Ecclesiastes 2:8
in Ecclesiastes 2and 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 2
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThe 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.
This site's exposition
I got me servants and maidens
on Ecclesiastes 2:7-8
The household and treasury complete the inventory: servants bought and born in the house, herds beyond any before him in Jerusalem, silver and gold gathered with the treasure of kings and provinces, and singers, men and women, added for the ear as the rest were added for the hand. Clarke notes the peculiar treasure of kings as tribute or royal collections such as only a monarch of Solomon's rank could assemble. Every category of wealth Scripture elsewhere names as blessing is present here at its fullest extent, which is what makes the coming verdict weigh as it does.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
9:20). peculiar treasure of kings and . . . provinces--contributed by them, as tributary to him (1Ki 4:21, 24); a poor substitute for the wisdom whose "gain is better than fine gold" (Pr 3:14, 15). singers--so David (2Sa 19:35). musical instruments . . . of all sorts--introduced at banquets (Isa 5:12;
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
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כָּנַ֤סְתִּי | kanasti | I gathered | H3664 → | 11 times |
| לִי֙ | li | for <the> myself | ||
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| כֶּ֣סֶף | kesef | silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| וְזָהָ֔ב | vezahav | and gold | H2091 → | |
| וּסְגֻלַּ֥ת | usegulat | and treasure of | H5459 → | |
| מְלָכִ֖ים | melakhim | kings | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹת | vehamedinot | and <the> provinces | H4082 → | |
| עָשִׂ֨יתִי | ʾasiti | I acquired | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִ֜י | li | for <the> myself | ||
| שָׁרִ֣ים | sharim | male singers | H7891 → | |
| וְשָׁר֗וֹת | vesharot | and female singers | H7891 → | |
| וְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛ת | vetaanugot | and [the] delights of | H8588 → | |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הָאָדָ֖ם | haadam | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| שִׁדָּ֥ה | shidah | breast | H7705 → | |
| וְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃ | veshidot | and breasts | H7705 → |
כָּנַ֤סְתִּיI gathered
kanastiH3664 →11 times
לִי֙for <the> myself
li
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
כֶּ֣סֶףsilver
kesefH3701 →403 times
וְזָהָ֔בand gold
vezahavH2091 →
וּסְגֻלַּ֥תand treasure of
usegulatH5459 →
מְלָכִ֖יםkings
melakhimH4428 →2525 times
וְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹתand <the> provinces
vehamedinotH4082 →
עָשִׂ֨יתִיI acquired
ʾasitiH6213 →2628 times
לִ֜יfor <the> myself
li
שָׁרִ֣יםmale singers
sharimH7891 →
וְשָׁר֗וֹתand female singers
vesharotH7891 →
וְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛תand [the] delights of
vetaanugotH8588 →
בְּנֵ֥י[the] children of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
הָאָדָ֖ם<the> humankind
haadamH120 →551 times
שִׁדָּ֥הbreast
shidahH7705 →
וְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃and breasts
veshidotH7705 →
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
1 Kings 10:10Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 10:2
She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.
- Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense…
- 1 Kings 10:2
Through
1 Kings 9:28They sailed to Ophir and imported gold from there—420 talents—and delivered it to Solomon.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 8:18
So Hiram sent him ships captained by his servants, along with crews of experienced sailors. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and acquired from there 450 talents of gold, which they delivered to…
- 1 Chronicles 29:4
three thousand talents of gold (the gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the buildings,
- 2 Chronicles 8:18
Through
2 Samuel 19:35I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 15:33
David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.
- Ezra 2:65
in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers.
- 2 Samuel 15:33
Through
1 Kings 10:14The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 9:13–28
The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
- 1 Kings 9:28
They sailed to Ophir and imported gold from there—420 talents—and delivered it to Solomon.
- 2 Chronicles 9:13–28
Where this verse is studied
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Also on Ecclesiastes 2: 2 studies that walk through this chapter ▾
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.