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.
I turned myself to behold (the same Hebrew, uwpaaniytiy (H6437), as in Ecclesiastes 2:11, "I looked" on). I turned myself to behold (the same Hebrew, uwpaaniytiy (H6437), as in Ecclesiastes 2:11, "I looked" on).
Wisdom, and madness, and folly. He had tried (worldly) wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:12-13), and folly (foolish pleasure) (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11); he now compares them (Ecclesiastes 2:12), and finds that while (worldly) wisdom excelleth folly (Ecclesiastes 2:13-14), yet the one event, death and oblivion, befall both (Ecclesiastes 2:14-16), and that thus the wealth acquired by the wise man's "labour" may descend to a "fool," that hath not laboured (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19; Ecclesiastes 2:21); therefore all his labour is vanity (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23).
For what (can) the man (do) that cometh after the king? (even) that which hath been already done - (Ecclesiastes 1:9.) Parenthetical. A future investigator can strike nothing out "new," so as to draw a different conclusion from what I by comparing "wisdom and madness." Grotius, with less ellipsis, 'Who is the man who can come after (compete with) the king in (knowing) the things which are done?' None ever can have the same means of testing what all earthly things can do toward satisfying the soul-namely, worldly wisdom, science, riches, power, longevity, all combined. Gejer translates, in accordance with Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, 'What is that man who shall come after the king whom they have made?' - i:e., after me. But Solomon was not made king by man. Hengstenberg also refers 'What will the man (do) who cometh after the king?' to Rehoboam; and makes his perplexity as to the value of wisdom compared with folly to be due to his fear of a worthless successor inheriting all the results of his wisdom. I prefer the sense in the English version.