TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
Complete Jewish Bible
A good name is better than perfumed oil, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
Berean Standard Bible
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
American Standard Version
Agoodname is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one’s birth.
World English Bible Messianic
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?
Young's Literal Translation
Better is a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
See also
In the KJVVerse 17,431 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 7 verses 1–6
1 ¶ A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points
In these verses Solomon lays down some great truths which seem paradoxes to the unthinking part, that is, the far greatest part, of mankind.
I. That the honour of virtue is really more valuable and desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world (Ecc 7:1): A good name is before good ointment (so it may be read); it is preferable to it, and will be rather chosen by all that are wise. Good ointment is here put for all the profits of the earth (among the products of which oil was reckoned one of the most valuable), for all the delights of sense (for ointment and perfume which rejoice the heart, and it is called the oil of gladness), nay, and for the highest titles of honour with which men are dignified, for kings are anointed. A good name is better than all riches (Pro 21:1), that is, a name for wisdom and goodness with those that are wise and good - the memory of the just; this is a good that will bring a more grateful pleasure to the mind, will give a man a larger opportunity of usefulness, and will go further, and last longer, than the most precious box of ointment; for Christ paid Mary for her ointment with a good name, a name in the gospels (Mat 26:13), and we are sure he always pays with advantage.
II. That, all things considered, our going out of the world is a great kindness to us than our coming into the world was: The day of death is preferable to the birthday; though, as to others, there was joy when a child was born into the world, and where there is death there is lamentation, yet, as to ourselves, if we have lived so as to merit a good name, the day of our death, which will put a period to our cares, and toils, and sorrows, and remove us to rest, and joy, and eternal satisfaction, is better than the day of our birth, which ushered us into a world of so much sin and trouble, vanity and vexation. We were born to uncertainty, but a good man does not die at uncertainty. The day of our birth clogged our souls with the burden of the flesh, but the day of our death will set them at liberty from that burden.
III. That it will do us more good to go to a funeral than to go to a festival (Ecc 7:2): It is better to go to the house of mourning, and there weep with those that weep, than to go to the house of feasting, to a wedding, or a wake, there to rejoice with those that do rejoice. It will do us more good, and make better impressions upon us. We may lawfully go to both, as there is occasion. Our Saviour both feasted at the wedding of his friend in Cana and wept at the grave of his friend in Bethany; and we may possibly glorify God, and do good, and get good, in the house of feasting; but, considering how apt we are to be vain and frothy, proud and secure, and indulgent of the flesh, it is better for us to go to the house of mourning, not to see the pomp of the funeral, but to share in the sorrow of it, and to learn good lessons, both from the dead, who is going thence to his long home, and from the mourners, who go about the streets.
1.The uses to be gathered from the house of mourning are, (1.) By way of information: That is the end of all men. It is the end of man as to this world, a final period to his state here; he shall return no more to his house. It is the end of all men; all have sinned and therefore death passes upon all. We must thus be left by our friends, as the mourners are, and thus leave, as the dead do. What is the lot of others will be ours; the cup is going round, and it will come to our turn to pledge it shortly. (2.) By way of admonition: The living will lay it to his heart. Will they? It were well if they would. Those that are spiritually alive will lay it to heart, and, as for all the survivors, one would think they should; it is their own fault if they do not, for nothing is more easy and natural than by the death of others to be put in mind of our own. Some perhaps will lay that to heart, and consider their latter end, who would not lay a good sermon to heart.
2.For the further proof of this (Ecc 7:4) he makes it the character, (1.) Of a wise man that his heart is in the house of mourning; he is much conversant with mournful subjects, and this is both an evidence and a furtherance of his wisdom. The house of mourning is the wise man's school, where he has learned many a good lesson, and there, where he is serious, he is in his element. When he is in the house of mourning his heart is there to improve the spectacles of mortality that are presented to him; nay, when he is in the house of feasting, his heart is in the house of mourning, by way of sympathy with those that are in sorrow. (2.) It is the character of a fool that his heart is in the house of mirth; his heart is all upon it to be merry and jovial; his whole delight is in sport and gaiety, in merry stories, merry songs, and merry company, merry days and merry nights. If he be at any time in the house of mourning, he is under a restraint; his heart at the same time is in the house of mirth; this is his folly, and helps to make him more and more foolish.
