Go
Articles on

Ecclesiastes 2

Eccl. 2:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

+
1
I said
'amar (Hebrew #559)
to say (used with great latitude)
KJV usage: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.
Pronounce: aw-mar'
Origin: a primitive root
c in mine heart
leb (Hebrew #3820)
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything
KJV usage: + care for, comfortably, consent, X considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart((-ed)), X heed, X I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), X regard((-ed)), X themselves, X unawares, understanding, X well, willingly, wisdom.
Pronounce: labe
Origin: a form of 3824
, Go to now
yalak (Hebrew #3212)
to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)
KJV usage: X again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, + follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, + pursue, cause to run, spread, take away ((-journey)), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, X be weak.
Pronounce: yaw-lak'
Origin: a primitive root (compare 1980)
, I will prove
nacah (Hebrew #5254)
to test; by implication, to attempt
KJV usage: adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.
Pronounce: naw-saw'
Origin: a primitive root
thee with mirth
simchah (Hebrew #8057)
blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival)
KJV usage: X exceeding(-ly), gladness, joy(-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice(-ing).
Pronounce: sim-khaw'
Origin: from 8056
d, therefore enjoy
ra'ah (Hebrew #7200)
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
KJV usage: advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.
Pronounce: raw-aw'
Origin: a primitive root
pleasure
towb (Hebrew #2896)
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
KJV usage: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ((-favoured)).
Pronounce: tobe
Origin: from 2895
e: and, behold, this also is vanity
hebel (Hebrew #1892)
from 1891; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb
KJV usage: X altogether, vain, vanity.
Pronounce: heh'bel
Origin: or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}
.
c
Luke 12:19‑20• 19and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much good things laid by for many years; repose thyself, eat, drink, be merry.
 20But God said to him, Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall be what thou hast prepared? (Luke 12:19‑20)
d
Eccl. 8:15• 15And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun. (Eccl. 8:15)
e
Titus 3:3• 3For we were once ourselves also without intelligence, disobedient, wandering in error, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (Titus 3:3)

More on:

+
Heart

Cross References

+

Ministry on This Verse

+
1-11:  The vanity of human courses in the works of pleasure.
12-17:  Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event.
18-23:  The vanity of human labour, in leaving it they know not to whom.
24-26:  Nothing better than joy in our labour; but that is God's gift.
said.
Eccl. 2:15• 15And I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so will it happen even to me; and why was I then so wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity. (Eccl. 2:15)
;
Eccl. 1:16‑17• 16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
 17And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind. (Eccl. 1:16‑17)
;
Eccl. 3:17‑18• 17I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
 18I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts. (Eccl. 3:17‑18)
;
Psa. 10:6• 6He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; from generation to generation I shall be in no adversity. (Psa. 10:6)
;
Psa. 14:1• 1To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They have corrupted themselves, they have done abominable works: there is none that doeth good. (Psa. 14:1)
;
Psa. 27:8• 8My heart said for thee, Seek ye my face. Thy face, O Jehovah, will I seek. (Psa. 27:8)
;
Psa. 30:6‑7• 6As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved.
 7Jehovah, by thy favour thou hadst made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face; I was troubled. (Psa. 30:6‑7)
;
Luke 12:19• 19and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much good things laid by for many years; repose thyself, eat, drink, be merry. (Luke 12:19)
Go to.
Gen. 11:3‑4,7• 3And they said one to another, Come on, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.
 4And they said, Come on, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, the top of which may reach to the heavens; and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.
 7Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (Gen. 11:3‑4,7)
;
2 Kings 5:5• 5And the king of Syria said, Well! go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of raiment. (2 Kings 5:5)
;
Isa. 5:5• 5And now, let me tell you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten up; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trodden under foot; (Isa. 5:5)
;
James 4:13• 13Go to now, ye who say, To-day or to-morrow will we go into such a city and spend a year there, and traffic and make gain, (James 4:13)
;
James 5:1• 1Go to now, ye rich, weep, howling over your miseries that are coming upon you. (James 5:1)
I will.
Eccl. 8:15• 15And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun. (Eccl. 8:15)
;
Eccl. 11:9• 9Rejoice, young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Eccl. 11:9)
;
Isa. 50:5,11• 5The Lord Jehovah hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not away back.
 11Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and among the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of my hand: ye shall lie down in sorrow. (Isa. 50:5,11)
;
Luke 16:19,23• 19Now there was a rich man and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, making good cheer in splendour every day.
 23And in hades lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:19,23)
;
James 5:5• 5Ye have lived luxuriously on the earth and indulged yourselves; ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter; (James 5:5)
;
Titus 3:3• 3For we were once ourselves also without intelligence, disobedient, wandering in error, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (Titus 3:3)
;
Rev. 18:7‑8• 7So much as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and grief give to her. Because she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and I am not a widow; and I shall in no wise see grief:
 8for this reason in one day shall her plagues come, death and grief and famine, and she shall be burnt with fire; for strong is the Lord God who has judged her. (Rev. 18:7‑8)
• The wise man, having found that wisdom brought with it but increased sorrow, turns to the other side to all those pleasures that the flesh, as we speak, enjoys. (“Ecclesiastes 2” by F.C. Jennings)
• ‘I will prove thee [that is, I will see if I cannot satisfy thee,] with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure:’ (“Ecclesiastes 2” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

+
1
I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoyd pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.

JND Translation Notes

+
d
Lit. "see." so ver. 24; chs. 3.13; 6.6, &c