Ecclesiastes 7 · Verse 4

Ecclesiastes 7:4

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Ecclesiastes 7:4, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:4 in other translations

BSBThe heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
WEBThe heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
ASVThe heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
YLTThe heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
DARBYThe heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
BBEThe hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.
WebsterThe heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

What does Ecclesiastes 7:4 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning - A wise man loves those occasions from which he can derive spiritual advantage; and therefore prefers visiting the sick, and sympathizing with those who have suffered privations by death. But the fool - the gay, thoughtless, and giddy - prefers places and times of diversion and amusement. Here he is prevented from seriously considering either himself or his latter end. The grand fault and misfortune of youth.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 7:1-6

The benefit of a good name; of death above life; of sorrow above vain mirth. (Eccl. 7:1-6) Concerning oppression, anger, and discontent. (Eccl. 7:7-10) Advantages of wisdom. (Eccl. 7:11-22) Experience of the evil of sin. (Eccl. 7:23-29) Verses 1-6 Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. It will do more good to go to a funeral than to a feast. We may lawfully…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 →

Ecclesiastes 7:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֵ֤בlev[the] heart ofH3820
חֲכָמִים֙cha.kha.Mimwise peopleH2450
בְּבֵ֣יתbe.Veit[is] in a house ofH1004
אֵ֔בֶל'E.velmourningH60
וְלֵ֥בve.Levand [the] heart ofH3820
כְּסִילִ֖יםke.si.LimfoolsH3684
בְּבֵ֥יתbe.Veit[is] in a house ofH1004
שִׂמְחָֽה\׃sim.ChahgladnessH8057

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 7:4

  • Matthew 8:14-16

    And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

  • Luke 7:12-13

    Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

  • 1 Samuel 25:36

    And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

  • Nehemiah 2:2-5

    Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.

  • Jeremiah 51:39

    In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the Lord.

  • Isaiah 53:3-4

    He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

  • Jeremiah 51:57

    And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

  • Mark 5:38-43

    And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. …

  • Mark 6:21-29

    And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. …

  • John 11:31-35

    The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. …

  • Isaiah 21:4

    My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

  • 1 Kings 20:16

    And they went out at noon. But Ben–hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
heart.
Ne 2:2-5; Isa 53:3,4; Mt 8:14-16; Mr 5:38-43; Lu 7:12,13
Joh 11:31-35
the heart.
1Sa 25:36; 30:16; 2Sa 13:28; 1Ki 20:16; Isa 21:4; Jer 51:39,57
Da 5:1-4,30; Ho 7:5; Na 1:10; Mr 6:21-29

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 7:3

    Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:4

    The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:5

    It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 7

Ecclesiastes 7:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El corazón de los sabios, en la casa del luto; mas el corazón de los insensatos, en la casa del placer.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Le cœur des sages est dans la maison de deuil, mais le cœur des sots, dans la maison de joie.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Das Herz der Weisen ist im Hause der Trauer, und das Herz der Toren im Hause der Freude.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Melior est ira risu, quia per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus delinquentis.