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.
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:
- 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.
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 7:13“Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.”
- Prov 17:12Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
- Prov 26:11As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
- Eccl 1:13–17I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
- Eccl 9:1–3For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.
- Eccl 2:20Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
- Eccl 2:15Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
- Eccl 7:27“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find out the scheme;
- Eccl 3:16–17Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
- Eccl 2:1–3I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure”; and behold, this also was vanity.
- Eccl 2:12I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.
- Gen 34:7The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; a thing ought not to be done.
- 2 Pet 3:3–9knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts,
- Jer 12:1–2You are righteous, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet I would reason the cause with you: why does the way of the wicked prosper? why are all they at ease who deal very treacherously?
- 2 Pet 2:3–9In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.
- 2 Sam 13:12She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me! For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don’t you do 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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