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Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:17

And folly] He tries whether the study of folly may perchance give him some grasp of its opposite, viz. wisdom. But this too only serves to confirm him in his general conclusion. Vexation of spirit] see on Ecclesiastes 1:14.

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See also Ecclesiastes 1:17 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 17. _TO KNOW MADNESS AND FOLLY_] הוללות ושכלות _holloth_ _vesichluth_. Παραβολας και επιστημην, "Parables and science." - _Septuagint_. So the _Syriac_; nearly so the _Arabic_. "What were erro...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    TO KNOW MADNESS AND FOLLY - A knowledge of folly would help him to discern wisdom, and to exercise that chief function of practical wisdom - to avoid folly....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS PART I. Chapter S 1-6 1. The Prologue and the Search Begun CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction and prologue (Ecclesiastes 1:1)_ 2. The seeker; his method and the results (Ecc...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 1:12 TO ECCLESIASTES 2:26. QOHELETH'S INVESTIGATIONS. Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom (Ecclesiastes...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MADNESS. the opposite of wisdom, as displayed in the loss of self-control; raving with self-conceit. So elsewhere in this book. FOLLY. infatuation. Hebrew. _sakal._ See note on- "wisdom", Proverbs 1:...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _And I gave my heart_ The apparent iteration of the phrase of Ecclesiastes 1:13 expresses the concentration of purpose. The writer adds that his search took a yet wider range. He sought to know wisdom...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _SOLOMON'S SITUATION AND HIS STUDIES -- ECCLESIASTES 1:12-18:_ Solomon showed that things that would normally be considered as what would make a person happy do not. Surely being king would make a man...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND I GAVE MY HEART TO KNOW WISDOM— _For I applied myself to the knowledge of wisdom, and the knowledge of whatever is shining, and of science._ We meet in all languages with words which are as much,...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    b. Wisdom is used exploring all that is done under heaven. Ecclesiastes 1:13-18 TEXT 1:13-18 13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. I GAVE MY HEART TO KNOW WISDOM ... MADNESS AND FOLLY - i:e., their effects, the...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ ABOUT THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES THE AUTHOR The word ‘Ecclesiastes’ tells us about the author...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    MADNESS AND FOLLY are words we should not expect to find in this context, and accordingly some interpreters have attempted by variations of reading to substitute for them words of the same nature as “...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וָ אֶתְּנָ֤ה לִבִּי֙ לָ דַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֔ה וְ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    FIRST SECTION The Quest Of The Chief Good In Wisdom And In Pleasure Ecclesiastes 1:12; Ecclesiastes 2:1 OPPRESSED by his profound sense of the vanity of the life which man lives amid the play of per...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE TESTIMONY OF AN UNSATISFIED SOUL Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 _All is vanity_! This cry finds an echo in human hearts of every age and clime. Clod meant man to be happy. “These things,” said our Lord, “I...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The first verse of this chapter introduces us to the author of the Book. Taken in conjunction with verse Ecclesiastes 1:12, it leaves no room for doubt that he is Solomon. In stating his theme he empl...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know (l) madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. (l) That is, vain things, which served to pleasure, in which was no convenienc...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Errors. Septuagint, "parables and science." But to discern the mistakes of men is a part of wisdom, (Calmet) and Grabe substitutes "wanderings," instead of "parables," after Theodotion, as Hebrew eal...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. (13) And 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 so...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND I GAVE MY HEART TO KNOW WISDOM,.... Which is repeated, for the confirmation of it, from Ecclesiastes 1:13, and that it might be taken notice of how assiduous and diligent he had been in acquiring...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. Ver. 17. _And to know madness and folly._] That by comparing of contraries, I migh...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _I communed with mine own heart_ I considered within myself in what condition I was, and what degrees of knowledge I had gained; and whether it was not my ignorance that made me unable to rectify thos...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And I gave my heart to know wisdom, on its positive side, AND TO KNOW MADNESS AND FOLLY, the error and foolishness of men, to estimate it properly; I PERCEIVED THAT THIS ALSO, namely, the activity of...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE UNRELIABILITY OF EARTHLY WISDOM...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "AND. SET MY MIND TO KNOW WISDOM AND TO KNOW MADNESS AND FOLLY;. REALIZED THAT THIS ALSO IS STRIVING AFTER WIND." "to know wisdom" -Like many people, Solomon first tried to find meaning in intellectu...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-18 Solomon tried all things, and found them vanity. He found his searches after knowledge weariness, not only to the flesh, but to the mind. The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the mo...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    I GAVE MY HEART TO KNOW WISDOM, AND TO KNOW MADNESS AND FOLLY, that I might thoroughly understand the nature and difference of truth and error, of virtue and vice, all things being best understood by...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 1:17 set H5414 (H8799) heart H3820 know H3045 (H8800) wisdom H2451 know H3045 (H8800) madness

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PREACHER HAS MADE HIS ENQUIRIES AND COMES UP WITH NOTHING (ECCLESIASTES 1:12 - ECCLESIASTES 2:26). The Preacher now brings out that he has made further enquiries and has come up with nothing. He f...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE INTELLECTUAL SEARCH (ECCLESIASTES 1:12). Ecclesiastes 1:12 ‘I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem, and I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom about all that is done und...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 1:17 There are two ways of arriving at the knowledge of the truth respecting the importance and benefit of holiness and goodness. These two ways are one the experience of what is good, th...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 1:12 I. Solomon's first resource was philosophy. He studied man's position in this world. His appetite for knowledge was omnivorous; and whilst hungering for the harvest, he was thankful...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The doctrine of the vanity of the creature, and the impossibility of finding satisfaction without God. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: All things, considered as abstract from God, an...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 1:2. _Vanity of vanities._ This is the Hebrew form of the superlative degree of comparison; as, the heaven of heavens, the song of songs, &c. He adds, “vexation of spirit,” because his re...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 1:4 First Catalog of “Vanities.” The Preacher gives specific examples to prove his belief that all is “vanity.”...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 1:17 As part of his quest TO KNOW WISDOM, the Preacher also seeks to understand MADNESS AND FOLLY. Apparently he believes that he can better understand wisdom if he a...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 1:1 THE TITLE. THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER, THE SON OF DAVID, KING IN JERUSALEM; Septuagint, "King of Israel in Jerusalem" (comp.Ecclesiastes 1:12). The word rendered "Preacher...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Book of Ecclesiastes begins, The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem (Ecclesiastes 1:1). So that identifies the author as Solomon. The Hebrew word that is translated preacher i...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Thessalonians 5:21; Ecclesiastes 2:10; Ecclesiastes 2:11; Ecclesiastes 1:13;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE MAN UNDER THE SUN Ecclesiastes 1:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS In order to introduce this study we can think of no better way than to go to our booklet on Ecclesiastes for a quotation. 1. ECCLESIASTES S...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    To know — That I might throughly understand the nature and difference of truth and error, of virtue and vice....

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