Ecclesiastes 2:14

Ecclesiastes 2:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
• New International Version (NIV)The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all.

Context of Ecclesiastes 2:14

12Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor be like? He will do what has already been done. 13And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness. The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. 15So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile. 16For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool?

Ecclesiastes 2:14 word by word

הֶֽחָכָם֙ עֵינָ֣יו בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹ וְהַכְּסִ֖יל בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ הוֹלֵ֑ךְ וְיָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־אָ֔נִי שֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד יִקְרֶ֥ה אֶת־כֻּלָּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The wise man’sחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• in his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• but the foolכְּסִילkesîyl · foolH3684
• walkethהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• in darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
• and I myself perceivedיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• also that oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• eventמִקְרֶהmiqreh · accidentH4745
• happenethקָרָהqârâh · to meetH7136

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:14

• Ecclesiastes 8:1Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.
• Ecclesiastes 10:2A wise person’s heart goes to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left.
• Proverbs 14:8The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
• Proverbs 17:24Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fool’s eyes roam to the ends of the earth.
• 1 John 2:11But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: The righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands. People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them.
• Psalms 19:10They are more desirable than gold — than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.
• Psalms 49:10For one can see that the wise die; the foolish and stupid also pass away. Then they leave their wealth to others.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14The wise man's eyes, etc. - Well expressed by Choheleth: - "The wise are circumspect, maturely weigh The consequence of what they undertake, Good ends propose, and fittest means apply To accomplish their designs." But the fool walketh in darkness - "But fools, deprived Of reason's guidance, or in darkness grope, Or, unreflecting like a frantic man, Who on the brink of some steep precipice Attempts to run a race with heedless steps, Rush to their own…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 Solomon found that knowledge and prudence were preferable to ignorance and folly, though human wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy. The most learned of men, who dies a stranger to Christ Jesus, will perish equally with the most ignorant; and what good can commendations on earth do to the body in the grave, or the soul in hell? And the spirits of just men made perfect cannot want them. So that if this were all, we might be led to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14wisdom exceeds folly: Wisdom is useful because it helps navigate life successfully. However, it cannot prevent death or give life meaning (Ecclesiastes 2:15–16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1413-14. (Pr 17:24). The worldly "wise" man has good sense in managing his affairs, skill and taste in building and planting, and keeps within safe and respectable bounds in pleasure, while the "fool" is wanting in these respects ("darkness," equivalent to fatal error, blind infatuation), yet one event, death, happens to both (Job 21:26).Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 2:14

• Death
• Man
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Gather
• Laughter
• Chance
• Event
• Fool; Folly
• Hap; Haply
• Happen
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings