Ecclesiastes 7:8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 7:7-10

Solomon had often complained before of the oppressions which he saw under the sun, which gave occasion for many melancholy speculations and were a great discouragement to virtue and piety. Now here, I. He grants the temptation to be strong (Eccl. 7:7): Surely it is often too true that oppression makes a wise man mad. If a wise man be much and long oppressed, he is very apt to speak and act unlike himself, to lay the reins on the neck of his passions, and break out into indecent complaints... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 7:8

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof ,.... If the thing is good, other ways the end of it is worse; as the end of wickedness and wicked men, whose beginning is sweet, but the end bitter; yea, are the ways of death, Proverbs 5:4 ; and so the end of carnal professors and apostates, who begin in the Spirit, and end in the flesh, Galatians 3:3 ; but the end of good things, and of good men, is better than the beginning; as the end of Job was, both with respect to things... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 7:8

Better is the end - We can then judge of the whole, and especially if the matter relate to the conduct of Divine Providence. At the beginning we are often apt to make very rash conjectures, and often suppose that such and such things are against us; and that every thing is going wrong. Dr. Byrom gives good advice on such a subject: - "With patient mind thy course of duty run: God nothing does, nor suffers to be done, But thou wouldst do thyself, couldst thou but see The and of all... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 7:8

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof. This is not a repetition of the assertion in verse. I concealing the day of death and the day of birth, but states a truth in a certain sense generally true. The end is better because we then can form a right judgment about a matter; we see what was its purpose; we know whether it has been advantageous and prosperous or not. Christ's maxim, often repeated (see Matthew 10:22 ; Matthew 24:13 ; Romans 2:7 ; Hebrews 3:6 , etc.),... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 7:8-14

Section 2. Here follow some recommendations to patience and resignation under the ordering of God's providence. Such conduct is shown to be true wisdom. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ecclesiastes 7:8

Better - Inasmuch as something certain is attained, man contemplates the end throughout an entire course of action, and does not rest upon the beginning.Patient ... proud - literally, “Long,” long-suffering ...“high,” in the sense of impatient. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ecclesiastes 7:8-9

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning The good or evil of things is better known by their end than by their beginning; which is true, not only respecting evil counsels and practices, which perhaps seem pleasant at first, but, at last, bring destruction; but also concerning all noble enterprises, the studies of learning, and the practice of virtue and godliness, in which the beginnings are difficult and troublesome, but in the progress and conclusion they are... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 7:1-14

Proverbs about life and death (7:1-14)The writer now faces up to the fact that people have to make their way through life in spite of its various misfortunes. Through a collection of proverbs he points out that whatever circumstances they find themselves in, they should use them to the best advantage.To begin with, people should desire a good reputation. If they live worthwhile lives, the day of their death will be more important than the day of their birth. It will be the climax that confirms... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 7:8

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof,, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these; for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.""Better is the end ... than the beginning." (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Here again, the truth of this hinges upon the question of whether or not the "thing" spoken of was good or... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ecclesiastes 7:8

Ecclesiastes 7:8. And the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit— Better is he who considereth long, than he whose spirit is high. We have, in this and the preceding verses, the first proof of the third general proposition. Most men, unmindful of futurity, prefer a delicate life to that course whereby a good reputation can be attained; yet a good reputation is preferable by much to the most refined luxury, Ecclesiastes 7:1. A birth-day is every where a day of joy, whereas the day... read more

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