Ecc 7:5 | NET2full | STEP | It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools .

Ecclesiastes 7:5

Frivolous Living Versus Wisdom

5 It is better for a person to receive ^{▼▼tn Heb “hear.”} a rebuke from those who are wise ^{▼▼tn Heb “rebuke of the wise,” a subjective genitive (“the wise” administer the rebuke).}
than to listen to the song ^{▼▼tn Or “praise.” The antithetical parallelism between “rebuke” (גַּעֲרַת, gaʿarat) and “song” (שִׁיר, shir) suggests that the latter is figurative (metonymy of association) for praise/flattery which is “music” to the ears: “praise of fools” (NEB, NJPS) and “flattery of fools” (Douay). However, the collocation of “song” (שִׁיר) in 7:5 with “laughter” (שְׂחֹק, sekhoq) in 7:6 suggests simply frivolous merrymaking: “song of fools” (KJV, NASB, NIV, ASV, RSV, NRSV).} of fools.