Ecclesiastes 7:18

It is good The sentence is somewhat enigmatic, and its meaning depends on the reference given to the two pronouns. Commonly, the first "this" is referred to the "righteousness and wisdom" of Ecclesiastes 7:16, the second "this" to the "wickedness and folly" of Ecclesiastes 7:17, and the Teacher is supposed to recommend a wide experience of life, the tasting of "the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil," which, as in ch. Ecclesiastes 1:17, shall embrace both, and bring with it a corresponding largeness of heart. This gives, of course, a perfectly intelligible meaning, though it is not that of a high-toned morality, and belongs to the earlier rather than the later stage of the Debater's progress. The close parallelism of ch. Ecclesiastes 11:6 suggests however another and preferable interpretation. The first and the second "this" and "that" of that verse are both indefinite, used alike of such work and opportunities as God gives. So taken, the precept now before us runs much in the same line of thought, "Lay hold on this do not let that slip do what thy hand findeth to do. Only be sure that it is done in the right spirit, for "he that feareth God," he, and he alone, "comes forth of all things well," i.e.does his duty and leaves the result to God. This temper, in exact harmony with the practical good sense of moderation, is contrasted with the falsehood of extremes condemned in the two previous verses.