Ecclesiastes 2:3

Ecclesiastes 2:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
• New International Version (NIV)I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

Context of Ecclesiastes 2:3

1I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity. 2I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it? I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life. 4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; 5I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of every kind of fruit;

Ecclesiastes 2:3 word by word

תַּ֣רְתִּי בְלִבִּ֔י לִמְשׁ֥וֹךְ בַּיַּ֖יִן אֶת־בְּשָׂרִ֑י וְלִבִּ֞י נֹהֵ֤ג בַּֽחָכְמָה֙ וְלֶאֱחֹ֣ז בְּסִכְל֔וּת עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁר־אֶרְאֶ֗ה אֵי־זֶ֨ה ט֜וֹב לִבְנֵ֤י הָאָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַעֲשׂוּ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם מִסְפַּ֖ר יְמֵ֥י חַיֵּיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• holdאָחַז'âchaz · to graspH270
• follyסִכְלוּתsiklûth ώiklûth · follyH5531
• seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• heavensשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:3

• Ecclesiastes 1:17And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
• 1 Samuel 25:36And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was drunken to excess; so she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
• Proverbs 20:1Wine is a scorner, strong drink is raging; and whoso erreth thereby is not wise.
• Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers [to say], Where is the strong drink?
• Ephesians 5:18And be not drunk with wine, in which is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
• Ecclesiastes 7:18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
• Proverbs 23:29Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
• Matthew 6:24No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and will love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
• 2 Corinthians 6:15and what consent of Christ with Beliar, or what part for a believer along with an unbeliever?
• Ecclesiastes 6:12For who knoweth what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell man what shall be after him under the sun?
• Ecclesiastes 12:13Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.
• Genesis 47:9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my sojourning are a hundred and thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they do not attain to the days of the years of the life of my fathers, in the days of their sojourning.
• Job 14:14(If a man die, shall he live [again]?) all the days of my time of toil would I wait, till my change should come:
• Psalms 90:9For all our days pass away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a [passing] thought.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3To give myself unto wine, (yet acquainting [נהג noheg, "guiding"] mine heart with wisdom) - I did not run into extremes, as when I gave up myself to mirth and pleasure. There, I threw off all restraint; here, I took the middle course, to see whether a moderate enjoyment of the things of the world might not produce that happiness which I supposed man was created to enjoy here below.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3I sought … - Rather, I resolved (literally “I turned in my heart”) to draw my flesh with wine (see the margin), my heart guiding me with wisdom. In the course of his attempt to answer the question of Ecclesiastes 1:3, while his heart was directing him (as a charioteer directs his horses or a shepherd his sheep) with wisdom, and while he was following that guidance, he determined to draw with him his flesh by wine, thus making his flesh, which he speaks of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The Teacher realized that using wine to cheer himself was foolish, yet he did it while still seeking wisdom. He wanted to understand how to find happiness. This effort turned out to be pointless (Ecclesiastes 2:11). the few days of their lives: All human experiences are like "a breath."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 2:3

• Epicureans
• Investigation
• Pleasure
• Vanity
• Wine
• Wisdom
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Gather
• Laughter
• Ecclesiastes, the Preacher
• Give
• Guide
• 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