim, which are borne vnto thee in the lande of Egypt, before I came to thee into Egypt, shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 But the linage, which thou hast begotten after them, shalbe thine: they shall be called after the names of their brethren in their inheritance. 7 Nowe when I came from Padan, Rahel died vpon mine hande in the lande of Canaan, by the way when there was but halfe a dayes iourney of grounde to come to Ephrath: and I buryed her there in the way to Ephrath: the same is Beth-lehem. 8 Then Israel beheld Iosephs sonnes & sayd, Whose are these? 9 And Ioseph sayd vnto his father, They are my sonnes, which God hath giuen mee here. Then he sayd, I pray thee, bring them to me, that I may blesse them: 10 (For the eyes of Israel were dimme for age, so that hee coulde not well see) Then he caused them to come to him, & he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel sayde vnto Ioseph, I had not thought to haue seene thy face: yet lo, God hath shewed me also thy seede. 12 And Ioseph tooke them away from his knees, & did reuerence downe to the ground. 13 Then tooke Ioseph them both, Ephraim in his right hand towarde Israels left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israels right hand, so he brought them vnto him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand, and layde it on Ephraims head, which was the yonger, and his left hande vpon Manassehs head (directing his handes of purpose) for Manasseh was the elder. 15 Also he blessed Ioseph and sayde, The God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Izhak did walke, the God, which hath fed me al my life long vnto this day, blesse thee. 16 The Angel, which hath deliuered me from all euill, blesse the children, and let my name be named vpon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Izhak, that they may growe as fish into a multitude in the middes of the earth. 17 But when Ioseph sawe that his father layde his right hande vpon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he stayed his fathers hand to remooue it from Ephraims head to Manassehs head. 18 And Ioseph sayde vnto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the eldest: put thy right hand vpon his head. 19 But his father refused, & sayd, I know well, my sonne, I know well: he shalbe also a people, and he shalbe great likewise: but his yonger brother shalbe greater then he, and his seede shall be full of nations. 20 So he blessed them that day, and sayde, In thee Israel shall blesse, and say, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh; he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said vnto Ioseph, Behold, I die, and God shall be with you, and bring you againe vnto the land of your fathers. 22 Moreouer, I haue giuen vnto thee one portion aboue thy brethren, which I gate out of the hand of the Amorite by my sworde and by my bowe.
• Gen 49:2-9 : 2 Gather your selues together, and heare, ye sonnes of Iaakob, and hearken vnto Israel your father. 3 Reuben mine eldest sonne, thou art my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellencie of dignitie, and the excellencie of power: 4 Thou wast light as water: thou shalt not be excellent, because thou wentest vp to thy fathers bed: then diddest thou defile my bed, thy dignitie is gone. 5 Simeon and Leui, brethren in euill, the instruments of crueltie are in their habitations. 6 Into their secret let not my soule come: my glory, be not thou ioyned with their assembly: for in their wrath they slew a man, and in their selfe will they digged downe a wall. 7 Cursed be their wrath, for it was fierce, and their rage, for it was cruell: I will deuide them in Iaakob, and scatter them in Israel. 8 Thou Iudah, thy brethre shal praise thee: thine hande shalbe in the necke of thine enemies: thy fathers sonnes shal bowe downe vnto thee. 9 Iudah, as a Lions whelpe shalt thou come vp from the spoyle, my sonne. He shall lye downe and couche as a Lion, and as a Lionesse: Who shall stirre him vp? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Iudah, nor a Lawegiuer from betweene his feete, vntill Shiloh come, and the people shall be gathered vnto him. 11 He shall binde his Asse foale vnto ye vine, and his Asses colte vnto the best vine. hee shall wash his garment in wine, and his cloke in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes shalbe red with wine, and his teeth white with milke. 13 Zebulun shall dwell by the sea side, and he shalbe an hauen for shippes: and his border shalbe vnto Zidon. 14 Issachar shalbe a strong asse, couching downe betweene two burdens: 15 And he shall see that rest is good, and that the land is pleasant, and he shall bow his shoulder to beare, and shalbe subiect vnto tribute. 16 Dan shal iudge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder by the path, byting the horse heeles, so that his rider shall fall backward. 18 O Lord, I haue waited for thy saluation. 19 Gad, an hoste of men shal ouercome him, but he shal ouercome at the last. 20 Concerning Asher, his bread shalbe fat, and he shal giue pleasures for a king. 21 Naphtali shalbe a hinde let goe, giuing goodly wordes. 22 Ioseph shalbe a fruitefull bough, euen a fruitful bough by the well side: the smal boughs shall runne vpon the wall. 23 And the archers grieued him, and shotte against him and hated him. 24 But his bowe abode strong, and the hands of his armes were strengthened, by the handes of the mighty God of Iaakob, of whom was the feeder appointed, by the stone of Israel, 25 Euen by the God of thy father, who shall helpe thee, and by the almightie, who shall blesse thee with heauenly blessinges from aboue, with blessings of the deepe, that lyeth beneath, with blessings of the brestes, and of the wombe. 26 The blessings of thy father shalbe stronger then the blessings of mine elders: vnto the ende of the hilles of the worlde they shall be on the head of Ioseph, and on the top of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. 27 Beniamin shall rauine as a wolfe: in the morning he shall deuoure the pray, and at night he shal deuide the spoyle. 28 All these are the twelue tribes of Israel, and thus their father spake vnto them, and blessed them: euery one of them blessed hee with a seuerall blessing. 29 And he charged them & sayd vnto them, I am ready to be gathered vnto my people: burie mee with my fathers in the caue, that is in the fielde of Ephron the Hittite, 30 In the caue that is in the field of Machpelah besides Mamre in the land of Canaan: which caue Abraham bought with the fielde of Ephron the Hittite for a possession to burie in. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife: there they buryed Izhak and Rebekah his wife: and there I buried Leah. 32 The purchase of the fielde and the caue that is therein, was bought of the children of Heth. 33 Thus Iaakob made an end of giuing charge to his sonnes, and plucked vp his feete into the bed and gaue vp the ghost, and was gathered to his people.
• Gen 50:15-17 : 15 And when Iosephs brethren saw that their father was dead, they sayde, It may be that Ioseph will hate vs, and will pay vs againe all the euill, which we did vnto him. 16 Therefore they sent vnto Ioseph, saying, Thy father commanded before his death, saying, 17 Thus shal ye say vnto Ioseph, Forgiue now, I pray thee, the trespasse of thy brethren, and their sinne: for they rewarded thee euil; nowe, we pray thee, forgiue the trespasse of the seruants of thy fathers God; Ioseph wept, when they spake vnto him.
• Num 23:10 : 10 Who can tell the dust of Iaakob, and the nomber of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last ende be like his.
• Deut 32:29 : 29 Oh that they were wise, then they would vnderstand this: they would consider their latter ende.
• Deut 32:46 : 46 Then hee said vnto them, Set your heartes vnto all the wordes which I testifie against you this day, that ye may commande them vnto your children, that they may obserue and doo all the wordes of this Lawe.
• Job 1:4-5 : 4 And his sonnes went & banketted in their houses, euery one his day, and sent, & called their three sisters to eate and to drinke with them. 5 And when the dayes of their banketting were gone about, Iob sent, and sanctified them, and rose vp early in the morning, and offred burnt offrings according to the nomber of them all. For Iob thought, It may be that my sonnes haue sinned, & blasphemed God in their hearts: thus did Iob euery day.