Ecclesiastes 7:3
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. | Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart. | Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad. |
In context
Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [is] good | ט֥וֹב | Tov | H2896A | fineטָב (tav) good Aramaic of tov (טוֹב "pleasant" H2896A) |
| vexation | כַּ֖עַס | KA-'as | H3708A | vexationכַּ֫עַס (ka.as) anger, vexation Also means: ka.as (כַּ֫עַשׂ "vexation" H3708B) |
| more than laughter | מִשְּׂחֹ֑ק | mi-se-CHOK | H7814 | laughterשְׂחֹק (se.choq) 1) laughter, laughing stock, mocking, derision 1a) laughter 1a1) joyful 1a2) hollow 1b) derision (of object) 1c) sport |
| for | כִּֽי־ | ki- | H3588A | forכִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore |
| by sadness of | בְרֹ֥עַ | ve-RO-a' | H7455 | evilרֹעַ (ro.a) 1) badness, evil 1a) badness, bad quality 1b) wilfulness 1c) evil, badness (ethical) 1d) sadness |
| face | פָּנִ֖ים | pa-NIM | H6440H | face: beforeפָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of |
| it will be good | יִ֥יטַב | YI-tav | H3190 | be goodטְאֵב (te.ev) (P'al) to be glad, be good Aramaic of ya.tav (יָטַב "be good" H3190) |
| a heart | לֵֽב׃ | Lev | H3820A | mindבָּל (bal) mind, heart Aramaic of lev (לֵב "heart" H3820A) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.