Ecclesiastes 2:4

Ecclesiastes 2:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
• New International Version (NIV)I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.

Context of Ecclesiastes 2:4

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. I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; 5I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

Ecclesiastes 2:4 word by word

הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי מַעֲשָׂ֑י בָּנִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בָּתִּ֔ים נָטַ֥עְתִּי לִ֖י כְּרָמִֽים׃Read the interlinear

• I enlargedגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
• my worksמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• housesבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• for myself, I plantedנָטַעnâţa‛ · to plantH5193
• vineyardsכֶּרֶםkerem · vineyardH3754

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:4

• Genesis 11:4And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.”
• 2 Samuel 18:18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial stone, which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to continue my name.” So he named the memorial stone after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
• Daniel 4:30The king began speaking and was saying, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’
• Deuteronomy 8:12otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, and you build good houses and live in them,
• 1 Kings 7:1Now Solomon built his own house over the course of thirteen years, and he finished all of his house.
• 1 Kings 9:1Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and all that Solomon desired to do,
• 1 Kings 15:19“Let’s make a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.”
• 1 Kings 10:19There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its back, and armrests on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.
• 2 Chronicles 8:1Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house,
• 1 Chronicles 27:27Shimei the Ramathite was responsible for the vineyards; and Zabdi the Shiphmite was responsible for the produce of the vineyards stored in the wine cellars.
• 2 Chronicles 26:10He also built towers in the wilderness and carved out many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil.
• Isaiah 5:1Let me sing now for my beloved A song of my beloved about His vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I builded me houses - Palace after palace; the house of the forest of Lebanon, 1 Kings 7:1, etc.; a house for the queen; the temple, etc., 2 Chronicles 8:1, etc.; 1 Kings 9:10, etc., besides many other buildings of various kinds.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Compare 1 Kings 7:1-12; 1 Kings 9:15-19; 1 Kings 10:14-27; and 2 Chronicles 8:4.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The Bible mentions Solomon's vineyards in Song of Solomon 8:11–12.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 2:4

• Agriculture
• Epicureans
• Investigation
• Pleasure
• Solomon
• Vanity
• Vineyard
• Wisdom
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

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