Ecclesiastes 1:17 Commentary, explanation, study verse by verse

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

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To know madness and folly - A knowledge of folly would help him to discern wisdom, and to exercise that chief function of practical wisdom - to avoid folly.
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Arno Geneva Study Bible

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know (l) madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. (l) That is, vain things, which served to pleasure, in which was no convenien...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:12 to Ecclesiastes 2:26 . Qoheleth's Investigations. Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom ( Eccle...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

madness . the opposite of wisdom, as displayed in the loss of self-control; raving with self-conceit. So elsewhere in this book. folly . infatuation. Hebrew. sakal. See note on- "wisdom", Prove...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. To know madness and folly - הוללות ושכלות holloth vesichluth. Παραβολας και επιστη...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And I gave my heart to know wisdom— For I applied myself to the knowledge of wisdom, and the knowledge of whatever is shining, and of science. We meet in all languages with words which are as muc...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. I gave my heart to know wisdom ... madness and folly - i:e., their effects...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

All is Vanity 1-11. The writer describes himself. He declares that all things are transitory and without result, whether they be the works or the life of man, or the natural forces of heat, air, a...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Madness and folly are words we should not expect to find in this context, and accordingly some interpreters have attempted by variations of reading to substitute for them words of the same nature a...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

FIRST SECTION The Quest Of The Chief Good In Wisdom And In Pleasure Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 ; Ecclesiastes 2:1-26 OPPRESSED by his profound sense of the vanity of the life which man lives amid t...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

the Testimony of an Unsatisfied Soul Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 All is vanity ! This cry finds an echo in human hearts of every age and clime. Clod meant man to be happy. “These things,” said our Lo...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

The first verse of this chapter introduces us to the author of the Book. Taken in conjunction with verse Ecclesiastes 1:12 , it leaves no room for doubt that he is Solomon. In stating his theme he e...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

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 s...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And I gave my heart to know wisdom ,.... Which is repeated, for the confirmation of it, from Ecclesiastes 1:13 , and that it might be taken notice of how assiduous and diligent he had been in acqui...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. Ver. 17. And to know madness and folly. ] That by comparing of contraries, I mi...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

I communed with mine own heart I considered within myself in what condition I was, and what degrees of knowledge I had gained; and whether it was not my ignorance that made me unable to rectify tho...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Vanity of Human Wisdom. 12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and searc...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly, that I might thoroughly understand the nature and difference of truth and error, of virtue and vice, all things being best understood...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

The Intellectual Search ( Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 ). Ecclesiastes 1:12-13 ‘I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem, and I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom about all th...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Sermon Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 I. Solomon's first resource was philosophy. He studied man's position in this world. His appetite for knowledge was omnivorous; and whilst hungering for the harvest, he was th...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecclesiastes 1:2 . Vanity of vanities. This is the Hebrew form of the superlative degree of comparison; as, the heaven of heavens, the song of songs, &c. He adds, “vexation of spirit,” because...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

EXPOSITION Ecclesiastes 1:1 THE TITLE . The words of the Preacher, the son of David, King in Jerusalem ; Septuagint, "King of Israel in Jerusalem" (comp. Ecclesiastes 1:12 Ecclesiast...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

The Unreliability of Earthly Wisdom
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Thessalonians 5:21 ; Ecclesiastes 2:10 ; Ecclesiastes 2:11 ; Ecclesiastes 1:13 ; Ecclesiastes 2:12 ; Ecclesiastes 2:3 ; Ecclesiastes 7:23-25
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Wells of Living Water Commentary

The Man under the Sun Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 INTRODUCTORY WORDS In order to introduce this study we can think of no better way than to go to our booklet on Ecclesiastes for a quotation. 1. Eccl...
Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

To know — That I might throughly understand the nature and difference of truth and error, of virtue and vice.

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Arno Geneva Study Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Sermon Bible Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Wells of Living Water Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:17 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes