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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:25

23All this I have tested with wisdom and I said, “I determined to be wise”—but it was far from me. 24Whatever it may be, it is far off and very profound—who can fathom it? So I turned my heart to understand, to search and seek out wisdom and an explanation of things and to know the stupidity of wickedness and madness of folly. 26I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap, and whose hands are chains. He who pleases God will escape her, but a sinner will be captured by her. 27“Look,” said Kohelet, “I have discovered this 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 1:13I applied my heart to seek and examine by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a burdensome task God has given the sons of men to keep them occupied.
• Ecclesiastes 2:1I said within myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to see what is good.” Yet behold, this too was meaningless.
• Ecclesiastes 7:27“Look,” said Kohelet, “I have discovered this while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—
• Ecclesiastes 2:15Then said I in my heart: “I, even I, will have the same destiny as a fool. So why have I become so wise?” I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:16I have also seen under the sun: In the place of justice there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there was wickedness.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1For all this I laid on my heart and to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works are in the hand of God. Whether love or hatred, no one knows—everything awaits them.
• Jeremiah 12:1Righteous are You, Adonai, when I plead my case with You. Yet I speak with You about justice. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous thrive?
• 2 Peter 2:3In their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
• 2 Peter 3:3First of all, understand that in the last days, scoffers will come scoffing, following after their own desires
• Ecclesiastes 9:3This is a misery in everything done under the sun: that the same destiny awaits everyone. Moreover, the hearts of all humans are full of evil, and folly is in their hearts during their lives—after that they die.
• Ecclesiastes 10:13The words from his mouth begin as folly and end as grievous madness—
• Genesis 34:7Jacob’s sons had already come in from the field when they heard, and the men were deeply grieved and furious, because he had committed a vile deed in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, which ought never to be done.
• Joshua 7:13Arise! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: Something under the ban is in the midst of you, Israel. You will not be able to stand up before your enemies until you remove whatever is under the ban from among you.
• 2 Samuel 13:12“No!” she said to him. “Don’t, my brother! Don’t rape me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Don’t do this disgraceful deed!
• Proverbs 17:12Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to deal with a fool in his folly.
• Proverbs 26:11Like a dog that returns to its vomit, so a fool 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