The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:2 Explained

Ecclesiastes 7:2

KJV: It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

YLT: Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth it unto his heart.

Darby: It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.

ASV: It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[It is] better  to go  to the house  of mourning,  than to go  to the house  of feasting:  for  that [is] the end  of all men;  and the living  will lay  [it] to his heart. 

What does Ecclesiastes 7:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 7

1  remedies against vanity are, a good name
2  mortification
7  patience
11  wisdom
23  The difficulty of wisdom

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 7:2 mean?

Better to go to the house of mourning Than to go the house of feasting for that [is] the end of all men and the living will take [it] heart
ט֞וֹב לָלֶ֣כֶת אֶל־ בֵּֽית־ אֵ֗בֶל מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙ בֵּ֣ית מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֕ר ה֖וּא ס֣וֹף כָּל־ הָאָדָ֑ם וְהַחַ֖י יִתֵּ֥ן לִבּֽוֹ

ט֞וֹב  Better 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לָלֶ֣כֶת  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בֵּֽית־  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֵ֗בֶל  of  mourning 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵבֶל  
Sense: mourning.
מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙  Than  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בֵּ֣ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה  of  feasting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁתֶּה  
Sense: feast, drink, banquet.
ה֖וּא  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
ס֣וֹף  the  end 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סׄוף  
Sense: end, conclusion.
כָּל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָדָ֑ם  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְהַחַ֖י  and  the  living 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יִתֵּ֥ן  will  take  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִבּֽוֹ  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.