Ecclesiastes 7 · Verse 23

Ecclesiastes 7:23

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Ecclesiastes 7:23, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:23 in other translations

BSBAll this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
WEBAll this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
ASVAll this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
YLTAll this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, ‘I am wise,' and it is far from me.
DARBYAll this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
BBEAll this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
WebsterAll this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

What does Ecclesiastes 7:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. All this--resuming the "all" in Ec 7:15; Ec 7:15-22 is therefore the fruit of his dearly bought experience in the days of his "vanity." I will be wise--I tried to "be wise," independently of God. But true wisdom was then "far from him," in spite of his human wisdom, which he retained by God's gift. So "over wise" (Ec 7:16).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 All this have I proved by wisdom - These rules I have laid down for my own conduct, and sought after more wisdom; but have fallen far short of what I wished to be.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 7:23-29
Solomon, in his search into the nature and reason of things, had been miserably deluded. But he here speaks with godly sorrow. He alone who constantly aims to please God, can expect to escape; the careless sinner probably will fall to rise no more. He now discovered more than ever the evil of the great sin of which he had been guilty, the loving many strange women, I Kin. 11:1. A woman thoroughly upright and godly, he had not found. How was he likely to find such a one among those he had collected? If any of them had been well disposed, their situation would tend to render them all nearly of the same character. He here warns others against the sins into which he had been betrayed. Many a godly man can with thankfulness acknowledge that he has found a prudent, virtuous woman in the wife of his bosom; but those men who have gone in Solomon's track, cannot expect to find one. He traces up all the streams of actual transgression to the fountain. It is clear that man is corrupted and revolted, and not as he was made. It is lamentable that man, whom God made upright, has found out so many ways to render himself wicked and miserable. Let us bless Him for Jesus Christ, and seek his grace, that we may be numbered with his chosen people.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Ecclesiastes 7:23 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.

כָּל\־kol-allH3605
זֹ֖הzohthisH2090
נִסִּ֣יתִיni.Si.tiI have put to [the] testH5254
בַֽחָכְמָ֑הva.cha.khe.Mahby <the> wisdomH2451
אָמַ֣רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiI saidH559
אֶחְכָּ֔מָה'ech.Ka.mahlet me be wiseH2449
וְהִ֖יאve.Hi'and itH1931
רְחוֹקָ֥הre.cho.Kah[was] farH7350
מִמֶּֽנִּי\׃mi.Me.nifrom meH4480

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

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 7:23

  • Romans 1:22

    Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

  • 1 Corinthians 1:20

    Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

  • Genesis 3:5

    For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

  • 1 Kings 11:1-8

    But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. …

  • 1 Kings 3:11-12

    And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I said.
Ge 3:5; 1Ki 3:11,12; 11:1-8; Ro 1:22; 1Co 1:20

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

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 7:22

    For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:23

    All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:24

    That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

Read all of Ecclesiastes 7

Ecclesiastes 7:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Todas estas cosas probé con sabiduría, diciendo: Hacerme he sabio: mas ella se alejó de mí.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		J’ai éprouvé tout cela par la sagesse; j’ai dit: Je serai sage; mais elle était loin de moi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Das alles habe ich mit Weisheit geprüft. Ich sprach: Ich will weise werden; aber sie blieb fern von mir.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		scit enim conscientia tua quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis.