Christian Standard Bible
Ecclesiastes 2:8
8I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men.
Ecclesiastes 2:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
- New International Version (NIV)I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.
Context of Ecclesiastes 2:8
6I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. 7I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned livestock — large herds and flocks — more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men. 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. 10All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 2Ecclesiastes 2:8 word by word
כָּנַ֤סְתִּי לִי֙ גַּם־כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב וּסְגֻלַּ֥ת מְלָכִ֖ים וְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹת עָשִׂ֨יתִי לִ֜י שָׁרִ֣ים וְשָׁר֗וֹת וְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם שִׁדָּ֥ה וְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I gatheredכָּנַסkânas · to gatherH3664
- me also silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- and goldזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
- and the peculiar treasureסְגֻלָּהsegûllâh · possessionH5459
- of kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- and of the provincesמְדִינָהmedîynâh · provinceH4082
- I gatעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: offerH6213
- me men singersשִׁירshîyr shûr · to singH7891
- and the delightsתַּעֲנוּגta‛ănûg ta‛ănûg ta‛ănûgâh · luxuryH8588
- of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- musical instrumentsשִׁדָּהshiddâh · concubineH7705
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:8
- 1 Kings 9:14Now Hiram had sent the king nine thousand pounds of gold.
- 1 Kings 10:10Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
- 1 Kings 14:21Now Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city where the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put his name. Rehoboam’s mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.
- 2 Chronicles 9:11The king made the algum wood into walkways for the Lord’s temple and for the king’s palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.
- 2 Samuel 19:35I’m now eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
- Ezra 2:65not including their 7,337 male and female servants, and their 200 male and female singers.
- 1 Chronicles 25:1David and the officers of the army also set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were to prophesy accompanied by lyres, harps, and cymbals. This is the list of the men who performed their service:
- Job 21:11They let their little ones run around like lambs; their children skip about,
- Psalms 150:3Praise him with the blast of a ram’s horn; praise him with harp and lyre.
- Daniel 3:5When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, you are to fall facedown and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
- Amos 6:5They improvise songs to the sound of the harp and invent their own musical instruments like David.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces - The tares levied off his subjects. The tribute given by the neighboring potentates. Both these make the "peculiar treasure of kings;" taxes and tribute. Men singers and women singers - This includes all instrumental and vocal performers. These may be called the delights of the sons of men. Musical instruments, and that of all sorts - For these seven words, there are only two in the original, ושדות שדה…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces: Solomon ruled from the Fertile Crescent, north and east of Israel, to Egypt's border in the south. He gained wealth in precious metals through trade, gifts from admiring rulers, and taxes from lands within his empire (1 Kings 4:21; 9:28; 10:14, 22–25; 1 Chronicles 29:4; 2 Chronicles 9:26–27). many concubines: Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines by the end of his reign (1 Kings 11:3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-113-11. Illustration more at large of Ec 2:1, 2. I sought--I resolved, after search into many plans. give myself unto wine--literally, "to draw my flesh," or "body to wine" (including all banquetings). Image from a captive drawn after a chariot in triumph (Ro 6:16, 19; 1Co 12:2); or, one "allured" (2Pe 2:18, 19). yet acquainting ... wisdom--literally, "and my heart (still) was behaving, or guiding itself," with wisdom [Gesenius]. Maurer translates: "was…Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 2:8
In the dictionaries
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
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