It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Parallel translations
- WEB It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
- BSB It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
- NKJV It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
- NASB It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise person Than for one to listen to the song of fools.
- NLT Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Better to hear a wise person's rebuke than the flattering song of fools. It matters because honest correction builds us up, while empty praise leads astray.
Overview
The Preacher prizes the discomfort of wise rebuke over the pleasant noise of foolish flattery, echoing Proverbs' praise of correction (Proverbs 27:6). A teachable spirit receives reproof as a gift. This anticipates the New Testament call to welcome loving correction (Hebrews 12:11) and to speak truth in love within the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:15).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Prov 15:31–32The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.
- Ps 141:5Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.
- Rev 3:19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
- Prov 13:18Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.
- Prov 17:10A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
- Prov 9:8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
- Prov 27:6Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
- Ps 69:12They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.
- Prov 13:13Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The search that finds everything 'under the sun' to be vapor exposes the emptiness of life without God and drives us to the one who alone gives meaning, the resurrection that makes our labor not in vain.
How Ecclesiastes 7:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.