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Ecclesiastes 2

Eccl. 2:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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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'}
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c
Luke 12:19‑20• 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:19‑20)
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Eccl. 8:15• 15Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labor the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. (Eccl. 8:15)
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Titus 3:3• 3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (Titus 3:3)

More on:

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Heart

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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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• 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. 2:15)
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Eccl. 1:16‑17• 16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
 17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. (Eccl. 1:16‑17)
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Eccl. 3:17‑18• 17I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
 18I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. (Eccl. 3:17‑18)
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Psa. 10:6• 6He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. (Psa. 10:6)
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Psa. 14:1• 1<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Psa. 14:1)
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Psa. 27:8• 8When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. (Psa. 27:8)
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Psa. 30:6‑7• 6And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
 7Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. (Psa. 30:6‑7)
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Luke 12:19• 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. (Luke 12:19)
Go to.
Gen. 11:3‑4,7• 3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
 4And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
 7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (Gen. 11:3‑4,7)
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2 Kings 5:5• 5And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. (2 Kings 5:5)
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Isa. 5:5• 5And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: (Isa. 5:5)
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James 4:13• 13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: (James 4:13)
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James 5:1• 1Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. (James 5:1)
I will.
Eccl. 8:15• 15Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labor the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. (Eccl. 8:15)
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Eccl. 11:9• 9Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Eccl. 11:9)
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Isa. 50:5,11• 5The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
 11Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow. (Isa. 50:5,11)
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Luke 16:19,23• 19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:19,23)
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James 5:5• 5Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. (James 5:5)
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Titus 3:3• 3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (Titus 3:3)
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Rev. 18:7‑8• 7How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
 8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth 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

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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

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