Ecclesiastes 2:1

Ecclesiastes 2:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
• New International Version (NIV)I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity.

Context of Ecclesiastes 2:1

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. 2I said of laughter, “It is senseless,” and of pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 3I explored with my mind how to refresh my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize foolishness, until I could see what good there is for the sons of mankind to do under heaven for the few years of their lives.

Ecclesiastes 2:1 word by word

אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י לְכָה־נָּ֛א אֲנַסְּכָ֛ה בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּרְאֵ֣ה בְט֑וֹב וְהִנֵּ֥ה גַם־ה֖וּא הָֽבֶל׃Read the interlinear

• I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to myselfלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• Comeהָלַךְhâlak · to go: come!H1980
• nowנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• I will testנָסָהnâsâh · to testH5254
• pleasureשִׂמְחָהώimchâh · joyH8057
• enjoyרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: enjoyH7200
• enjoyטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
• yourself.” And beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• it tooגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• was futilityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:1

• Ecclesiastes 2:15Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is futility.”
• Ecclesiastes 1:16I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:17I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.
• Psalms 10:6He says to himself, “I will not be moved; Throughout the generations I will not be in adversity.”
• Psalms 14:1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts; There is no one who does good.
• Psalms 27:8When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
• Psalms 30:6Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, “I will never be moved.”
• Luke 12:19And I will say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’
• Genesis 11:3Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
• 2 Kings 5:5Then the king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes.
• Isaiah 5:5So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.
• James 4:13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”
• James 5:1Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.
• Ecclesiastes 8:15So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a person under the sun except to eat, drink, and be joyful, and this will stand by him in his labor throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
• Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.
• Isaiah 50:5The Lord God has opened My ear, And I was not disobedient, Nor did I turn back.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1I will prove thee with mirth - This is well expressed by the author so often referred to. Having tried speculative knowledge in vain, passion and appetite whisper: - "From the rugged thorny road Of wisdom, which so ill repays thy toil, Turn back, and enter pleasure's flowery paths. Go, take thy fill of joy, to passion give The reins; nor let one serious thought restrain What youth and affluence prompt."Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Solomon‘s trial of God‘s second gift, namely, riches, and the enjoyment which riches supply; this brought him to the sane result (compare Ecclesiastes 1:12). Comparing Solomon‘s action with Luke 12:16-21, it must be remembered that Solomon‘s object was the acquisition of wisdom, not self-indulgence, and that he did not fail to look forward to the certainty of death overtaking him.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The vanity and vexation of mirth, sensual pleasure, riches, and pomp. (Eccl. 2:1-11) Human wisdom insufficient. (Eccl. 2:12-17) This world to be used according to the will of God. (Eccl. 2:18-26) Verses 1-11 Solomon soon found mirth and pleasure to be vanity. What does noisy, flashy mirth towards making a man happy? The manifold devices of men's hearts, to get satisfaction from the world, and their changing from one thing to another, are like the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-11The Teacher says seeking pleasure for its own sake is empty. Even great achievements are like smoke.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-26Ec 2:1-26. He next tries pleasure and luxury, retaining however, his worldly "wisdom" (Ec 3:9), but all proves "vanity" in respect to the chief good. 1. I said ... heart--(Lu 12:19). thee--my heart, I will test whether thou canst find that solid good in pleasure which was not in "worldly wisdom." But this also proves to be "vanity" (Is 50:11).Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 2:1

• Amusements and Worldly Pleasures
• Epicureans
• Happiness
• Investigation
• Pleasure
• Vanity
• Wisdom
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Gather
• Laughter
• Ecclesiastes, the Preacher
• Synagogue, the Great
• Solomon

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