Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Summary of his investigations.
They have sought out many inventions. Theoretical "inventions" х chishªbonowt (H2810)]. Self-wise reasonings and speculations of the natural intellect, drawing the heart away from the true and heavenly wisdom (1 Timothy 6:20, "profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called"). The 'only' way of accounting for the scarcity of even comparatively upright, and therefore divinely wise men and women, is that, whereas God made man upright, they (men) have, etc. The only account to be 'found' of the origin of evil, the great mystery of theology, is that given in Holy Writ (Genesis 2:3). Among man's "inventions" was the one especially referred to in Ecclesiastes 7:26, the bitter fruits of which Solomon experienced-the breaking of God's primeval marriage law, joining one man to one woman (Matthew 19:4-6). The "man" is singular-namely, Adam: "they," plural, Adam, Eve, and their posterity.