From Ecclesiastes 7:16, Do not be overrighteous, neither be
overwise— why destroy yourself? So, why does the Bible say,
"don't be too righteous"? Encouraging one to be moderate in
their righteousness... Doesn't that seem a bit out of place? One
possible interpretation is that it is warning against legalism -
the type of "over righteousness" that the Pharisees were known
for. Not exactly a true righteousness, as seen from God's
perspective, but a self perceived righteousness derived from a
"holier-than-thou" attitude. The Werner Bible Commentary puts it
like: A bit farther down, in verse 20, it goes on to say: This
is something that the Pharisees did not seem grasp, and
righteousness through their own "over righteousness" was
something that the Pharisees saw as attainable, or already
attained. One must not treat the whole Bible as a homogenous
text, which represents a single point of view. There are
different texts, which serve different purposes. The earliest
parts are more suitable for children, in that they