IV. That gravity and seriousness better become us, and are better for us, than mirth and jollity, Ecc 7:3. The common proverb says, "An ounce of mirth is worth a pound of sorrow;" but the preacher teaches us a contrary lesson: Sorrow is better than laughter, more agreeable to our present state, where we are daily sinning and suffering ourselves, more or less, and daily seeing the sins and sufferings of others. While we are in a vale of tears, we should conform to the temper of the climate. It is also more for our advantage; for, by the sadness that appears in the countenance, the heart is often made better. Note, 1. That is best for us which is best for our souls, by which the heart is made better, though it be unpleasing to sense. 2. Sadness is often a happy means of seriousness, and that affliction which is impairing to the health, estate, and family, may be improving to the mind, and make such impressions upon that as may alter its temper very much for the better, may make it humble and meek, loose from the world, penitent for sin, and careful of duty. Vexatio dat intellectum - Vexation sharpens the intellect. Periissem nisi periissem - I should have perished if I had not been made wretched. It will follow, on the contrary, that by the mirth and frolicsomeness of the countenance the heart is made worse, more vain, carnal, sensual, and secure, more in love with the world and more estranged from God and spiritual things (Job 21:12, Job 21:14), till it become utterly unconcerned in the afflictions of Joseph, as those Amo 6:5, Amo 6:6, and the king and Haman, Est 3:15.
V. That it is much better for us to have our corruptions mortified by the rebuke of the wise than to have them gratified by the song of fools, Ecc 7:5. Many that would be very well pleased to hear the information of the wise, and much more to have their commendations and consolations, yet do not care for hearing their rebukes, that is, care not for being told of their faults, though ever so wisely; but therein they are no friends to themselves, for reproofs of instruction are the way of life (Pro 6:23), and, though they be not so pleasant as the song of fools, they are more wholesome. To hear, not only with patience, but with pleasure, the rebuke of the wise, is a sign and means of wisdom; but to be fond of the song of fools is a sign that the mind is vain and is the way to make it more so. And what an absurd thing is it for a man to dote so much upon such a transient pleasure as the laughter of a fool is, which may fitly be compared to the burning of thorns under a pot, which makes a great noise and a great blaze, for a little while, but is gone presently, scatters its ashes, and contributes scarcely any thing to the production of a boiling heat, for that requires a constant fire! The laughter of a fool is noisy and flashy, and is not an instance of true joy. This is also vanity; it deceives men to their destruction, for the end of that mirth is heaviness. Our blessed Saviour has read us our doom: Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh; woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep, Luk 6:21, Luk 6:25.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–6. Public domain.
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Gregory of NeocaesareaAD 270
For though a man should be by no means greatly advantaged by knowing all in this life that is destined to befall him according to his mind (let us suppose such a case), nevertheless with the officious activity of men he devises means for prying into and gaining an apparent acquaintance with the things that are to happen after a person's death. Moreover, a good name is more pleasant to the mind Proverbs 22:1 than oil to the body; and the end of life is better than the birth, and to mourn is more desirable than to revel, and to be with the sorrowing is better than to be with the drunken. For this is the fact, that he who comes to the end of life has no further care about alight around him. And discreet anger is to be preferred to laughter; for by the severe disposition of countenance the soul is kept upright The souls of the wise, indeed, are sad and downcast, but those of fools are elated, and given loose to merriment. And yet it is far more desirable to receive blame from one wise man, than to become a hearer of a whole chorus of worthless and miserable men in their songs. For the laughter of fools is like the crackling of many thorns burning in a fierce fire. This, too, is misery, yea the greatest of evils, namely oppression; for it intrigues against the souls of the wise, and attempts to ruin the noble way of life which the good pursue. Moreover, it is right to commend not the man who begins, but the man who finishes a speech; and what s moderate ought to approve itself to the mind, and not what is swollen and inflated. Again, one ought certainly to keep wrath in check, and not suffer himself to be carried rashly into anger, the slaves of which are fools. More over, they are in error who assert that a better manner of life was given to those before us, and they fail to see that wisdom is widely different from mere abundance of possessions, and that it is as much more lustrous than these, as silver shines more brightly than its shadow. For the life of man has its excellence not in the acquisition of perishable riches, but in wisdom. And who shall be able, tell me, to declare the providence of God, which is so great and so beneficent? Or who shall be able to recall the things which seem to have been passed by of God? And in the former days of my vanity I considered all things, and saw a righteous man continuing in his righteousness, and ceasing not from it until death, but even suffering injury by reason thereof, and a wicked man perishing with his wickedness. Moreover, it is proper that the righteous man should not seem to be so overmuch, nor exceedingly and above measure wise, that he may not, as in making some slip, seem to sin many times over. And be not audacious and precipitate, lest an untimely death surprise you. It is the greatest of all good to take hold of God, and by abiding in Him to sin in nothing. For to touch things undefiled with an impure hand is abomination. But he who in the fear of God submits himself, escapes all that is contrary. Wisdom avails more in the way of help than a band of the most powerful men in a city, and it often also pardons righteously those who fail in duty. For there is not one that stumbles not. Also it becomes you in no way to attend upon the words of the impious, that you may not become an ear-witness of words spoken against yourself, such as the foolish talk of a wicked servant, and being thus stung in heart, have recourse afterwards yourself to cursing in turn in many actions. And all these things have I known, having received wisdom from God, which afterwards I lost, and was no longer able to be the same. For wisdom fled from me to an infinite distance, and into a measureless deep, so that I could no longer get hold of it. Wherefore afterwards I abstained altogether from seeking it; and I no longer thought of considering the follies and the vain counsels of the impious, and their weary, distracted life. And being thus disposed, I was borne on to the things themselves; and being seized with a fatal passion, I knew woman— that she is like a snare or some such other object. For her heart ensnares those who pass her; and if she but join hand to hand, she holds one as securely as though she dragged him on bound with chains. And from her you can secure your deliverance only by finding a propitious and watchful superintendent in God; for he who is enslaved by sin cannot (otherwise) escape its grasp. Moreover, among all women I sought for the chastity proper to them, and I found it in none. And verily a person may find one man chaste among a thousand, but a woman never. And this above all things I observed, that men being made by God simple in mind, contract for themselves manifold reasonings and infinite questionings, and while professing to seek wisdom, waste their life in vain words.
