English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 1:13
13And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.
Ecclesiastes 1:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
- New International Version (NIV)I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race.
Context of Ecclesiastes 1:13
11There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. 12I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 1Ecclesiastes 1:13 word by word
וְנָתַ֣תִּי אֶת־לִבִּ֗י לִדְר֤וֹשׁ וְלָתוּר֙ בַּֽחָכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר נַעֲשָׂ֖ה תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם ה֣וּא׀ עִנְיַ֣ן רָ֗ע נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- my heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- to seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- and search outתּוּרtûr · to spyH8446
- by wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
- that are doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- under heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- this soreרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
- travailעִנְיָן‛inyân · taskH6045
- hath Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- to the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- to be exercisedעָנָה‛ânâh · be occupiedH6031
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 1:13
- Ecclesiastes 1:17And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.
- Ecclesiastes 7:25I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness.
- Ecclesiastes 8:9All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
- Psalms 111:2Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.
- Proverbs 2:2making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
- Proverbs 4:7The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
- Proverbs 18:1Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
- Proverbs 23:26My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
- 1 Timothy 4:15Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
- Ecclesiastes 3:10I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.
- Ecclesiastes 4:4Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
- Ecclesiastes 12:12My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
- Genesis 3:19By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 1:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13And I gave my heart to seek and search - While Solomon was faithful to his God he diligently cultivated his mind. His giving himself to the study of natural history, philosophy, poetry, etc., are sufficient proofs of it. He had not intuitive knowledge from God; but he had a capacity to obtain every kind of knowledge useful to man. This sore travail - This is the way in which knowledge is to be acquired; and in order to investigate the operations of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Wisdom - As including both the powers of observation and judgment, and the knowledge acquired thereby (1 Kings 3:28; 1 Kings 4:29; 1 Kings 10:8, ). It increases by exercise. Here is noted its application to people and their actions. Travail - In the sense of toil; the word is here applied to all human occupations. God - God is named as אלהים 'elohı̂ym thirty-nine times in this book; a name common to the true God and to false gods, and used by believers…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 Solomon tried all things, and found them vanity. He found his searches after knowledge weariness, not only to the flesh, but to the mind. The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the more he saw their vanity; and the sight often vexed his spirit. He could neither gain that satisfaction to himself, nor do that good to others, which he expected. Even the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom discovered man's wickedness and misery; so that the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13What a miserable task God has laid: The harsh truths of human experience remind us of the Fall in Eden (Genesis 3). Ecclesiastes does not avoid sad topics like death, oppression, and loneliness. Instead, it faces them directly and includes them in realistic conclusions.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. this sore travail--namely, that of "searching out all things done under heaven." Not human wisdom in general, which comes afterwards (Ec 2:12, &c.), but laborious enquiries into, and speculations about, the works of men; for example, political science. As man is doomed to get his bread, so his knowledge, by the sweat of his brow (Ge 3:19) [Gill]. exercised--that is, disciplined; literally, "that they may thereby chastise, or humble themselves."Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 1:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 1
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries