Ecclesiastes 2 · Verse 8

Ecclesiastes 2:8

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
Ecclesiastes 2:8, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 2:8 in other translations

BSBand I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.
WEBI also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts.
ASVI gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
YLTI gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man--a wife and wives.
DARBYI gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the children of men, a wife and concubines.
BBEI got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men--girls of all sorts to be my brides.
WebsterI gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and of the provinces: I procured me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and of all sorts.

What does Ecclesiastes 2:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 2:3-11

3-11. Illustration more at large of Ec 2:1, 2. I sought--I resolved, after search into many plans. give myself unto wine--literally, "to draw my flesh," or "body to wine" (including all banquetings). Image from a captive drawn after a chariot in triumph (Ro 6:16, 19; 1Co 12:2); or, one "allured" (2Pe 2:18, 19). yet acquainting ... wisdom--literally, "and my heart (still) was behaving, or guiding itself," with wisdom…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 2:3-11 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 The peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces - 1. The tares levied off his subjects. 2. The tribute given by the neighboring potentates. Both these make the "peculiar treasure of kings;" taxes and tribute. Men singers and women singers - This includes all instrumental and vocal performers. These may be called the delights of the sons of men. Musical instruments, and that of all sorts - For these seven words, there are only two in the original, שדה ושדות shiddah veshiddoth. These words are acknowledged on all hands to be utterly unknown, if not utterly inexplicable. Some render them male and female captives; others, cups and flagons; others, cooks and confectioners; others, a species of musical compositions derived from a celebrated Phoenician woman named Sido, to whom Sanchoniatha attributes the invention of music. Others, with more probability, wives and concubines; of the former of whom Solomon had seven hundred, and of the latter, three hundred; and if these be not spoken of here, they are not mentioned at all; whereas music, and every thing connected with that, was referred to before. The author of Choheleth paraphrases thus: - "To complete This scene of earthly bliss, how large a span Of that which most delights the sons of men Fell to my portion! What a lovely train Of blooming beauties, by connubial ties, By purchase, or the gifts of neighboring kings, Or spoils of war, made mine." If, after all this, I may add one conjecture, it shall be this; שדה sadeh, in Hebrews is a field, and occurs in various parts of the Bible. שדות sadoth is fields, 1Sam 22:7, the points in such a case are of no consideration. May not Solomon be speaking here of farms upon farms, or estates upon estates, which he had added by purchase to the common regal portion? We know that a king of Israel (Ahab) once desired to have a vineyard (Naboth's) which he could not obtain: now, Solomon having spoken before of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, why may he not here speak of supernumerary estates? Perhaps every man who critically examines the place will be dissatisfied, and have a conjecture of his own.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

The vanity and vexation of mirth, sensual pleasure, riches, and pomp. (Eccl. 2:1-11) Human wisdom insufficient. (Eccl. 2:12-17) This world to be used according to the will of God. (Eccl. 2:18-26) Verses 1-11 Solomon soon found mirth and pleasure to be vanity. What does noisy, flashy mirth towards making a man happy? The manifold devices of men's hearts, to get satisfaction from the world, and their changing from one…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 →

Ecclesiastes 2:8 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.

כָּנַ֤סְתִּיka.Nas.tiI gatheredH3664
לִי֙lifor <the> myself
גַּם\־gam-alsoH1571
כֶּ֣סֶףKe.sefsilverH3701
וְזָהָ֔בve.za.Havand goldH2091
וּסְגֻלַּ֥תu.se.gu.Latand treasure ofH5459
מְלָכִ֖יםme.la.KhimkingsH4428
וְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹתve.ha.me.di.Notand <the> provincesH4082
עָשִׂ֨יתִי'a.Si.tiI acquiredH6213
לִ֜יlifor <the> myself
שָׁרִ֣יםsha.Rimmale singersH7891
וְשָׁר֗וֹתve.sha.Rotand female singersH7891
וְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛תve.ta.'a.nu.Gotand [the] delights ofH8588
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] children ofH1121
הָאָדָ֖םha.'a.Dam<the> humankindH120
שִׁדָּ֥הshi.DahbreastH7705
וְשִׁדּֽוֹת\׃ve.shi.Dotand breastsH7705

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

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 2:8

  • 1 Kings 10:10

    And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

  • 1 Kings 9:28

    And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

  • 2 Samuel 19:35

    I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

  • 1 Kings 10:14

    Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

  • 1 Chronicles 25:6

    All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

  • Psalms 150:3-5

    Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

  • 1 Kings 14:21-22

    And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.

  • 1 Chronicles 25:1

    Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:

  • 1 Kings 14:27

    And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.

  • 1 Kings 10:21

    And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

  • 1 Kings 9:14

    And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.

  • Daniel 3:15

    Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
silver.
1Ki 9:14,28; 10:10; 14:21,22,27; 2Ch 9:11,15-21
men singers.
2Sa 19:35; Ezr 2:65
musical instruments, etc. Heb. musical instrument andinstruments.
1Ch 25:1,6; Job 21:11,12; Ps 150:3-5; Da 3:5,7,15; Am 6:5The difficult words {shiddah weshiddoth} are variously rendered. The LXX. have [oinocoon kai oinochoas,] "male and female cup-bearers," with which the Syriac and Arabic and Parkhurst agree; Aquila, [kulikon kai kulikia,] "a cup and smaller cups;" Jerome, {scyphos et urceolos, (Vulg. {urceos,}) "goblets and pots;" Targum, "warm and cold baths;" others, as M. Desvoeux, "male and female captives;" others, "cooks and confectioners;" others, "a species of musical compositions," derived from Sido, a celebrated Phoenician woman, to whom Sanchoniatho attributes the invention of music; but others, with more probability, "wives and concubines;" and {siddoth} may be in this sense synonymous with the Arabic {seedat, domina, conjux} from {sada,} in {Conj. V. conjugium inivit.} Of the former, Solomon had three hundred, and of the latter, seven hundred; and if they are not mentioned here they are not mentioned at all, which is wholly unaccountable.

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

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 2:7

    I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

  • Ecclesiastes 2:8

    I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:9

    So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes 2:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Alleguéme también plata y oro, y tesoro preciado de reyes y de provincias; híceme de cantores y cantoras, y los deleites de los hijos de los hombres, instrumentos músicos y de todas suertes.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Je me suis aussi amassé de l’argent et de l’or, et les trésors des rois et des provinces; je me suis procuré des chanteurs et des chanteuses, et les délices des fils des hommes, une femme et des concubines.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ich sammelte mir auch Silber und Gold und Reichtum der Könige und Landschaften; ich schaffte mir Sänger und Sängerinnen, und die Wonnen der Menschenkinder: Frau und Frauen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		coacervavi mihi argentum et aurum, et substantias regum ac provinciarum; feci mihi cantores et cantatrices, et delicias filiorum hominum, scyphos, et urceos in ministerio ad vina fundenda;