Didymus the BlindAD 398
COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 197:14
Whoever does not focus attention on perishable goods and does not think highly of them but knows that “it is better to be with Christ after death” thinks that the day of death is better than the day of birth. The latter is the beginning of many evils; the former, however, the end and termination of evil.
Didymus the BlindAD 398
COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 196:22
The good name consists in a virtuous life. It is acquired with labor, effort and sweat. What, however, is pleasant in the moment oftentimes is gained without labor and one’s own effort.…Those who really make progress regarding their inner person and who lead a spotless life, they have a good name. This is better than ointment, better than pleasantness.
Evagrius PonticusAD 399
SCHOLIA ON ECCLESIASTES 54:7.1
If the death by which the righteous die with Christ is praiseworthy because it separates the soul from evil and ignorance, then such a death is the opposite of the birth that unites the soul with evil and ignorance. Therefore, such a death is much more honorable than such a birth.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ecclesiastes
"A good name is better than precious
ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. "Consider, he says, man, your short days since you will
cease to be quickly when your body gives out; fast longer, so that however
perfume delights your nostrils with its smell, in the same way posterity will
delight in all things to your name.
Symmachus interpreted this very clearly, saying, "a good name is
better than a perfume that smells pleasant". We must remember that it is the custom of the
Hebrews to call good perfume 'oil'. He
also says, "and the day of death
than the day of one's birth", this shows that it is better to die, and
no longer be troubled, or be in an unsteady condition of life, than sustain all
these things while being born into the world.
For in our death we know what we have been like, but when we are born we
cannot know what we will be like or do in life.
Since birth is also linked to the freedom of the spirit in the body, it
abolishes moral customs.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ecclesiastes
"How does it benefit man? For who knows what is good for man in this
life, all the days of his vain life, which he spends as a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him
under the sun? "When he says" "that man is ignorant of
his condition, and does not actually know whatever he seems to know and
discern, as if the truth of the matter is not seen, he does see however the
shadow and image as if through a mirror, and he cannot know what will come, or
escape his sin by talkativeness. He
should silence his mouth and believe that He who is written has come, and not
ask by what means, how much, or what kind of man he is that has come.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Ecclesiastes 7:1 offers a profound and paradoxical reflection on the enduring value of character and the ultimate significance of life's conclusion. It asserts that a sterling reputation, forged through integrity and wise living, far surpasses the fleeting pleasure or status afforded by material luxuries like precious ointment. Furthermore, it provocatively declares that the day of death is preferable to the day of one's birth, not as an endorsement of despair, but as a profound affirmation that the true measure, culmination, and legacy of a life are revealed and solidified at its end, rather than at its uncertain and unfulfilled beginning.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ecclesiastes 7:1 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound and counter-intuitive message. The primary device is Antithetical Parallelism, a common feature of Hebrew wisdom literature. This involves presenting two contrasting ideas in parallel clauses to highlight a central truth. The verse features two distinct antitheses: "a good name" versus "precious ointment," and "the day of death" versus "the day of one's birth." This structure powerfully emphasizes the qualitative superiority of the former element in each pair. There is also a subtle yet effective Wordplay between the Hebrew words for "name" (shem, H8034) and "ointment" (shemen, H8081). While not identical, their phonetic similarity draws the reader's attention to the contrast between the superficial pleasantness and temporary nature of the ointment and the deep, lasting value of a good name. The entire verse functions as a Proverb, offering concise, memorable wisdom that challenges conventional thought and encourages a deeper, more sober reflection on life's true priorities. Finally, the statement that "the day of death is better than the day of one's birth" is a striking Paradox, a seemingly contradictory statement that, upon deeper reflection, reveals a profound truth. This rhetorical flourish is designed to arrest the reader's attention and compel a re-evaluation of life's values from an ultimate, rather than immediate, perspective.