Ecclesiastes 7:16
New International Version
Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?

New Living Translation
So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?

English Standard Version
Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Berean Standard Bible
Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

King James Bible
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

New King James Version
Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?

New American Standard Bible
Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?

NASB 1995
Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?

NASB 1977
Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you make yourself desolate?

Amplified Bible
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?

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

American Standard Version
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Do not be too righteous, and do not be too wise, lest you be stupid

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest thou be confounded.

Contemporary English Version
So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.

English Revised Version
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't be too virtuous, and don't be too wise. Why make yourself miserable?

Good News Translation
So don't be too good or too wise--why kill yourself?

International Standard Version
Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise. Why be self-destructive?

JPS Tanakh 1917
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise; why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Literal Standard Version
Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?

Majority Standard Bible
Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

New American Bible
“Be not just to excess, and be not overwise. Why work your own ruin?

NET Bible
So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise; otherwise you might be disappointed.

New Revised Standard Version
Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself?

New Heart English Bible
Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Webster's Bible Translation
Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?

World English Bible
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Young's Literal Translation
Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Limits of Human Wisdom
15In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness. 16Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?…

Cross References
Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.

Philippians 3:6
as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.

Proverbs 25:16
If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.


Treasury of Scripture

Be not righteous over much; neither make yourself over wise: why should you destroy yourself ?

be not

Proverbs 25:16
Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

Matthew 6:1-7
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven…

Matthew 9:14
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

neither

Ecclesiastes 12:12
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Job 11:12
For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.

destroy thyself

Matthew 23:38
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Revelation 18:19
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

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Desolate Destroy Destruction Excessively Overmuch Righteous Righteousness Ruin Shouldest Shouldst Show Thyself Wise
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Ecclesiastes 7
1. remedies against vanity are, a good name
2. mortification
7. patience
11. wisdom
23. The difficulty of wisdom














(16) Righteous over ? much.--The caution is against morbid scrupulosity and over-rigorism. We may illustrate by the case of the Jews, who refused to defend themselves against their enemies on the Sabbath day. The next verse is a necessary corrective to this: "Yet be cautious how thou disregardest the restraints of Law."

Verse 16. - Be not righteous over much. The exhortation has been variously interpreted to warn against too scrupulous observance of ritual and ceremonial religion, or the mistaken piety which neglects all mundane affairs, or the Pharisaical spirit which is bitter in condemning others who fall short of one's own standard. Cox will have it that the advice signifies that a prudent man will not be very righteous, since he will gain nothing by it, nor very wicked, as he will certainly shorten his life by such conduct. But really Koheleth is condemning the tendency to immoderate asceticism which had begun to show itself in his day - a rigorous, prejudiced, indiscreet manner of life and conduct which made piety offensive, and afforded no real aid to the cause of religion. This arrogant system virtually dictated the laws by which Providence should be governed, and found fault with divinely ordered circumstances if they did not coincide with its professors' preconceived opinions. Such religionism might well be called being "righteous over much." Neither make thyself over wise; Septuagint, Μηδὲ σοφίζου περισσά; Vulgate, Neque plus sapias quam necesse est; better, show not thyself too wise; i.e. do not indulge in speculations about God's dealings, estimating them according to your own predilections, questioning the wisdom of his moral government. Against such perverse speculation St. Paul argues (Romans 9:19, etc.). "Thou wilt say unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?" A good principle carried to excess may bring evil results. Summum jus, summa injuria. The maxim, Μηδὲν ἀγάν, Ne quid nimis, "Moderation in all things," is taught here; and Aristotle's theory of virtue being the mean between the two extremes of excess and defect is adumbrated ('Ethic. Nicom.,' 2:6. 15, 16): though we do not see that the writer is "reproducing current Greek thought" (Plumptre), or that independent reflection and observation could not have landed him at the implied conclusion without plagiarism. Why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Septuagint, Μή ποτὲ ἐκπλαγῇς, "Lest perchance thou be confounded;" Vulgate, Ne obstupescas, "Lest thou be stupefied." This is the primary meaning of the special form of the verb here used (hithp. of שׁמם), and Plumptre supposes that the author intends thereby to express the spiritual pride which accompanies fancied excellence in knowledge and conduct, and by which the possessor is puffed up (1 Timothy 3:6). But plainly it is not a mental, internal effect that is contemplated, but something that affects comfort, position, or life, like the corresponding clause in the following verse. Hitzig and Ginsburg explain the word, "Make thyself forsaken," "Isolate thyself," which can scarcely be the meaning. The Authorized Version is correct. A man who professes to be wiser than others, and. indeed, wiser than Providence, incurs the envy and animosity of his fellow-men, and will certainly be punished by God for his arrogance and presumption.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

be
תְּהִ֤י (tə·hî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

overly
הַרְבֵּ֔ה (har·bêh)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

righteous,
צַדִּיק֙ (ṣad·dîq)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous

and do not
וְאַל־ (wə·’al-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

make yourself too
יוֹתֵ֑ר (yō·w·ṯêr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3148: Superiority, advantage, excess

wise.
תִּתְחַכַּ֖ם (tiṯ·ḥak·kam)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2449: To be wise

Why
לָ֖מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

should you destroy yourself?
תִּשּׁוֹמֵֽם׃ (tiš·šō·w·mêm)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8074: To stun, devastate, stupefy


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 7:16 Don't be overly righteous neither make yourself (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 7:15
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