Ecclesiastes 7:8
"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof,.... If the thing is good, other ways the end of it is worse; as the end of wickedness and wicked men, whose beginning is sweet, but the

end bitter; yea, are the ways of death, Pro 5:4 ; and so the end of carnal professors and apostates, who begin in the Spirit, and end in the flesh, Gal 3:3 ; but the end of good things, and of good men, is better than the beginning; as the end of Job was, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual, Job 8:7 ; see Psa 37:37 ; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit; patience is a fruit of the Spirit of God; and is of great use in the Christian's life, and especially in bearing afflictions, and tends to make men more humble, meek, and quiet; and such are highly esteemed of God; on them he looks, with them he dwells, and to them he gives more grace; when such who are proud, and elated with themselves, their riches or righteousness, are abominable to him; see Luk 16:15 .

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (9 words)

H2896 טוֹב
Definition:

Fromtowb; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the Fromtowb; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the

Possible Meanings:
  • good things (semantic_range)
  • goods (semantic_range)
  • goodness (semantic_range)
H0319 אַחֲרִית
Definition:

9 (late)יָם׳א.b.of time,latter partor actualclose(according to context), opposed toרֵאשִׁית; — of yearDeuteronomy 11:12; of a man's lifeNumbers 23:10;Proverbs 5:11;Job 8:7;Job 42:12; of a people's exi 9 (late)יָם׳א.b.of time,latter partor actualclose(according to context), opposed toרֵאשִׁית; — of yearDeuteronomy 11:12; of a man's lifeNumbers 23:10;Proverbs 5:11;Job 8:7;Job 42:12; of a people's exi

Possible Meanings:
  • end (semantic_range)
H1697 דָבָר
Definition:

14446t.; constructדְּבַרGenesis 12:17361t.; suffixדְּבָרִיNumbers 11:23+ (suffixes 66 t.); singular in all 875 t.; pluralדְּבָרִיםExodus 4:10182t.; constructדִּבְרֵיGenesis 24:30253t.; suffixדְּבָרָיו 14446t.; constructדְּבַרGenesis 12:17361t.; suffixדְּבָרִיNumbers 11:23+ (suffixes 66 t.); singular in all 875 t.; pluralדְּבָרִיםExodus 4:10182t.; constructדִּבְרֵיGenesis 24:30253t.; suffixדְּבָרָיו

Possible Meanings:
  • speaking (semantic_range)
H7225 רֵאשִׁית
Definition:

21+, construct׳רGenesis 10:10+,רֵשִׁיתDeuteronomy 11:12; suffixרֵאשִׁיתוֺEcclesiastes 7:8,רֵאשִׁתוֺJob 42:12, etc.; —1.abeginningof kingdomGenesis 10:10(J), yearDeuteronomy 11:12, reignJeremiah 26:1;J 21+, construct׳רGenesis 10:10+,רֵשִׁיתDeuteronomy 11:12; suffixרֵאשִׁיתוֺEcclesiastes 7:8,רֵאשִׁתוֺJob 42:12, etc.; —1.abeginningof kingdomGenesis 10:10(J), yearDeuteronomy 11:12, reignJeremiah 26:1;J

Possible Meanings:
  • chief (semantic_range)
  • first (semantic_range)
  • first (semantic_range)
H2896 טוֹב
Definition:

Fromtowb; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the Fromtowb; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the

Possible Meanings:
  • good things (semantic_range)
  • goods (semantic_range)
  • goodness (semantic_range)
H0750 אָרֵךְ
Definition:

614t. —הָאֵבֶר׳אlong of pinionEzekiel 17:3(""גְּדוֺלהַכְּנָפַיִם) of eagle, in metaphor; elsewhere always of feelings, as substantiveEcclesiastes 7:8רוּחַ׳אthe patient of spirit(opposed to׳גְּבַהּ ר); 614t. —הָאֵבֶר׳אlong of pinionEzekiel 17:3(""גְּדוֺלהַכְּנָפַיִם) of eagle, in metaphor; elsewhere always of feelings, as substantiveEcclesiastes 7:8רוּחַ׳אthe patient of spirit(opposed to׳גְּבַהּ ר);

H7307 רוּחַ
Definition:

8(less oftenmasculineExodus 10:13+)breath, wind, spirit; — absolute׳רGenesis 8:1+,ר֑וּחָהJeremiah 52:23; constructרוּחַGenesis 6:17+; suffixרוּחִיGenesis 6:3+,רוּחֲךָPsalm 104:30+, etc.; pluralרוּחוֺת 8(less oftenmasculineExodus 10:13+)breath, wind, spirit; — absolute׳רGenesis 8:1+,ר֑וּחָהJeremiah 52:23; constructרוּחַGenesis 6:17+; suffixרוּחִיGenesis 6:3+,רוּחֲךָPsalm 104:30+, etc.; pluralרוּחוֺת

H1362 גָּבָהּ
Definition:

Fromgabahh; lofty (literally or figuratively) -- high, proud.see HEBREWgabahhNAS Exhaustive ConcordanceWord Originthe same asgaboah, q.v.Topical LexiconDefinition and ScopeStrong’s Hebrew 1362 describ Fromgabahh; lofty (literally or figuratively) -- high, proud.see HEBREWgabahhNAS Exhaustive ConcordanceWord Originthe same asgaboah, q.v.Topical LexiconDefinition and ScopeStrong’s Hebrew 1362 describ

Possible Meanings:
  • height (semantic_range)
  • height (semantic_range)
  • exaltation (semantic_range)
  • grandeur (semantic_range)
  • haughtiness (semantic_range)
H7307 רוּחַ
Definition:

8(less oftenmasculineExodus 10:13+)breath, wind, spirit; — absolute׳רGenesis 8:1+,ר֑וּחָהJeremiah 52:23; constructרוּחַGenesis 6:17+; suffixרוּחִיGenesis 6:3+,רוּחֲךָPsalm 104:30+, etc.; pluralרוּחוֺת 8(less oftenmasculineExodus 10:13+)breath, wind, spirit; — absolute׳רGenesis 8:1+,ר֑וּחָהJeremiah 52:23; constructרוּחַGenesis 6:17+; suffixרוּחִיGenesis 6:3+,רוּחֲךָPsalm 104:30+, etc.; pluralרוּחוֺת

Interlinear data not available for this verse yet.

---

Get the daily verse delivered free

Create Free Account

Automatic daily verse emails after signup

← Chapter 7 All Chapters