Ecclesiastes 7 15

Ecclesiastes 7:15 kjv

All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 nkjv

I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 niv

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 esv

In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 nlt

I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people.

Ecclesiastes 7 verses

Ecclesiastes 7 15 Meaning

Ecclesiastes 7:15 states Qoheleth's observation that, during his life, he has seen a seemingly unjust reality: righteous individuals experiencing ruin or premature death despite their uprightness, while wicked individuals prosper and live long lives despite their wrongdoing. This verse highlights a challenging paradox in life "under the sun," where the conventional wisdom of divine retribution (that righteousness leads to blessing and wickedness to punishment) often does not manifest in the temporal world.

Ecclesiastes 7 15 Context

Ecclesiastes 7 is part of Qoheleth's discourse on wisdom and folly, good and evil, and the perceived paradoxes of life. Verses 1-14 offer a series of contrasting observations, often preferring things that seem difficult (like a day of mourning over feasting, or hearing a wise rebuke) because they lead to growth and a sober perspective. The chapter often presents wisdom as a protection. However, verse 15 serves as a crucial turning point, acknowledging that even wisdom and righteousness don't guarantee earthly rewards or protection from suffering. It introduces the empirical reality that contradicts simplified retribution theology, setting the stage for Qoheleth's ongoing struggle to reconcile human experience with divine justice, a major theme explored throughout the book. This observation contributes to his overall assessment of life "under the sun" as "vanity" or "hevel," recognizing its impermanence and unpredictable nature without a divine, ultimate perspective. Historically, this observation was a direct challenge to the common understanding of the Deuteronomic covenant, which promised direct earthly blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, and parallels the profound questions raised in the Book of Job.

Ecclesiastes 7 15 Word analysis

• "All things": (הַכֹּל, ha-kol) This indicates a comprehensive observation. Qoheleth presents this as a universal phenomenon he has personally witnessed, signifying the scope of his inquiry.

• "have I seen": (רָאִיתִי, ra'iti) Emphasizes direct, empirical observation. This is not theory or hearsay but Qoheleth's own experienced reality, lending weight to his seemingly pessimistic findings. It underscores the perspective "under the sun."

• "in my days of vanity": (בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי, biy-mei hevli)

  • "my days": Refers to his entire life's span, suggesting a prolonged and consistent observation.
  • "vanity": (הֶבֶל, hevel) This is a cornerstone term in Ecclesiastes, often translated as futility, meaningless, vapor, or breath. It speaks to the transient, inexplicable, often frustrating, and ultimately ungraspable nature of life when viewed purely from an earthly, human perspective, lacking an eternal divine revelation. It's the inherent inscrutability and unreliability of outcomes. Here, it refers to his experience of this fleeting and frustrating reality.

• "There is a righteous man who perishes": (יֵשׁ צַדִּיק אֹבֵד, yesh tsaddiq oved)

  • "righteous": (צַדִּיק, tsaddiq) Refers to an upright, just, and morally good person, one who strives to live according to God's ways.
  • "perishes": (אֹבֵד, oved) Can mean to die, to be ruined, to suffer greatly, or to come to naught. It implies an unfortunate or destructive end or circumstance, not necessarily spiritual damnation but a temporal, tangible loss or suffering.

• "in his righteousness": (בְּצִדְקֹו, b'tsidqo) This intensifies the paradox. The suffering or perishing is not despite their righteousness but appears to happen in conjunction with or even because of their righteousness (e.g., integrity leading to conflict). It means they are righteous at the time they perish.

• "and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life": (וְיֵשׁ רָשָׁע מַאֲרִיךְ, w'yesh rasha ma'arikh)

  • "wicked": (רָשָׁע, rasha) Refers to one who is evil, ungodly, rebellious against God's law, and unjust.
  • "prolongs his life": (מַאֲרִיךְ, ma'arikh) Means to live long, thrive, flourish, enjoy success and longevity. This is the direct inverse of the righteous perishing.

• "in his evildoing": (בְּרָעָתוֹ, b'ra'ato) Similar to "in his righteousness," this highlights that the wicked person is prospering while actively engaged in evil, or perhaps even because of their unethical practices (e.g., exploitative business).

• "All things have I seen in my days of vanity": This phrase emphasizes Qoheleth's wide-ranging observation of life's paradoxical nature, filtering all he sees through the lens of human existence being temporary and inherently unable to provide ultimate meaning or justice on its own terms.

• "a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing": This couplet is the core antinomy, directly challenging the simplistic "retribution principle" that assumed immediate and direct blessings for good deeds and curses for bad deeds. It is a bold statement about the observed disconnect between moral conduct and earthly outcome, a problem frequently grappled with in the Wisdom Literature of the Bible.

Ecclesiastes 7 15 Bonus section

This verse encapsulates a major tension within biblical wisdom literature, particularly between Ecclesiastes (and Job) and more deterministic retribution principle texts (like parts of Proverbs or Deuteronomy). While Deuteronomy clearly lays out a covenantal framework of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, Ecclesiastes delves into the lived experience, highlighting that these principles are not always straightforwardly applied in daily temporal reality. The "scandal" of the righteous suffering and the wicked prospering is a core problem that often leads individuals to doubt divine justice. However, for Qoheleth, it serves not as an indictment of God, but as a pointer to the limits of human understanding and the "vanity" of life's pursuits if focused solely on earthly outcomes. It ultimately redirects his (and the reader's) gaze towards an unseen, higher justice, a complete trust in God's ultimate plan which extends beyond one's "days of vanity," culminating in the call to "fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecc 12:13), recognizing that true justice and meaning reside in God alone and in eternity.

Ecclesiastes 7 15 Commentary

Ecclesiastes 7:15 captures one of the most poignant and difficult observations made by Qoheleth: the frequent disparity between an individual's moral conduct and their temporal fate. This verse stands as a sharp contradiction to the common wisdom of the ancient Near East, and even certain interpretations of Israelite theology, which posited a straightforward divine retribution in this life where the righteous prosper and the wicked suffer. Qoheleth, through empirical observation "under the sun," finds that reality is often more complex and seemingly unfair. This is not a theological declaration about God's justice ultimately failing, but rather an honest report of how things often appear from a limited, human vantage point. This apparent injustice contributes significantly to Qoheleth's assessment of life as "hevel" or vanity—full of inexplicable contradictions and beyond human control or understanding. It prompts the reader to seek a deeper, transcendent answer beyond earthly circumstances, foreshadowing Qoheleth's ultimate conclusion about fearing God, whose ways and timing are ultimately just, though not always immediately visible.