Ecclesiastes 2:3
in Ecclesiastes 2I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Ecclesiastes 2
Commentary
4 notes on this verseI sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine,.... Not in an immoderate way, so as to intoxicate himself with it, in which there can be no pleasure, nor any show of happiness; but in a moderate, yet liberal way, so as to be innocently cheerful and pleasant, and hereby try what good and happiness were to be possessed in this way.
This site's exposition
to give myself unto wine
on Ecclesiastes 2:3-6
The wine test follows the same design, the Preacher giving himself unto wine while acquainting mine heart with wisdom, so that indulgence never runs without a sober witness inside it. From wine he moves to building: houses raised, vineyards planted, gardens and orchards set with every kind of fruit tree, and pools of water dug to feed the young trees, each project chosen and finished by his own hand. Gill reads the string of first-person verbs, I made, I planted, I builded, as the record of a man leaving nothing untried before he files his report. The scale answers any objection that the experiment was run half-heartedly.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I sought ... - Rather, I resolved (literally “I turned in my heart”) to draw my flesh with wine (see the margin), my heart guiding me with wisdom. In the course of his attempt to answer the question of Ecc 1:3, while his heart was directing him (as a charioteer directs his horses or a shepherd his sheep) with wisdom, and while he was following that guidance, he determined to draw with him his flesh by wine, thus making his flesh, which he speaks of as distinct from himself (compare Rom 7:25), a confederate and subsidiary in his attempt.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
on Ecclesiastes 2:3-11
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 [GESENIUS]. MAURER translates: "was weary of (worldly) wisdom." But the end of Ec 2:9 confirms English Version. folly--namely, pleasures of the flesh, termed "mad," Ec 2:2. all the days, &c.--(See Margin and Ec 6:12;
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| תַּ֣רְתִּי | tarti | I searched | H8446 → | 24 times |
| בְלִבִּ֔י | velibi | in heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לִמְשׁ֥וֹךְ | limshokh | to gratify | H4900 → | |
| בַּיַּ֖יִן | baiyayin | with <the> wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּשָׂרִ֑י | besari | flesh my | H1320 → | 270 times |
| וְלִבִּ֞י | velibi | and heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| נֹהֵ֤ג | noheg | [was] guiding | H5090 → | |
| בַּֽחָכְמָה֙ | bachakhemah | with <the> wisdom | H2451 → | 153 times |
| וְלֶאֱחֹ֣ז | veleechoz | and to take hold | H270 → | 67 times |
| בְּסִכְל֔וּת | besikhlut | on folly | H5531 → | 7 times |
| עַ֣ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֶרְאֶ֗ה | ʾereh | I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֵי־ | ʾei- | where? | H335 → | |
| זֶ֨ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| ט֜וֹב | tov | [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| לִבְנֵ֤י | livnei | for [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הָאָדָם֙ | haadam | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַעֲשׂוּ֙ | yaasu | they will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| מִסְפַּ֖ר | mispar | [the] number of | H4557 → | 134 times |
| יְמֵ֥י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| חַיֵּיהֶֽם׃ | chaiyeihem | lives their | H2416 → | 498 times |
תַּ֣רְתִּיI searched
tartiH8446 →24 times
בְלִבִּ֔יin heart my
velibiH3820 →595 times
לִמְשׁ֥וֹךְto gratify
limshokhH4900 →
בַּיַּ֖יִןwith <the> wine
baiyayinH3196 →141 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּשָׂרִ֑יflesh my
besariH1320 →270 times
וְלִבִּ֞יand heart my
velibiH3820 →595 times
נֹהֵ֤ג[was] guiding
nohegH5090 →
בַּֽחָכְמָה֙with <the> wisdom
bachakhemahH2451 →153 times
וְלֶאֱחֹ֣זand to take hold
veleechozH270 →67 times
בְּסִכְל֔וּתon folly
besikhlutH5531 →7 times
עַ֣דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אֶרְאֶ֗הI saw
ʾerehH7200 →1300 times
אֵי־where?
ʾei-H335 →
זֶ֨הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
ט֜וֹב[is] good
tovH2896 →538 times
לִבְנֵ֤יfor [the] children of
livneiH1121 →4930 times
הָאָדָם֙<the> humankind
haadamH120 →551 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַעֲשׂוּ֙they will do
yaasuH6213 →2628 times
תַּ֣חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
מִסְפַּ֖ר[the] number of
misparH4557 →134 times
יְמֵ֥י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
חַיֵּיהֶֽם׃lives their
chaiyeihemH2416 →498 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ecclesiastes 12:13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your…
- Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Deuteronomy 6:2
so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that…
- Psalms 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Deuteronomy 10:12
Through
Proverbs 20:1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
- Hosea 4:11
Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
- Isaiah 28:7
These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling…
- Ephesians 5:18
Where this verse is studied
No study on the site is anchored to this verse yet.
Also on Ecclesiastes 2: 2 studies that walk through this chapter ▾
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.