I 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.
Parallel translations
- WEB I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, 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:
- NKJV I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness.
- NASB I directed my mind to know and to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of foolishness and the foolishness of insanity.
- NLT I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Preacher devoted his heart to seek wisdom and to understand the madness of wickedness and folly. It matters because the honest search for wisdom includes facing the irrationality of sin.
Overview
The Preacher describes his diligent investigation into wisdom and the 'scheme of things,' recognizing that wickedness is foolish and folly is a kind of madness. Sin is not merely wrong but irrational. This clear-eyed assessment of evil reflects biblical wisdom, which names sin for what it is and ultimately finds its remedy in Christ, who delivers from the folly and madness of sin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Eccl 10:13The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.
- Josh 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 stand against your enemies until you remove them.
- Prov 17:12It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
- Prov 26:11As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
- Eccl 1:13–17And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
- Eccl 9:1–3So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.
- Eccl 2:20So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
- Eccl 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.
- Eccl 7:27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
- Eccl 3:16–17Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
- Eccl 2:1–3I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.
- Eccl 2:12Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?
- Gen 34:7When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
- 2 Pet 3:3–9Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
- Jer 12:1–2Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?
- 2 Pet 2:3–9In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
- 2 Sam 13:12“No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not humiliate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!
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Christ at the center
The search that finds everything 'under the sun' to be vapor exposes the emptiness of life without God and drives us to the one who alone gives meaning, the resurrection that makes our labor not in vain.
How Ecclesiastes 7:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.