A pastor I know once stood before his congregation and playfully instructed them to “Turn to the Book of Jethro, ” although no such book appears in the Bible. When the people realized they had been pranked, one lady replied “You mean thing!”
There are also a number of expressions that I sometimes call “Book of Jethro” passages. That means sayings that are commonly claimed to be from the Bible but actually are not. Famous examples like “God helps those who help themselves” (Benjamin Franklin), “Cleanliness is next to godliness” (John Wesley), and “To thine own self be true” (William Shakespeare) originate from secular authors rather than scripture. Similarly, I sometimes hear people say that “The Bible says to mourn at birth and rejoice at death.” In fact, some have become quite defensive when I respond that this saying is not in the Bible at all. The closest parallel in Scripture comes from the Book of Ecclesiastes :
“A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth. 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. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” (Ecclesiastes 7:1-4, ESV, emphasis added)
As always, when Interpreting any part of the Bible, context is crucial as is identifying the genre of literature being employed.
Musings of a Backslidden King
Ecclesiastes is unique in this regard. It reflects the voice of King Solomon after he had drifted from wholehearted devotion to God, which explains much of the book’s heavy, searching tone. Throughout the narrative, Solomon deliberately explores life “under the sun,” seeking meaning apart from God—through wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:16–18), pleasure (2:1–3), achievement (2:4–6), and wealth (5:10). Yet every path leads him to the same conclusion: all is “vanity,” a vapor that cannot satisfy the human heart (1:2; 2:11).
This context is crucial when interpreting difficult or poetic statements in the book. Solomon is often describing the frustration and disorientation of life disconnected from its true source, not prescribing an ideal worldview for God’s people. Therefore, if a passage were meant to teach that one should mourn at birth and rejoice at death, we would expect to see that principle reflected elsewhere in Scripture as a pattern among the faithful. But we do not. Instead, Scripture consistently treats life as a gift from God and death as an enemy, even while acknowledging the hope beyond it.
Mourning and Rejoicing In the Bible
The Bible repeatedly portrays childbirth as a moment of great joy and thanksgiving. Sarah laughed with delight at the birth of Isaac after years of waiting (Genesis 21:6), Hannah rejoiced when God answered her prayer with the birth of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1), and many people celebrated when John the Baptist was born (Luke 1:14). The greatest example comes with the birth of Jesus, when angels proclaimed “good tidings of great joy” to the world (Luke 2:10). These passages show that new life was often greeted with celebration, gratitude to God, and communal rejoicing. In other words, babies are a blessing!
In contrast, mourning the dead is portrayed as a natural and communal expression of grief. Individuals and entire communities wept, fasted, tore their garments, and lamented when loved ones died. For example, the Egyptians mourned Jacob for seventy days (Genesis 50:3), Israel wept for Moses for thirty days (Deuteronomy 34:8), and David and his men mourned and fasted for Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:11–12). In the New Testament, Jesus Himself wept at the death of Lazarus (John 11:35), and early Christians made great lamentation for Stephen after his martyrdom (Acts 8:2). These examples show that Scripture recognizes mourning as a meaningful response to loss, while also pointing to the hope of God’s comfort and the promise of resurrection.
Still, Solomon’s words do invite us to important existential reflection.
The Bible never directly says “mourn at birth and rejoice at death,” but it does contain a similar tension. Mourning can teach wisdom, reflection, and humility, while feasting and laughter can lead to foolishness if they ignore life’s realities. Birth, while a joyful occasion, introduces a person into a fallen world of sin, hardship and suffering (Genesis 3:16-19, Romans 5:12). Figures like Job even lament the day of their birth in moments of deep sorrow (Job 3:1–3). Yet Scripture also presents the death of the righteous as a transition into God’s presence. Psalms says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15), and Paul the Apostle writes that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). In this sense, the Bible recognizes the hardship of life in a fallen world while holding out the hope that death for the faithful is not the end, but the doorway to eternal peace with God.
The good news is that this doesn’t have to be your story. You don’t have to spend your life chasing what Solomon already proved cannot satisfy. Jesus Christ is not another path “under the sun.” He is the answer from above. He lived the life we could not live, died for our sins, and rose again so that you could have real life, not empty striving.
He invites you not to another system, but to Himself. Come to Jesus. Bring your questions, your failures, your striving and find rest for your soul.
Keep It Real,
James
