Ecclesiastes 7:3
Strong's Lexicon
Sorrow
כַּ֖עַס (ka·‘as)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3708: 1) anger, vexation, provocation, grief 1a) vexation 1a1) of men 1a2) of God 1b) vexation, grief, frustration

is better
ט֥וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2896: adj 1) good, pleasant, agreeable 1a) pleasant, agreeable (to the senses) 1b) pleasant (to the higher nature) 1c) good, excellent (of its kind) 1d) good, rich, valuable in estimation 1e) good, appropriate, becoming 1f) better (comparative) 1g) glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature) 1h) good understanding (of man's intellectual nature) 1i) good, kind, benign 1j) good, right (ethical) n m 2) a good thing, benefit, welfare 2a) welfare, prosperity, happiness 2b) good things (collective) 2c) good, benefit 2d) moral good n f 3) welfare, benefit, good things 3a) welfare, prosperity, happiness 3b) good things (collective) 3c) bounty

than laughter,
מִשְּׂחֹ֑ק (miś·śə·ḥōq)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7814: 1) laughter, laughing stock, mocking, derision 1a) laughter 1a1) joyful 1a2) hollow 1b) derision (of object) 1c) sport

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 3588: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

a sad
בְרֹ֥עַ (ḇə·rō·a‘)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 7455: 1) badness, evil 1a) badness, bad quality 1b) wilfulness 1c) evil, badness (ethical) 1d) sadness

countenance
פָּנִ֖ים (pā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 6440: 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

is good
יִ֥יטַב (yî·ṭaḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3190: 1) to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be glad, be joyful 1a2) to be well placed 1a3) to be well for, be well with, go well with 1a4) to be pleasing, be pleasing to 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to make glad, rejoice 1b2) to do good to, deal well with 1b3) to do well, do thoroughly 1b4) to make a thing good or right or beautiful 1b5) to do well, do right

for the heart.
לֵֽב׃ (lêḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3820: 1) inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding 1a) inner part, midst 1a1) midst (of things) 1a2) heart (of man) 1a3) soul, heart (of man) 1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory 1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will) 1a6) conscience 1a7) heart (of moral character) 1a8) as seat of appetites 1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage

Parallel Strong's
Berean Study Bible
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.

Young's Literal Translation
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Grief is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad.

New American Standard Bible
Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.

King James Bible
Sorrow [is] better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Parallel Verses
New International Version
Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.

New Living Translation
Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.

English Standard Version
Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

New American Standard Bible
Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.

King James Bible
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Grief is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad.

International Standard Version
Sorrow is better than laughter, because the heart is made better through trouble.

NET Bible
Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.

American Standard Version
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.

English Revised Version
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.

Young's Literal Translation
Better is sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
















Cross References
2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Ecclesiastes 2:2
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

Ecclesiastes 7:4
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Ecclesiastes 1:1
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Ecclesiastes 7:2
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

Ecclesiastes 6:12
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 7:5
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Ecclesiastes 7:6
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
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