Ecclesiastes 1:17

And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this [is] vexation of spirit;

Young's Literal Translation

In The King James Version

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

In Context

16I — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.

18for, in abundance of wisdom [is] abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'

Read all of Ecclesiastes 1

Cross References

Psalms 73:16And I think to know this, Perverseness it [is] in mine eyes,

Ecclesiastes 2:3I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where [is] this — the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

Ecclesiastes 2:11and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

Ecclesiastes 3:19For an event [is to] the sons of man, and an event [is to] the beasts, even one event [is] to them; as the death of this, so [is] the death of that; and one spirit [is] to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole [is] vanity.

Ecclesiastes 6:9Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 7:25I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 1:13-18

Vanity of Human Wisdom. 12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Ecclesiastes 1:17