Ecclesiastes 1 · Verse 17

Ecclesiastes 1:17

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, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 1:17 in other translations

BSBSo I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
WEBI applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.
ASVAnd I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
YLTAnd I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this is vexation of spirit;
DARBYAnd I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
BBEAnd I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
WebsterAnd I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

What does Ecclesiastes 1:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. wisdom ... madness--that is, their effects, the works of human wisdom and folly respectively. "Madness," literally, "vaunting extravagance"; Ec 2:12; 7:25, &c., support English Version rather than Dathe, "splendid matters." "Folly" is read by English Version with some manuscripts, instead of the present Hebrew text, "prudence." If Hebrew be retained, understand "prudence," falsely so called (1Ti 6:20), "craft" (Da 8:25).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 To know madness and folly - הוללות ושכלות holloth vesichluth. Παραβολας και επιστημην, "Parables and science." - Septuagint. So the Syriac; nearly so the Arabic. "What were error and foolishness." - Coverdale. Perhaps gayety and sobriety may be the better meaning for these two difficult words. I can scarcely think they are taken in that bad sense in which our translation exhibits them. "I tried pleasure in all its forms; and sobriety and self-abnegation to their utmost extent." Choheleth paraphrases, "Even fools and madmen taught me rules."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

Solomon tried all things, and found them vanity. He found his searches after knowledge weariness, not only to the flesh, but to the mind. The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the more he saw their vanity; and the sight often vexed his spirit. He could neither gain that satisfaction to himself, nor do that good to others, which he expected. Even the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom discovered man's…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 →

Ecclesiastes 1:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וָאֶתְּנָ֤הva.'e.te.Nahand I gave !H5414
לִבִּי֙li.Biheart myH3820
לָדַ֣עַתla.Da.'atto knowH3045
חָכְמָ֔הchokh.mahwisdomH2451
וְדַ֥עַתve.Da.'atand to knowH3045
הוֹלֵל֖וֹתho.le.LotmadnessH1947
וְשִׂכְל֑וּתve.sikh.Lutand follyH5531
יָדַ֕עְתִּיya.Da'.tiI knewH3045
שֶׁגַּם\־she.gam-that alsoH1571
זֶ֥הzehthisH2088
ה֖וּאhu'itH1931
רַעְי֥וֹןra'.Yon[is] a striving ofH7475
רֽוּחַ\׃Ru.achwindH7307

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 1:17

  • Ecclesiastes 2:3

    I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:21

    Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:23-25

    All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 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:

  • Ecclesiastes 2:10-12

    And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. 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.

  • Ecclesiastes 1:13-14

    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. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I gave.
13; 2:3,12; 7:23-25; 1Th 5:21
I perceived.
2:10,11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 1:16

    I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

  • Ecclesiastes 1:17

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

  • Ecclesiastes 1:18

    For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dí mi corazón á conocer la sabiduría, y también á entender las locuras y los desvaríos: conocí que aun esto era aflicción de espíritu.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et j’ai appliqué mon cœur à la connaissance de la sagesse et à la connaissance des choses déraisonnables et de la folie. J’ai connu que cela aussi, c’est la poursuite du vent.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und ich habe mein Herz darauf gerichtet, Weisheit zu erkennen, und Unsinn und Torheit zu erkennen: ich habe erkannt, daß auch das ein Haschen nach Wind ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam atque doctrinam, erroresque et stultitiam; et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor et afflictio spiritus: