The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:4 Explained

Ecclesiastes 7:4

KJV: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

YLT: The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

Darby: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.

ASV: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The heart  of the wise  [is] in the house  of mourning;  but the heart  of fools  [is] in the house  of mirth. 

What does Ecclesiastes 7:4 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 7:4 mean?

The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning but the heart of fools of mirth
לֵ֤ב חֲכָמִים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔בֶל וְלֵ֥ב כְּסִילִ֖ים שִׂמְחָֽה

לֵ֤ב  The  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
חֲכָמִים֙  of  the  wise 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חָכָם  
Sense: wise, wise (man).
בְּבֵ֣ית  [is]  in  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֵ֔בֶל  of  mourning 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵבֶל  
Sense: mourning.
וְלֵ֥ב  but  the  heart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
כְּסִילִ֖ים  of  fools 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּסִיל  
Sense: fool, stupid fellow, dullard, simpleton, arrogant one.
שִׂמְחָֽה  of  mirth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂמְחָה  
Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.