The Narrow Path Ministries

Can you be too righteous? Too wise? If you are, will this result in your destruction?

Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? (Ecclesiastes 7:16 NKJV)

Any thoughts about this?

No, I don't think one could be overly righteous or wise.

I think the author of Ecclesiastes, at that point at least, had a very flawed way of thinking. He believed God was responsible for the crookedness of the world (7:13). God was responsible for both the good and bad in the world (7:14). It was impossible to find meaning in life (7:15). In such a dreary worldview, since bad things sometimes happened to good people and good things sometimes happened to bad people, it simply doesn't make sense to be extremely anything (7:15). The author suggests living a moderate life as a way, it seems, of avoiding drastic outcomes from either direction.

In other words, if you want to find the little bit of happiness that is possible in this messed up world, you should probably avoid going all-in on anything. Just live a quiet, average life and try to find a few moments of contentment.

It's a worldview that makes some sense if the God he was imagining at that point was true. We become like the god we believe in. If God, in his view, was neither extremely good or extremely bad, then why should he be?

Thanks for the response, Matt. That's the way I see Ecclesiastes as well.

But if that is the case, I was wondering in what sense it is considered to be inspired by God.

I have also wondered why Protestants accept Esther as part of "the canon" (it doesn't even mention God in the Protestant version) while rejecting Judith.
Each book tells a similar tale—that of a heroic woman who saves the Jewish people.

In my MEV Bible it lays out the text in this manner:

v15 I have seen everything in my days of vanity:

There is the righteous man who dies in
his righteousness,
and there is the wicked man who
extends his life of evil.

v16 Do not be excessively righteous,
and do not be excessively wise;
why should you destroy yourself?

v17 Do not be overly wicked,
and do not be a fool;
why should you die before your time?

The first thing I notice is that verse 14 seems to echo what we might say while I was in the military and a soldier was killed - to quote Billy Joel: "Only the good die young."

It did seem like those who least deserved it died, while the worst keep living. I've come to see this a bit differently. I don't believe only the good die young, but that the loss of someone you feel was a decent person is felt more.

So, it would seem from verse 14 the author is lamenting such an idea, that it feels like the good die while the evil live longer.

But then verse 14 conflicts with verse 17 - I never noticed this before. Verse 14 says the evil people live longer, but then verse 17 seems to talk about the evil people being in the same boat as the righteous. Perhaps this is because verses 16 and 17 are onto another idea about righteousness.

This can be seen in verse 20 where it is admitted that no one is completely righteous, thus the implication is that we are a little evil.

So verse 16 says, don't kill yourself off trying to be righteous, you'll never be perfect. This brings to mind the people, especially in history past who maimed themselves in the pursuit of righteousness.

And verse 17 says, while we all end up being a little evil because we never completely eradicate sin (v20), don't be stupid and become overly evil compared to what you naturally are due to not being perfect, otherwise you'll die early too.

Thoughts?

Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? (Ecclesiastes 7:16 NKJV)

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-- and righteousness (1Co 1:30 NKJ)

If we think we are overly righteous and overly wise, we will consider the message of the cross foolishness and thus destroy ourselves ending up in hell, and not come as a humble sinner.

It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. (1Co 1:21 NKJ)

For seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:3)

For seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:3)

The righteousness that God has provided for a person is not that person's "own righteousness." And it is actual righteousness, not merely positional righteousness.

Paidion wrote:Thanks for the response, Matt. That's the way I see Ecclesiastes as well.

But if that is the case, I was wondering in what sense it is considered to be inspired by God.

I have also wondered why Protestants accept Esther as part of "the canon" (it doesn't even mention God in the Protestant version) while rejecting Judith.
Each book tells a similar tale—that of a heroic woman who saves the Jewish people.

My 2 cents

1. I believe Ecclesiastes is 'inspired' in the sense that God wanted to give breath to the timeless search for significance and meaning that humans face.

2. I like to think that Esther was canonized specifically because God isn't mentioned. It's a story of how God is present for Israel even when they are away from Israel and even when God's activity initially seems absent. But historically I'd guess it was more likely included to give back story to that particular holiday.

Thanks, Matt, for your answers.