Ecclesiastes 2:8

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 made large pools of water. I used the water to help my trees to grow well. 7I bought male slaves and female slaves. Their children became my slaves too. I had many animals, including sheep, goats and cows. I had more animals than any of the rulers in Jerusalem who lived before me. I stored a lot of silver and gold for myself. Other kings and rulers paid me with many valuable things. I had men and women who would sing for me. I had many beautiful slave wives to give me as much pleasure as any man could want. 9As a result, I was greater than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem before me. And I continued to follow the way of wisdom. 10If I saw something that I wanted I took it for myself. If something would give me pleasure, I did it. So all my work made me very happy. My hard work gave me things to enjoy.

Ecclesiastes 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 9:14Hiram had sent to King Solomon about 4,000 kilograms of gold.
• 1 Kings 10:10The Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon more than 4,000 kilograms of gold, a lot of spices and many valuable jewels. Nobody has ever brought such a big number of spices as she gave to the king.
• 1 Kings 14:21King Solomon's son, Rehoboam, ruled Judah as king. He was 41 years old when he became king. He ruled for 17 years in Jerusalem. That was the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. He chose it as the place where people would give honour to his name. Rehoboam's mother was an Ammonite woman. Her name was Naamah.
• 2 Chronicles 9:11The king used the wood to make steps for the Lord's temple and for the king's palace. He also used it to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nobody had ever seen things like those in Judah.
• 2 Samuel 19:35I am already 80 years old. I can no longer tell what is nice or what is bad. I cannot taste what I eat and drink. I cannot still hear people's voices when they sing. I would only cause trouble to you, my lord the king.
• Ezra 2:65There were also 7,337 male and female servants, as well as 200 male and female singers.
• 1 Chronicles 25:1David and the army officers chose some Levites to serve God as musicians. They belonged to the families of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun. They chose these men to speak messages from God while they made music with harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is a list of the men that they chose for this work:
• Job 21:11Their children run and play. They jump like young lambs.
• Psalms 150:3Praise him with music! Yes! Use trumpets, harps and lyres to praise God!
• Daniel 3:5Listen for the sound of music from trumpets, flutes, lyres, harps or any other kind of music. When you hear the music, you must bend down low towards the ground. You must worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has built.
• Amos 6:5Like King David, you play music on your harps and you sing new songs.

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

• Amusements and Worldly Pleasures
• Epicureans
• Investigation
• Music
• Pleasure
• Silver
• Solomon
• Vanity
• Wisdom
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Musical Instruments
• Gather
• Laughter
• Music
• Music, Instrumental
• Ecclesiastes, the Preacher
• Peculiar
• Synagogue, the Great
• Treasure; Treasurer; Treasury
• province, provincial

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