But if a thing is not in itself evil, the end of its progress, the reaching to its goal, the completion of its destination, is always better than its beginning, which leaves it uncertain whether it will lead to a prosperous issue. In that particular sense, the end is much better than the beginning. If they were of value, the value of the remainder is less after they are withdrawn. Joseph was given the ability by God to interpret dreams. Navigating life under the sun requires mature attention to values. 32). It is on the condition of our existence in this world that this principle is founded. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning: The thought is quite correctly presented by Melancthon, "Quamquam enim multa patienda sunt tamen vincit tandem causa honesta:" "All's well that ends well," and whoso laughs the last, laughs the best. I have, therefore, less of a delusive hope on this ground as to the future. Ecclesiastes 4:4,7-8 Some would argue that when we make work a competition with our neighbor that we will be more successful, but Ecclesiastes calls this “hebel” and a “striving after wind.” Work that is motivated by greed or envy never results in satisfaction, in fact, it is an “unhappy business.” Ecclesiastes definition is - a book of wisdom literature in canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture. So also on the same subject in Psalms 37:37-38, "mark the pious and behold the upright man, for a future has the man of peace. Better it had been for such never to have known the way of God, &c. Christ loves no lookers back. ", John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Keil & Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary, Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Commentary by J.C.Philpot on select texts of the Bible, Ernst Hengstenberg on John, Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel & Psalms. We shall mingle with enlightened, genuine, warm-hearted souls, rising in teeming numbers, grade above grade, up to the Eternal God Himself. Dr. Byrom gives good advice on such a subject: -. Better (is) the end of a thing - connected with Ecclesiastes 7:7. "Better long patience than soaring pride". Ecclesiastes 7:8, ESV: "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." What Does Ecclesiastes 7:9 Mean? "What is the cause that the former days were better ...?" The patient - Who quietly waits for the issue of things. 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. Ecclesiastes 7:8. Being intent on the noblest purposes of life will itself in a great degree create this “effectual sense.” But there may require, too, a special thought of time itself--a habit of noting it--because it is so transient, silent, and invisible a thing. -Emeasoba George Ecclesiastes 7-8 NIV - Wisdom - A good name is better than - Bible Gateway. Ecclesiastes 8:1 "Who [is] as the wise [man]? But there exists no reason for this; גּבהּ is not to be held, as at Proverbs 16:5, and elsewhere generally, as the connecting form of גּבהּ, and so ארך for that of ארך ; it amounts to the same thing whether the two properties (characters) or the persons possessing them are compared. ", "The end of a matter is better than its beginning; patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.". Therefore, as the effect of all this, my attachment to this life is loosening, and the attraction of another is augmenting.” (John Foster. Now to such it may well be said, The end is better than the beginning. 2. "patience of spirit"-"better patience than pride" (NEB). Starting is sometimes the easiest part of what we do. 8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. We may with Hitzig translate: “Better is patience ( ארך = ארך ) than haughtiness” ( גּבהּ, inf ., as שׁפל, Ecclesiastes 12:4; Proverbs 16:19). Ecclesiastes 7:8. “My property in life is now less by almost, 400 days; so much less to cultivate and reap from. And the patient in spirit is better than the proud, &c. here meaning the reproof above named. 5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:8 Context. Reality is, some courses of action are better than others. 1. "The end is better because we 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" (P.P. i. And, there is an overriding theme: What Is Better. The world is the better for its moral cataracts and its spiritual thunderbolts; but the influences which do the world’s great work--which freshen and fertilize it, and which are maturing its harvests for the garner of glory, are not the proud and potent spirits, but the patient and the persevering; they are not the noisy and startling phenomena, but the steady and silent operations. The proposition is here expressed generally, that whoso has the end of a thing in his favour, for whomsoever the end of a business turns out well, is better off than he to whom the beginning belongs. v. “Death is the end of dying. The wise knoweth it, and chooseth accordingly. 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