Ecclesiastes 7:20Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~935 BC. Solomon contemplating human nature after decades of judging cases and observing people from peasants to princes.
The emotion here: resigned acceptance mixed with relief at finally stating the obvious
The original word
ṣaddîq (צדיק) — righteous, one who meets the standard perfectly
Why it matters
Solomon judged over 1,000 legal cases and never found a single person who was completely righteous
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ecclesiastes 7:20
This isn't pessimistic—it's liberating. Solomon is saying stop expecting perfection from yourself and others
Common misconceptionPeople think this contradicts Bible characters being called 'righteous.' But righteousness in Scripture often means 'right with God' despite sin, not 'sinless.'
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ecclesiastes 7:20
Bible Genome reading
Ecclesiastes 7:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ecclesiastes 7:20 comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include universal sinfulness, human nature. Notable phrases: not a righteous man; does good and doesn't sin.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Ecclesiastes 7:20 mean to you, today?
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