Ecclesiastes 7:1 Meaning and Explanation
“A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A reputation built on integrity outlasts costly perfume, and the day a faithful life is completed can be weightier than the day it began.
What Does Ecclesiastes 7:1 Mean?
The Preacher opens a long chain of 'better than' sayings, the proverb-style heart of the book. He plays on the sound of the Hebrew: a good name and good oil nearly rhyme, yet the name endures while the fragrance fades. The birth-and-death pairing turns the reader from chasing pleasure to weighing the whole arc of a life.
Perfume pleases for an hour; a good name lingers after a person is gone. To say the day of death can surpass the day of birth is not gloom but perspective: a life is measured by how it ends, not merely how it starts. The one who walks faithfully to the close has gathered something no luxury can buy, and in Christ that finished course opens onto life that does not end.
Ecclesiastes 7:1 in the Original Language
shem (שֵׁם), 'name' -- one's reputation and character, the whole self made known to others.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecclesiastes 7:1
What does Ecclesiastes 7:1 mean?
A reputation built on integrity outlasts costly perfume, and the day a faithful life is completed can be weightier than the day it began.