In what sense is our death more desirable or in some way ‘better’ than our birth in Ecclesiastes 7:1?

Question

How is this verse to be understood? It seems awfully cynical yet somehow true.

A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. Ecc 7:1

Answer 1

In trying to understand the admittedly startling statement of Eccl 7:1b, "the day of death [is better] than the day of birth", we must NOT divorce it from that which immediately precedes it. Further, V2 reinforces whatever conclusion one is supposed to reach. So, let me quote V1 & 2 together which form a single aphorism:

A good name is better than precious ointment,

and the day of death than the day of birth.

It is better to go to the house of mourning [ie a funeral]

than to go to the house of feasting,

for this is the end of all mankind, [ie, death]

and the living will lay it to heart.

Let me offer several comments about this:

• the grammar of Eccl 7:1, especially the implied/supplied words, makes this synthetic parallelism - two statements saying the same thing but building on each other
• Eccl 7:1a is clearly talking about the righteous and thus cannot be construed to be about only wicked/sinful people or just depressed/unhappy people
• The general idea, extended over six verses, is further developed - see appendix below

Thus, it appears that Solomon is make several important points, namely:

1. Death is inevitable and the wise realis this and structure their lives to make the best of things
2. Life is serious and should not be taken lightly
3. The wise make the most of opportunities and do not treat life frivolously
4. Life is hard work and the sooner we realize this, the better life we make
5. because life is difficult and hard work, death is often a sweet release for those who have worked to hard. this also means that life has ended and people then await the future life

The Pulpit commentary comes closes to the meaning of Eccl 7:1 -

And the day of death than the day of one's birth. The thought in this clause is closely connected with the preceding. If a man's life is such that he leaves a good name behind him, then the day of his departure is better than that of his birth, because in the latter he had nothing before him but labor, and trouble, and fear, and uncertainty; and in the former all these anxieties are past, the storms are successfully battled with, the haven is won (see on Ecclesiastes 4:3). According to Solon's well-known maxim, no one can be called happy till he has crowned a prosperous life by a peaceful death (Herod., 1:32; Soph., 'Trachin.,' 1-3; ('Ed. Tyr.,' 1528, sqq.); as the Greek gnome runs -

Μήπω μέγαν εἴπῃς πρὶν τελευτήσαντ ἴδῃς

"Call no man great till thou hast seen him dead." So Ben-Sira, "Judge none blessed (μὴ μακάριζε μηδένα) before his death; for a man shall be known in his children" (Ecclus. 11:28). Ecclesiastes 7:1

Personal note: One only realizes the truth of this aphorism later in life. Early in life, one is so full of inexperience and hormones that few youth understand what is even important. Most youth are simply hedonists and most of the Bible wisdom literature, especially Ecclesiastes, is an attempt to show the vanity and pointlessness of hedonism.

APPENDIX - Eccl 7:1-6

1 A good name is better than precious ointment,

and the day of death than the day of birth.

2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting,

for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

3 Frustration is better than laughter,

for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise

than to hear the song of fools.

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,

so is the laughter of the fools;

this also is vanity.

Answer 2

There are at least four approaches to this and the many other pessimistic verses found in the Book of Ecclesiastes:

1. They apply only to bad people but not to good people.
2. The author believed them to apply universally.
3. These verses apply universally to earthly life but not the the afterlife.
4. The author expressed a sense of despair, but this was temporary.

The verse does not apply to good people.

This attitude is often taken by commentators who believe the verse - like all scripture - must be taken as inspired directly by God. If so, it cannot mean what it seems to say. The hermeneutic applied in this case is to read the verse in light of other scriptures, including Ecclesiastes itself, that speak of the blessing associated with have a "good name." So the author actually means that "the day of death better than the day of birth" for wicked people but not for good people. (See Benson's commentary in @Agarza's answer)

The author truly believed that life was lived "in vain."

This attitude is taken by those who see Ecclesiastes as being included in the Bible to balance the overly optimistic view often expressed in Proverbs and other scriptures, where those who do good are blessed and those who do evil are brought down to Sheol. The hermeneutic in this case involves pointing to such scriptures as Ecclesiastes 6:3-5

Should one have a hundred children and live many years, no matter to what great age... I proclaim that the child born dead, even if left unburied, is more fortunate. 4 Though it came in vain and goes into darkness and its name is enveloped in darkness, 5 though it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet the dead child has more peace.

This approach sees Ecclesiastes as the philosophical companion of the Book of Job, included in scripture to remind us that life is not as simple as we might like to think. Good people often suffer, and the wicked often prosper, just as Ecclesiastes says.

The verse applies to physical life but not the afterlife.

This viewpoint understands that, while Ecclesiastes' pessimism may apply to life in the physical world, it does not apply to the afterlife. In other words, while it is truly "vanity" to expect that good people will have happy lives (and bad people unhappy ones), God will judge everyone in the next world. "The day of death better than the day of birth," because righteous people will be rewarded in heaven. This attitude in mentioned in Jamieson's commentary in @Argarza's answer.

