King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:1

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

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Hebrew

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ט֥וֹבtovgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…שֵׁ֖םshemfameשֵׁםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “fame”, the ordinary formH8034an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character[phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.מִשֶּׁ֣מֶןmishemenfrom oliveשֶׁמֶןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “from olive”, the ordinary formH8081grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richnessanointing, [idiom] fat (things), [idiom] fruitful, oil(-ed), ointment, olive, [phrase] pine.ט֑וֹבtovgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…וְי֣וֹםveyomand as long asיוֹםconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and as long as”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…הַמָּ֔וֶתhamavetthe deadמָוֶתdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the dead”, the ordinary formH4194death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin(be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d).מִיּ֖וֹםmiomfrom as long asיוֹםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “from as long as”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…הִוָּלְדֽוֹhivaledvobearיָלַדverb, niphal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bear”, the to-form of the verbH3205to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineagebear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (wom…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

A good name is better than precious oil; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

A good name is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one’s birth.

Young’s Literal Translation

Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

World English Bible

A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.

Darby Translation

A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

Douay-Rheims

What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

A good name is better than precious oil; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἀγαθὸν ὄνομα ὑπὲρ ἔλαιον ἀγαθὸν, καὶ ἡμέρα τοῦ θανάτου ὑπὲρ ἡμέραν γεννήσεως.