Charles Ellicott Commentary Ecclesiastes 7:16

"Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?" — Ecclesiastes 7:16 (ASV)

Righteous over much– The caution is against morbid scrupulosity and over-rigorism. We may illustrate by the case of the Jews, who refused to defend themselves against their enemies on the Sabbath day. The next verse is a necessary corrective to this: “Yet be cautious how thou disregardest the restraints of Law.”