Revised Version 1895
Ecclesiastes 2:12
12And 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.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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?
- 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.
Context of Ecclesiastes 2:12
10And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them: I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour. 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun. 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. 13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 14The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 2Ecclesiastes 2:12 word by word
וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי אֲנִי֙ לִרְא֣וֹת חָכְמָ֔ה וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְסִכְל֑וּת כִּ֣י׀ מֶ֣ה הָאָדָ֗ם שֶׁיָּבוֹא֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־כְּבָ֖ר עָשֽׂוּהוּ׃Read the interlinear
- turnedפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- myselfאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
- beholdרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
- wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
- madnessהוֹלֵלָהhôlêlâh · madnessH1947
- follyסִכְלוּתsiklûth ώiklûth · follyH5531
- whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- evenכִּיkîy · forH3588
- whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- alreadyכְּבָרkebâr · alreadyH3528
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:12
- Ecclesiastes 1:17And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
- Ecclesiastes 7:25I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness:
- Ecclesiastes 2:25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
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
In the dictionaries
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
Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain
Commentaries