Ecclesiastes 7:28 While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.

Bible > Ecclesiastes > Chapter 7 > Verse 28

◄ Ecclesiastes 7:28 ►

New International Version
while I was still searching but not finding— I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all.

New Living Translation
Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman!

English Standard Version
which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found.

Berean Standard Bible
While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.

King James Bible
Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

New King James Version
Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, But a woman among all these I have not found.

New American Standard Bible
which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

NASB 1995
which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

NASB 1977
which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

Legacy Standard Bible
which my soul still seeks but has not found. I have found one man out of a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

Amplified Bible
which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand [who pleases God], but I have not found [such] a woman among all these [a thousand in my harem].

Christian Standard Bible
which my soul continually searches for but does not find: I found one person in a thousand, but none of those was a woman.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
which my soul continually searches for but does not find: among a thousand people I have found one true man, but among all these I have not found a true woman.

American Standard Version
which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Contemporary English Version
but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman.

English Revised Version
which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I am still seeking a reason for things, but have not found any. I found one man out of a thousand who had it, but out of all these I didn't find one woman.

Good News Translation
I have looked for other answers but have found none. I found one man in a thousand that I could respect, but not one woman.

International Standard Version
Among the things I seek but have not found: one man among a thousand I did find, but I have not found one woman to be wise among all these.

Majority Standard Bible
While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.

NET Bible
What I have continually sought, I have not found; I have found only one upright man among a thousand, but I have not found one upright woman among all of them.

New Heart English Bible
which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Webster's Bible Translation
Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

World English Bible
which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), "" One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

Young's Literal Translation
(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

Smith's Literal Translation
Which yet my soul sought, and found not; one man from a thousand I found; and a woman in all these I found not.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Which yet my soul seeketh, and I have not found it. One man among a thousand I have found, a woman among them all I have not found.

Catholic Public Domain Version
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.

New American Bible
What my soul still seeks and has yet to find is this: “One man out of a thousand have I found, but a woman among them all I have not found.”

New Revised Standard Version
which my mind has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And again my soul sought but I found not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all these I have not found.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And again my soul searched and I have not found; one man of a thousand I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
which yet my soul sought, but I found not; one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Limits of Human Wisdom
…27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation. 28While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman. 29Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Proverbs 31:10
A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.

1 Kings 11:1-4
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. / He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away. ...

Genesis 3:16
To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

1 Timothy 2:14
And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman who was deceived and fell into transgression.

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.

1 Corinthians 7:28
But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

Proverbs 21:9
Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

Proverbs 12:4
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but she who causes shame is like decay in his bones.

1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Proverbs 19:14
Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Proverbs 14:1
Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

1 Corinthians 7:2
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

1 Timothy 5:14
So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.

Treasury of Scripture

Which yet my soul seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

yet

Ecclesiastes 7:23,24
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me…

Isaiah 26:9
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

one

Job 33:23
If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:

Psalm 12:1
To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

but

1 Kings 11:1-3
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; …

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Ecclesiastes 7

1. remedies against vanity are, a good name
2. mortification
7. patience
11. wisdom
23. The difficulty of wisdom

Berean Study Bible

While I was still searching
The phrase suggests an ongoing quest for wisdom and understanding. In the Hebrew context, the word for "searching" (בקש - baqash) implies a diligent and earnest pursuit. This reflects the human condition of seeking truth and meaning, a theme prevalent throughout Ecclesiastes. The search for wisdom is a noble endeavor, echoing the biblical call to seek God with all one's heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

but not finding
This phrase conveys the frustration and limitations of human wisdom. Despite earnest efforts, the Preacher acknowledges the difficulty in attaining complete understanding. This aligns with the broader message of Ecclesiastes, which often highlights the futility of human endeavors apart from God. It serves as a reminder of the limitations of human intellect and the necessity of divine revelation.

I found one upright man among a thousand
The term "upright" (ישר - yashar) denotes moral integrity and righteousness. The rarity of finding such a person underscores the fallen nature of humanity. Historically, this reflects the biblical narrative of a remnant, a small group of faithful individuals amidst widespread unrighteousness. It emphasizes the value of righteousness and the challenge of living a godly life in a corrupt world.

but not one upright woman among them all
This phrase has sparked much debate and interpretation. From a conservative Christian perspective, it is essential to consider the cultural and historical context of the time. Women in ancient Israelite society often had different roles and were not typically involved in public life or leadership, which might contribute to the Preacher's observation. However, it is crucial to interpret this within the broader biblical narrative that affirms the worth and dignity of women, as seen in Proverbs 31 and the New Testament accounts of women in ministry.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(28) One man among a thousand.--See Job 9:3; Job 33:23. The disparaging estimate of the female sex here expressed is common in countries where polygamy is practised. (See Ecclesiasticus 25:24; Ecclesiasticus 42:13.) It is credible enough that Solomon, with his thousand wives, did not find a good one among them; but see Proverbs 18:22; Proverbs 19:14; Proverbs 31:10. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 28. - Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not; or, which my soul hath still sought, but I have not found. The conclusion at which he did arrive was something utterly different from what he had hoped to achieve. The soul and the ego are separately regarded (comp. ver. 25); the whole intellectual faculties were absorbed in the search, and the composite individual gives his consequent experience. One man (Adam) among a thousand have I found. He found only one man among a thousand that reached his standard of excellence - the ideal that he had formed for himself, who could be rightly called by the noble name of man. The phrase, "one of a thousand," occurs in Job 9:3; Job 33:23; Ecclus. 6:6 (εϊς ἀπὸ χιλίων, as in the Septuagint here). Adam, the generic term, is used here instead of ish, the individual, to emphasize the antithetical ishah, "woman," in the following clause, or to lead the thought to the original perfection of man's nature. So in Greek ἄνθρωπος is sometimes used for ἀνήρ, though generally the distinction between the two is sufficiently marked, as we find in Herodotus, 7:210, Ὅτι πολλοὶ μὲν ἄνθρωποι εϊεν ὀλίγοι δὲ ἄνδρες. But a woman among all those have I not found; i.e. not one woman in a thousand who was what a woman ought to be. Says the Son of Sirach, "All wickedness is but little to the wickedness of a woman; let the portion of a sinner fall upon her" (Ecclus. 25:19). So the Greek gnome -

Θάλασσα καὶ πῦρ καὶ γυνὴ κακὰ τρία.

"Three evils are there - sea, fire, and woman." Solomon had a thousand wives and concubines, and his experience might well have been that mentioned in this passage.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

While
אֲשֶׁ֛ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

my soul
נַפְשִׁ֖י (nap̄·šî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

was still
עוֹד־ (‘ō·wḏ-)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

searching
בִּקְשָׁ֥ה (biq·šāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

but not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

finding,
מָצָ֑אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

among a thousand
מֵאֶ֙לֶף֙ (mê·’e·lep̄)
Preposition-m | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 505: A thousand

I have found
מָצָ֔אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

one
אֶחָ֤ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

[upright] man,
אָדָ֞ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

but among all
בְכָל־ (ḇə·ḵāl-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

these
אֵ֖לֶּה (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

I have not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

found
מָצָֽאתִי׃ (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

a [virtuous] woman.
וְאִשָּׁ֥ה (wə·’iš·šāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 7:28 Which my soul still seeks (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)