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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Ecclesiastes 2:9

So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Epicureans;   Investigation;   Pleasure;   Solomon;   Vanity;   Wisdom;   Worldliness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Great;   Honour-Dishonour;   Men;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Jerusalem;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Israel, History of;   Jewels, Jewelry;   Joy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Winter ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Mad;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 1;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.
Hebrew Names Version
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Yerushalayim. My wisdom also remained with me.
King James Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
English Standard Version
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
New American Standard Bible
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
New Century Version
I became very famous, even greater than anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom helped me in all this.
Amplified Bible
So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
World English Bible
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I was great, & increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem: also my wisedome remained with me.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
Berean Standard Bible
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
Contemporary English Version
I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise.
Complete Jewish Bible
So I grew great, surpassing all who preceded me in Yerushalayim; my wisdom, too, stayed with me.
Darby Translation
And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Easy-to-Read Version
I became very rich and famous. I was greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom was always there to help me.
George Lamsa Translation
So I became great, and my wealth increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.
Good News Translation
Yes, I was great, greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and my wisdom never failed me.
Lexham English Bible
Thus, I accomplished far more than anyone who was before me in Jerusalem—indeed, my wisdom stood by me.
Literal Translation
And I became great and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stayed with me.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
(Shortly) I was greater & in more worshipe, then all my predecessours in Ierusale. For wy?dome remayned with me:
American Standard Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Bible in Basic English
And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
King James Version (1611)
So I was great, and increased more then all that were before mee in Ierusalem; also my wisedome remained with me.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I was greater and in more worship then all my predecessours in Hierusalem: For wisdome remayned with me.
English Revised Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Y passide in richessis alle men, that weren bifor me in Jerusalem. Also wisdom dwellide stabli with me,
Update Bible Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Webster's Bible Translation
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
New English Translation
So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity:
New King James Version
So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
New Living Translation
So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me.
New Life Bible
Then I became great, greater than all who lived before me in Jerusalem. And my wisdom stayed with me.
New Revised Standard
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So I became great, and increased, more than any one who had been before me in Jerusalem, - moreover, my wisdom, remained with me;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me.
Revised Standard Version
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
Young's Literal Translation
And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
THE MESSAGE
Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day's work!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

Contextual Overview

1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity. 2 I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why doest thou this: 3 And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as with wine, (though my heart guided me in wisdom,) and I desired to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life. 4 I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards. 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit-tree. 6 I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood. 7 I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem. 8 Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers. 9 So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me. 10 And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:16, 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 10:7, 1 Kings 10:23, 1 Chronicles 29:25, 2 Chronicles 1:1, 2 Chronicles 9:22, 2 Chronicles 9:23

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 1:12 - such as none

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
And God planted a garden eastward in Edem, and placed there the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:9
And God made to spring up also out of the earth every tree beautiful to the eye and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of learning the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:17
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—of it ye shall not eat, but in whatsoever day ye eat of it, ye shall surely die.
Genesis 3:3
And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden,
Deuteronomy 6:25
And there shall be mercy to us, if we take heed to keep all these commands before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.
Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to all that lay hold upon her; and she is a secure help to all that stay themselves on her, as on the Lord.
Proverbs 11:30
Out of the fruit of righteousness grows a tree of life; but the souls of transgressors are cut off before their time.
Isaiah 44:25
Who else will frustrate the tokens of those that have divining spirits, and prophecies from the heart of man? turning the wise back, and making their counsel foolishness;
Isaiah 47:10
for thy trusting in wickedness: for thou saidst, I am, and there is not another: know thou, the understanding of these things and thy harlotry shall be thy shame; for thou saidst in thy heart, I am, and there is not another.
Ezekiel 31:16
At the sound of his fall the nations quaked, when I brought him down to Hades with them that go down to the pit: and all the trees of Delight comforted him in the heart, and the choice of plants of Libanus, all that drink water.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So I was great,.... Became famous for the great works wrought by him before mentioned;

and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; the Targum adds, "in riches"; but it seems rather to respect his fame and glory among men; though in general it may include his increase of wealth, power, and honour, and everything that contributed to his external happiness;

also my wisdom remained with me; the Targum adds, "and it helped me"; which he exercised and showed in the government of his kingdom, in the conduct of his family, in his personal deportment and behaviour; amidst all his pleasures, he did not neglect the study of natural knowledge, nor give himself up to sordid and sinful lusts; and so was a better judge of pleasure, whether true happiness consisted in it or not.


 
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