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:
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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
- Josh 7:13Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
- Prov 17:12Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
- Prov 26:11As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
- Eccl 1:13–17And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
- Eccl 9:1–3For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
- Eccl 2:20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
- Eccl 2:15Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
- Eccl 7:27Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
- Eccl 3:16–17And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
- Eccl 2:1–3I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
- Eccl 2:12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
- Gen 34:7And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
- 2 Pet 3:3–9Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
- Jer 12:1–2Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
- 2 Pet 2:3–9And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
- 2 Sam 13:12And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
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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
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