King Solomon had moments of despair

This approach understands the pessimistic verses to have been written in moments when the author was in despair. Solomon, the author, had been blessed with great wisdom but he had sinned greatly and felt he had lived in vain. Like some of the psalmists, he expressed his despair in his writing, but his final advice to readers was sound:

Ecclesiastes 12

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years approach of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them..." The last word, when all is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this concerns all humankind; 14 because God will bring to judgment every work, with all its hidden qualities, whether good or bad.

Conclusion: There are various opinions on this question, depending on the theological and philosophical outlook of the reader.

Answer 3

The literary style of contrasting apparent opposites is clearly evident through the whole chapter. Mourning with feasting (7:2); sorrow with laughter (7:3); patience with pride (7:8); days of prosperity with days of adversity (7:14). The key to understanding the day of death as opposed to the day of birth lies in verse 8.

" Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof." A.V.

The beginning of life is one thing, but the new-born has not acquired a good name. It takes the best part of a life-time to achieve that. By the time that life comes to an end in death, and the deceased is viewed with great respect by those who knew that person, then their well-lived life gives cause for comfort to those mourning. And, from God's standpoint, it will be better for that one than if they had a 'bad name' in his judgment.

This is clearly indicted by the Hebrew structure of verse 1. As this commentary shows:

"1 good. Note the Fig. Epanadiplosis, [meaning, encircling] by which the sentence begins and ends with the same word 'good' (rendered precious). name...ointment. Note the Fig. Paranomasia, 'shem mishshemen. [rhyming words; repeating words similar in sound but not necessarily in sense.]" The Companion Bible, Appendix 6, Bullinger, 1922/3, this reprint 1974

Taking half a sentence as if it bore no connection to the rest of the sentence, or following sentences, is rarely advisable.

The point of that part of Ecclesiastes is not that death is more "desirable" than life. Yet the day of one's death could be "better" than the day of their birth if, by then, the person has obtained a good name with God. This Proverb shows perfect harmony with Ecclesiastes 7:1:

"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold." Proverbs 22:1

Answer 4

It's not the death itself that is more desirable, but who we are or what have accomplished.

Note the following commentaries:

• Article entitled "Name" from the Insight on the Scriptures

  At birth a person has no reputation, and therefore his name is little more than a label. That is why Ecclesiastes 7:1 says: “A name is better than good oil, and the day of death than the day of one’s being born.” Not at birth, but during the full course of a person’s life does his “name” take on real meaning in the sense of identifying him either as a person practicing righteousness or as one practicing wickedness. (Pr 22:1) By Jesus’ faithfulness until death his name became the one name “given among men by which we must get saved,” and he “inherited a name more excellent” than that of the angels. (Ac 4:12; Heb 1:3, 4) But Solomon, for whom the hope was expressed that his name might become “more splendid” than David’s, went into death with the name of a backslider as to true worship. (1Ki 1:47; 11:6, 9-11) “The very name of the wicked ones will rot,” or become an odious stench. (Pr 10:7) For this reason a good name “is to be chosen rather than abundant riches.”​—Pr 22:1.

• Benson Commentary

  Ecclesiastes 7:1 And the day of death, than the day of one’s birth — Namely, the death of a good man, or of one who hath left a good name behind him; for to a wicked man, the day of death is far worse, and most terrible. Or, if this clause be considered as spoken of this life only, abstracted from the future life, as many passages in this book are to be understood, then it may be true of all men, and is a consequence of all the former discourse. As if he had said, Seeing this life is so full of vanity and misery, it is a more desirable thing for a man to go out of it than to come into it: an observation that is the more worthy of regard, because it is contrary to the opinion and practice of almost all man kind, who celebrate their own, and their children’s birth-days, with solemn feasts and rejoicings, and their deaths with all expressions of sorrow.

• Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

  The day of death, to wit, of a good man, or one who hath left a good name behind him, which is easily understood both from the former clause, and from the nature of the thing; for to a wicked man this day is far worse, and most terrible. Yet if this passage be delivered with respect only to this life, and abstracting from the future life, as many other passages in this book are to be understood, then this may be true in general of all men, and is the consequent of all the former discourse. Seeing this life is so full of vanity, and vexation, and misery, it is a more desirable thing for a man to go out of it, than to come into it; which is the more considerable note, because it is contrary to the opinion and practice of almost all mankind, to celebrate their own or children’s birth-days with solemn feasts and rejoicings, and their deaths with all expressions of sorrow.

• Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

  and the day of death than the day of one’s birth] The two parts of the thought hang closely together. If the “good name” has been earned in life, death removes the chance of failure and of shame. In the language of Solon (Herod. i. 32) only he who crowns a prosperous life by a peaceful death can be called truly happy.

• Pulpit Commentary

  And the day of death than the day of one's birth. The thought in this clause is closely connected with the preceding. If a man's life is such that he leaves a good name behind him, then the day of his departure is better than that of his birth, because in the latter he had nothing before him but labor, and trouble, and fear, and uncertainty; and in the former all these anxieties are past, the storms are successfully battled with, the haven is won (see on Ecclesiastes 4:3)

When we are born, the sum total of who we are is written on a piece of paper. Whereas when we die, our obituary tells our history, who we were, what we did with our lives, etc.

Solomon is not elevating death above our birth but is emphasizing "the measure of a man".