Ecclesiastes 1:16 BSB

Ecclesiastes 1:16

I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

KJV

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

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Commentary

3 voices

Jerome

Commentary on Ecclesiastes (420)

"I said to myself: here I have acquired great wisdom, more than any of my predecessors over Jerusalem, and my mind has had much experience with wisdom and knowledge." Solomon was not greater than Abraham and Moses, and other saints, but than those who were before him in Jerusalem. We read in the book of Kings that Solomon was very wise, and he claimed this wisdom to have been given by God before all others. [Cfr III Reg.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

I communed with mine own heart - Literally, “I spoke, I, with my heart, saying.” When successful in my researches, but not happy in my soul, though easy in my circumstances, I entered into my own heart, and there inquired the cause of my discontent. He found that, though - 1. He had gotten wisdom beyond all men; 2. Wealth and honors more than any other; 3. Practical wisdom more than all his predecessors; 4. Had tried pleasure and animal gratification, even to their extremes; yet after all this he had nothing but vexation of spirit.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

His wisdom exceeded that of all before Jesus Christ, the antitypical Koheleth, or "Gatherer of men," (Lu 13:34), and "Wisdom" incarnate (Mt 11:19; 12:42). had . . . experience--literally, "had seen" (Jer 2:31). Contrast with this glorying in worldly wisdom (Jer 9:23, 24).

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

22 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
דִּבַּ֨רְתִּי	di.Bar.ti	I have spoken	H1696 →
אֲנִ֤י	'a.Ni	I	H589 →
עִם־	'im-	with	H5973 →
לִבִּי֙	li.Bi	heart my	H3820 →
לֵאמֹ֔ר	le.Mor	<to> saying	H559 →
אֲנִ֗י	'a.Ni	I	H589 →
הִנֵּ֨ה	hi.Neh	here!	H2009 →
הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּי	hig.Dal.ti	I have made great	H1431 →
וְהוֹסַ֙פְתִּי֙	ve.ho.Saf.ti	and I have increased	H3254 →
חָכְמָ֔ה	chokh.mah	wisdom	H2451 →
עַ֛ל	'al	above	H5921 →
כָּל־	kol-	every	H3605 →
אֲשֶׁר־	'a.Sher-	[one] who	H834 →
הָיָ֥ה	ha.Yah	he was	H1961 →
לְפָנַ֖י	le.fa.Nai	<to> before me	H6440 →
עַל־	'al-	over	H5921 →
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם	ye.ru.sha.Lim	Jerusalem	H3389 →
וְלִבִּ֛י	ve.li.Bi	and heart my	H3820 →
רָאָ֥ה	ra.'Ah	it has seen	H7200 →
הַרְבֵּ֖ה	har.Beh	much	H7235 →
חָכְמָ֥ה	chokh.mah	wisdom	H2451 →
וָדָֽעַת׃	va.Da.'at	and knowledge	H1847 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Psalms 4:4
Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah
leads to
- Ephesians 4:26
  “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
- Psalms 77:6
  At night I remembered my song; in my heart I mused, and my spirit pondered:
- Psalms 63:6
  When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.
- Proverbs 3:7
  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
- Psalms 46:10
  “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
Through
Ecclesiastes 2:9
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
leads to
- 1 Chronicles 29:25
  The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal majesty such as had not been bestowed on any king in Israel before him.
- 1 Kings 10:23
  So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
Through
1 Kings 4:30
Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
leads to
- Daniel 5:11–12
  There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that…