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ecclesiastes 7:1 articulates a foundational theological truth: true and lasting worth is not found in transient material possessions, sensory pleasures, or fleeting worldly achievements, but in the diligent cultivation of character and the establishment of an enduring legacy of integrity. The "good name" spoken of here reflects a life lived in accordance with divine wisdom and moral uprightness, demonstrating that what truly endures beyond our earthly existence is not what we accumulate, but who we become. The provocative assertion that "the day of death is better than the day of one's birth" underscores the biblical emphasis on the culmination, assessment, and ultimate judgment of life. This perspective urges believers to live with a profound sense of purpose and accountability, recognizing that our actions, choices, and the character we forge have eternal implications, and that the final assessment of our lives before God is of paramount importance. It calls us to soberly consider our mortality as a catalyst for living wisely and investing in what truly lasts.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ecclesiastes 7:1 serves as a profound challenge to our contemporary values, which often prioritize external appearances, immediate gratification, material accumulation, and fleeting status. It compels us to critically re-evaluate what we truly deem valuable and enduring in our lives. Are we diligently building a "good name" – a legacy of integrity, moral excellence, kindness, and faithfulness – or are we predominantly pursuing "precious ointment," investing our time, energy, and resources into temporary pleasures, material possessions, and social validation that ultimately fade? This verse powerfully reminds us that true richness and lasting fulfillment are found in the substance of our character, not in the commodities we possess. Furthermore, the startling statement about death being preferable to birth is not an invitation to morbid despair, but a powerful call to live with an eternal perspective. It urges us to recognize that the true meaning, purpose, and culmination of our lives are ultimately revealed at their end, not merely at their uncertain beginning. This perspective should profoundly motivate us to live each day with intentionality and purpose, investing in what has lasting value, knowing that our "good name" – our character before God and humanity – is the only thing that truly transcends the grave and impacts our eternal destiny.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Ecclesiastes 7:1 say "the day of death [is] better than the day of one's birth"? Is this a morbid statement?
Answer: This statement, while initially startling, is not morbid but profoundly philosophical and characteristic of Qoheleth's challenging wisdom. It is not an endorsement of suicide or despair, but rather a deep assertion that the completion of a life holds more ultimate significance than its beginning. The "day of birth" marks the start of an uncertain journey, full of potential toil, suffering, and the "vanity" (hevel) that Ecclesiastes often describes as inherent to life "under the sun." The "day of death," however, is the culmination. It is the decisive point at which one's character, integrity, and the "good name" built throughout life are fully revealed, solidified, and assessed. For the wise and righteous, death can be seen as a release from earthly struggles and the moment when the full account of their life's meaning and legacy is settled. This perspective emphasizes that the end of a matter is better than its beginning, a theme explicitly stated later in the same chapter. It encourages living wisely and purposefully, with the ultimate outcome and eternal perspective firmly in view, rather than being consumed by the fleeting nature of life's initial stages.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ecclesiastes 7:1, with its profound emphasis on the enduring value of a "good name" and the ultimate significance of death, finds its most complete and transformative fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Qoheleth grapples with the inherent vanity and fleeting nature of life "under the sun," Jesus Christ provides the definitive answer to life's meaning and the true nature of an eternally "good name." His earthly life was the perfect embodiment of the "good name," a life of unparalleled righteousness, holiness, and unwavering devotion to God's will, culminating in His exaltation to a name that is above every name (as powerfully declared in Philippians 2:9-11). Furthermore, His death, far from being merely the end of an earthly existence, was the pivotal act of cosmic redemption, the ultimate sacrificial offering that decisively conquered the power of sin and death (a truth celebrated in Hebrews 2:14-15). For the believer in Christ, the "day of death" is indeed profoundly "better than the day of one's birth" because it marks the glorious transition from earthly struggle, suffering, and the limitations of this fallen world to eternal rest, perfect peace, and unending glory in the very presence of our Savior (as the Apostle Paul joyfully articulates in Philippians 1:21). Through Christ, our "good name" is not merely our human reputation, but our new identity as children of God, redeemed, forgiven, and made righteous by His perfect life and atoning sacrifice (a profound reality described in 2 Corinthians 5:17). Our lives, when lived in union with Him, build a spiritual legacy that transcends all earthly vanity and secures an eternal inheritance, making death not a dreaded end, but a glorious and long-awaited beginning of true life.