Ecclesiastes 2 · Verse 14

Ecclesiastes 2:14

The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
Ecclesiastes 2:14, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 2:14 in other translations

BSBThe wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.
WEBThe wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
ASVThe wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
YLTThe wise! --his eyes are in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;
DARBYThe wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
BBEThe wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.
WebsterThe wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

What does Ecclesiastes 2:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 2:13-14

13-14. (Pr 17:24). The worldly "wise" man has good sense in managing his affairs, skill and taste in building and planting, and keeps within safe and respectable bounds in pleasure, while the "fool" is wanting in these respects ("darkness," equivalent to fatal error, blind infatuation), yet one event, death, happens to both (Job 21:26).

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 2:13-14 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 The wise man's eyes, etc. - Well expressed by Choheleth: - "The wise are circumspect, maturely weigh The consequence of what they undertake, Good ends propose, and fittest means apply To accomplish their designs." But the fool walketh in darkness - "But fools, deprived Of reason's guidance, or in darkness grope, Or, unreflecting like a frantic man, Who on the brink of some steep precipice Attempts to run a race with heedless steps, Rush to their own perdition." One event happeneth to them all - "Though wide the difference, what has human pride To boast? Even I myself too plainly saw, That one event to both alike befalls; To various accidents of life exposed, Without distinction: nor can wisdom screen From dangers, disappointments, grief, and pain."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

Solomon found that knowledge and prudence were preferable to ignorance and folly, though human wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy. The most learned of men, who dies a stranger to Christ Jesus, will perish equally with the most ignorant; and what good can commendations on earth do to the body in the grave, or the soul in hell? And the spirits of just men made perfect cannot want them. So that if this were…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 →

Ecclesiastes 2:14 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.

הֶֽחָכָם֙he.cha.Khamthe wise [person]H2450
עֵינָ֣יו'ei.Naveyes hisH5869
בְּרֹאשׁ֔וֹbe.ro.Sho[are] in head hisH7218
וְהַכְּסִ֖ילve.ha.ke.Siland the foolH3684
בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְba.Cho.shekhin <the> darknessH2822
הוֹלֵ֑ךְho.Lekh[is] walkingH1980
וְיָדַ֣עְתִּיve.ya.Da'.tiand I knewH3045
גַם\־gam-alsoH1571
אָ֔נִי'A.niIH589
שֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥הshe.mik.Rehthat fateH4745
אֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadoneH259
יִקְרֶ֥הyik.Rehit will happen toH7136
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כֻּלָּֽם\׃ku.Lamall of themH3605

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

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 2:14

  • Psalms 49:10

    For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

  • Proverbs 17:24

    Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:11

    I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:1-3

    For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

  • 1 John 2:11

    But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:19

    For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:2

    It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

  • Ecclesiastes 10:2-3

    A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

  • Ecclesiastes 8:1

    Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:16

    Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

  • Proverbs 14:8

    The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

  • Psalms 19:10

    More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
wise.
8:1; 10:2,3; Pr 14:8; 17:24; 1Jo 2:11
one.
9:1-3,11,16; Ps 19:10; 49:10

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

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 2:13

    Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:14

    The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:15

    Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes 2:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El sabio tiene sus ojos en su cabeza, mas el necio anda en tinieblas: empero también entendí yo que un mismo suceso acaecerá al uno que al otro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Le sage a ses yeux à sa tête, et le fou marche dans les ténèbres; mais j’ai connu, moi aussi, qu’un même sort les atteint tous.
German
Elberfelder 1871
der Weise hat seine Augen in seinem Kopfe, der Tor aber wandelt in der Finsternis. Und ich erkannte zugleich daß einerlei Geschick ihnen allen widerfährt;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Sapientis oculi in capite ejus; stultus in tenebris ambulat: et didici quod unus utriusque esset interitus.