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NASB | Ecclesiastes 7:16 Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ecclesiastes 7:16 Do not be excessively righteous [like those given to self-conceit], and do not be overly wise (pretentious)--why should you bring yourself to ruin? |
Subject: Don't be too righteous; nor too wicked? |
Bible Note: What does "righteous" mean here? Hi Kalos. I don't have clear answers, but here's what I'm thinking. A general theme throughout the Bible is that we should strive for holiness. Admittedly, we fall short. But the New Testament reiterates the refrain of the Olde: "Be Holy, for I am Holy" (ie. 1Peter 1:16) This verse (I think) contradicts that instruction -- saying that seeking holiness can lead to a lot of problems. Look at Jeremiah being thrown in the cistern, and the persecution of the prophets in general. Look at people that stick up for justice today, and are punished. Holiness is very costly, and brings not peace but a sword. (Matt 10:34) One of the themes is Ecclesiastes seems to be "don't stand out. Just do your work, take pleasure in simple things." To strive for more than this is dangerous. So I would say "overly righteous" means to truely strive after holiness. The Amplified Version, I think, wants to gloss over the difficulty of this. Thus, they make the word righteous to mean "self-righteous" --- an arrogant attitude of legalism or pride. I see no reason for this in the text (other than to avoid difficult questions), and no echoes of it elsewhere in Ecclesiastes. If I am right about this, I am still left with a puzzle. How should I understand the moments of advice offered in this book? I see a struggling philosopher, trying on various approaches to life (work, pleasure, family, etc) - and then discarding them. So, is "be neither too righteous nor too wicked" advice to follow, or is this an opionion he experiments with and then rejects? How do we read this verse in context? |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Eccl 7:16 | Author | ||
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Just Read Mark | ||
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kalos | ||
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Just Read Mark | ||
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Morant61 |