Ecclesiastes 7:25

Ecclesiastes 7:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
• New International Version (NIV)So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness.
• New Living Translation (NLT)I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:25

23All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me. 24That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? I 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. 26And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—

Ecclesiastes 7:25 word by word

סַבּ֨וֹתִֽי אֲנִ֤י וְלִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת וְלָת֔וּר וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ חָכְמָ֖ה וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ רֶ֣שַׁע כֶּ֔סֶל וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I appliedסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
• mine heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• to knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• and to searchתּוּרtûr · to spyH8446
• and to seek outבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• and the reasonחֶשְׁבּוֹןcheshbôn · explanationH2808
• the wickednessרֶ֫שַׁעresha‛ · wickednessH7562
• of follyכֶּ֫סֶלkesel · loinH3689
• even of foolishnessסִכְלוּתsiklûth ώiklûth · follyH5531
• madnessהוֹלֵלָהhôlêlâh · madnessH1947

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:25

• Ecclesiastes 1:13And 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 2:1I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity.
• Ecclesiastes 7:27Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—
• Ecclesiastes 2:15Then I said in my heart, "What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?" And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
• Ecclesiastes 3:16Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.
• Jeremiah 12:1Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
• 2 Peter 2:3And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
• 2 Peter 3:3knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
• Ecclesiastes 9:3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
• Ecclesiastes 10:13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness.
• Genesis 34:7The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing must not be done.
• Joshua 7:13Get up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."
• 2 Samuel 13:12She answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing.
• Proverbs 17:12Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly.
• Proverbs 26:11Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25I applied mine heart - I cast about, סבותי sabbothi, I made a circuit; I circumscribed the ground I was to traverse; and all within my circle I was determined to know, and to investigate, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things. Has man reason and understanding? If so, then this is his work. God as much calls him to use these powers in this way, as to believe on the Lord Jesus that he may be saved; and he that does not, according to the means in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Reason - The same word is translated “account” Ecclesiastes 7:27, “invention” Ecclesiastes 7:29, and “device” Ecclesiastes 9:10: it is derived from a root signifying “to count.”Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-29Verses 23-29 Solomon, in his search into the nature and reason of things, had been miserably deluded. But he here speaks with godly sorrow. He alone who constantly aims to please God, can expect to escape; the careless sinner probably will fall to rise no more. He now discovered more than ever the evil of the great sin of which he had been guilty, the loving many strange women, I Kin. 11:1. A woman thoroughly upright and godly, he had not found. How was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-25it was beyond me: The Teacher could not find the wisdom or reasons he sought. Such reasons are hidden in God's mind (Ecclesiastes 3:11; 8:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. Literally, "I turned myself and mine heart to." A phrase peculiar to Ecclesiastes, and appropriate to the penitent turning back to commune with his heart on his past life. wickedness of folly--He is now a step further on the path of penitence than in Ec 1:17; 2:12, where "folly" is put without "wickedness" prefixed. reason--rather, "the right estimation" of things. Holden translates also "foolishness (that is, sinful folly, answering to 'wickedness'…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:25

• Blindness
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Adversity
• Bosom
• Consider
• Crackling
• Living
• Madness
• Rest
• Fool; Folly
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings