Ecclesiastes 7:4

4 The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure.

Ecclesiastes 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 7:4

The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning
When his body is not; when it does not suit him to go thither in person, his mind is there, and his thoughts are employed on the useful subjects of the frailty and mortality of human nature, of death, a future judgment, and a world to come; which shows him to be a wise man, and concerned for the best things, even for his eternal happiness in another state; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth;
where jovial company is, merry songs are sung, and the cup or glass passes briskly round, and all is gay and brilliant: here the fool desires to be oftener than he is, and when he cannot; which shows the folly of his mind, what a vain taste he has, and how thoughtless he is of a future state, and of his eternal welfare.

Ecclesiastes 7:4 In-Context

2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart.
3 Grief is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure.
5 It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling of [burning] thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
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