Ecclesiastes 7:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For instance, if someone were to inquire why God addressed Moses by saying, 'Who hath created the blind, the deaf, and the seeing; am I not the Lord God' (Exodus 4:12), and questioned why the blind, deaf, and mute were brought into existence as they are, we should take into account what is stated in Psalm 17, which expresses to the Lord, 'With the holy thou shalt be holy, and with the corrupt thou shalt be corrupt' (Psalm 17:27). It is essential to recognize that the Lord reflects holiness towards the righteous and shows corruption toward the wicked, a concept supported by Leviticus, which states, 'If they walk contrary to Me, I will walk contrary to them in My fury' (Leviticus 26:27). This offers insight into why God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Just as the sun's heat melts wax while solidifying clay, the same miraculous signs in Egypt warmed the hearts of the faithful but hardened the hearts of the faithless. The latter, due to their obstinacy and lack of repentance, drew upon themselves wrath for the day of judgment through the very miracles they refused to accept.

For He corrects paths not by creating crookedness but by revealing it. It is stated, ‘Let the Lord lead those who stray into their crooked paths to walk alongside those who practice unrighteousness.’ For He does not guide those who desire to associate with those who perform wrong, but He has demonstrated that they have become so through their own choices.

Rather than grumble about evil, we should embrace it as a part of God’s plan and submit ourselves to His guidance with patience (10). Neither the righteousness of one who deems themselves virtuous, nor the carelessness of the wicked, will lead to true happiness for humanity; rather, it is the reverence of God that is essential, as human righteousness is never flawless (10:21). We should ignore slander (22:23). The pursuit of wisdom did not confer wisdom upon the preacher; instead, he discovered that temptation and sin were widespread (the woman symbolizes sin, as also noted in Proverbs 7) (24-27). While on the path of holiness, he was occasionally influenced by a man, but never by a woman (28:29). Yet, it is God's challenge that a person struggles to find the straight path, for this struggle stems from their own deceit (30).