Ecclesiastes 7:25
in Ecclesiastes 7I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.
KJV
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 7
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Reason - The same word is translated “account” Ecc 7:27, “invention” Ecc 7:29, and “device” Ecc 9:10: it is derived from a root signifying “to count.”
This site's exposition
All this I tested by wisdom
on Ecclesiastes 7:23-26
The Teacher reports the limit of his search: What exists is out of reach and very deep. The search turned up one thing more bitter than death, the woman who is a snare. Gill and Henry set the line beside Solomon's wives in 1 Kings 11.
This site's exposition
to search out wisdom and explanations
Wesley reads the searching verbs as one unwearied effort. Barnes notes the word for explanations comes from a root meaning to count, the same word in verse 27 and the schemes of verse 29. Clarke pictures the mind directed around a full circuit of the ground.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"I have proved all this by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me." "That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? "Just as is attested in the Book of Kings [Cfr. III Reg. 3. 4.] he says that he sought wisdom more than other men, and tried to reach the pinnacle, but the more he sought, the less he found, and in the midst of his confusion, he was surrounded by the darkness if ignorance. But at another time, regarding him who was learned in the Scriptures- the more he wanted to know, the more a greater obscurity arose each day for him. Another meaning of this is: he seems to mean that contemplation of wisdom in this life is like looking in a mirror or at a picture; therefore if I look at my face in the mirror in the future I'll think back to the way it used to be, and then in the liquid pool I'll recognise that I differ greatly from the way I used to be.
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
As to the diligence of consideration he adds: "I surveyed all things in my mind," that is, I went about and diligently considered from every side: Sirach 6: "As one who plows and one who sows, draw near to her." And the moving reason is …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 4 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Concerning the third part of philosophy, namely moral philosophy, Solomon also says that he attained it. Whence in Ecclesiastes: "I surveyed all things with my mind, that I might know and consider and seek wisdom and reason, and that I might know the wickedness of …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The Value of a Good Name. 1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:93%@v1-3
And seek - He useth three words signifying the same thing, to intimate his vehement desire, and vigourous, and unwearied endeavours after it. The reason - Both of God's various providences, and of the counsels and courses of men. The wickedness - Clearly and fully to understand the great evil of sin.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
2:12, where "folly" is put without "wickedness" prefixed. reason--rather, "the right estimation" of things. HOLDEN translates also "foolishness (that is, sinful folly, answering to 'wickedness' in the parallel) of madness" (that is, of man's mad pursuits).
I applied mine heart - I cast about, סבותי sabbothi, I made a circuit; I circumscribed the ground I was to traverse; and all within my circle I was determined to know, and to investigate, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things. Has man reason and understanding? If so, then this is his work. God as much calls him to use these powers in this way, as to believe on the Lord Jesus that he may be saved; and he that does not, according to the means in his power, is a slothful servant, from whom God may justly take away the misemployed or not used talent, and punish him for his neglect. Every doctrine of God is a subject both for reason and faith to work on. To know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness - “And my own heart, with scrutiny severe, By far the harder task survey’d; intent To trace that wisdom which from heaven descends, Fountain of living waters, and to explore The source of human folly, whose foul streams Intoxicate and kill.” - C.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| סַבּ֨וֹתִֽי | saboti | I turned | H5437 → | 161 times |
| אֲנִ֤י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| וְלִבִּי֙ | velibi | <and> heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לָדַ֣עַת | ladaat | to know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| וְלָת֔וּר | velatur | and to examine | H8446 → | 24 times |
| וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ | uvakesh | and to seek | H1245 → | 225 times |
| חָכְמָ֖ה | chokhmah | wisdom | H2451 → | 153 times |
| וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן | vecheshbon | and an explanation | H2808 → | 3 times |
| וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ | veladaat | and to know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| רֶ֣שַׁע | resha' | wickedness | H7562 → | 30 times |
| כֶּ֔סֶל | kesel | stupidity | H3689 → | |
| וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת | vehasikhlut | and the folly | H5531 → | 7 times |
| הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃ | holelot | madness | H1947 → | 4 times |
סַבּ֨וֹתִֽיI turned
sabotiH5437 →161 times
אֲנִ֤יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
וְלִבִּי֙<and> heart my
velibiH3820 →595 times
לָדַ֣עַתto know
ladaatH3045 →945 times
וְלָת֔וּרand to examine
velaturH8446 →24 times
וּבַקֵּ֥שׁand to seek
uvakeshH1245 →225 times
חָכְמָ֖הwisdom
chokhmahH2451 →153 times
וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹןand an explanation
vecheshbonH2808 →3 times
וְלָדַ֙עַת֙and to know
veladaatH3045 →945 times
רֶ֣שַׁעwickedness
resha'H7562 →30 times
כֶּ֔סֶלstupidity
keselH3689 →
וְהַסִּכְל֖וּתand the folly
vehasikhlutH5531 →7 times
הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃madness
holelotH1947 →4 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
Joshua 7:13Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot…
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:40–41
Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
- Joshua 3:5
Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
- 1 Corinthians 5:11–13
But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler.…
- Matthew 7:5
You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
- Joshua 7:11
Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these…
- Lamentations 3:40–41
Through
Ecclesiastes 2:15So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 6:8
What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?
- Ecclesiastes 6:8
Through
Ecclesiastes 10:13The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 25:10–11
But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
- Proverbs 29:9
If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution.
- 1 Samuel 25:10–11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.