Ecclesiastes 2:3 BSB

Ecclesiastes 2:3

I 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

Parallel translations (2) ▾

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.

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Commentary

3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)

I 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.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

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.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

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;

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

26 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
תַּ֣רְתִּי	Tar.ti	I searched	H8446 →
בְלִבִּ֔י	ve.li.Bi	in heart my	H3820 →
לִמְשׁ֥וֹךְ	lim.Shokh	to gratify	H4900 →
בַּיַּ֖יִן	bai.Ya.yin	with <the> wine	H3196 →
אֶת־	'et-	<obj.>	H853 →
בְּשָׂרִ֑י	be.sa.Ri	flesh my	H1320 →
וְלִבִּ֞י	ve.li.Bi	and heart my	H3820 →
נֹהֵ֤ג	no.Heg	[was] guiding	H5090 →
בַּֽחָכְמָה֙	ba.cha.khe.Mah	with <the> wisdom	H2451 →
וְלֶאֱחֹ֣ז	ve.le.'e.Choz	and to take hold	H270 →
בְּסִכְל֔וּת	be.sikh.Lut	on folly	H5531 →
עַ֣ד	'ad	until	H5704 →
אֲשֶׁר־	'a.Sher-	that	H834 →
אֶרְאֶ֗ה	'er.'Eh	I saw	H7200 →
אֵי־	'ei-	where?	H335 →
זֶ֨ה	zeh	this	H2088 →
ט֜וֹב	Tov	[is] good	H2896 →
לִבְנֵ֤י	liv.Nei	for [the] children of	H1121 →
הָאָדָם֙	ha.'a.Dam	<the> humankind	H120 →
אֲשֶׁ֤ר	'a.Sher	which	H834 →
יַעֲשׂוּ֙	ya.'a.Su	they will do	H6213 →
תַּ֣חַת	Ta.chat	under	H8478 →
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם	ha.sha.Ma.yim	the heavens	H8064 →
מִסְפַּ֖ר	mis.Par	[the] number of	H4557 →
יְמֵ֥י	ye.Mei	[the] days of	H3117 →
חַיֵּיהֶֽם׃	chai.yei.Hem	lives their	H2416 →

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
Ecclesiastes 12:13
When 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.
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.’”
Through
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
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…

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About Ecclesiastes

King Solomon in Old Age — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Ecclesiastes: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: Ecclesiastes 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Ecclesiastes

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Ecclesiastes