Ecclesiastes 2:12

Ecclesiastes 2:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?).

Context of Ecclesiastes 2:12

10I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. 11Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? 13I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 14The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

Ecclesiastes 2:12 word by word

וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי אֲנִי֙ לִרְא֣וֹת חָכְמָ֔ה וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְסִכְל֑וּת כִּ֣י׀ מֶ֣ה הָאָדָ֗ם שֶׁיָּבוֹא֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־כְּבָ֖ר עָשֽׂוּהוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I turnedפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• myself to beholdרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
• wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• and madnessהוֹלֵלָהhôlêlâh · madnessH1947
• and follyסִכְלוּתsiklûth ώiklûth · follyH5531
• the manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• that comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• that which hath been alreadyכְּבָרkebâr · alreadyH3528
• doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:12

• Ecclesiastes 1:17Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
• Ecclesiastes 7:25So 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.
• Ecclesiastes 2:25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12For what can the man do that cometh after the king? - I have examined every thing proposed by science, by maddening pleasure, and by more refined and regulated mirth. I seized on the whole, and used them to the uttermost; and so far, that none ever shall be able to exceed me; as none can, in the course of things, ever have such power and means of gratification.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 Solomon found that knowledge and prudence were preferable to ignorance and folly, though human wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy. The most learned of men, who dies a stranger to Christ Jesus, will perish equally with the most ignorant; and what good can commendations on earth do to the body in the grave, or the soul in hell? And the spirits of just men made perfect cannot want them. So that if this were all, we might be led to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?: After the Teacher, no one will have a better way to compare wisdom and foolishness because nothing new will happen under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9–10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. He had tried (worldly) wisdom (Ec 1:12-18) and folly (foolish pleasure) (Ec 2:1-11); he now compares them (Ec 2:12) and finds that while (worldly) wisdom excelleth folly (Ec 2:13, 14), yet the one event, death, befalls both (Ec 2:14-16), and that thus the wealth acquired by the wise man's "labor" may descend to a "fool" that hath not labored (Ec 2:18, 19, 21); therefore all his labor is vanity (Ec 2:22, 23). what can the man do ... already done--(Ec…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 2:12

• Investigation
• Pleasure
• Wisdom
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Gather
• Laughter
• Madness
• Ecclesiastes, the Preacher
• Fool; Folly
• 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