the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Myles Coverdale Bible
Ecclesiastes 1:16
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I said to myself, “See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge.”
I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Yerushalayim. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
I 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.
I said in my heart, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."
I said to myself, "I have become very wise and am now wiser than anyone who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are."
I spoke with my heart, saying, "Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge."
I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
I thought in mine heart, and said, Behold, I am become great, and excell in wisdome all them that haue bene before me in Ierusalem: and mine heart hath seene much wisedome and knowledge.
I spoke within my heart, saying, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my heart has seen an abundance of wisdom and knowledge."
I said to myself, "Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."
I said to myself, "You are by far the wisest person who has ever lived in Jerusalem. You are eager to learn, and you have learned a lot."
I said to myself, "Look, I have acquired much wisdom, more than anyone ruling Yerushalayim before me." Yes, I experienced a great deal of wisdom and knowledge;
I 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.
I said to myself, "I am very wise. I am wiser than all the kings who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are."
I have communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great, and have gotten more wisdom than all they who were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
I told myself, "I have become a great man, far wiser than anyone who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are."
I said to myself, "Look! I have become great and have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has preceded me over Jerusalem. I have acquired a great deal of wisdom and knowledge."
I spoke with my heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have increased wisdom over all that have been over Jerusalem before me. Yea, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem--yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.
I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
I communed with mine owne heart, saying, Loe, I am come to great estate, and haue gotten more wisedome then all they that haue beene before me in Ierusalem: yea my heart had great experience of wisedome & knowledge.
I communed with myne owne heart, saying: lo I am come to great estate, and haue gotten more wisdome then all they that haue ben before me in Hierusalem.
I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
I spak in myn herte, and Y seide, Lo! Y am made greet, and Y passide in wisdom alle men, that weren bifore me in Jerusalem; and my soule siy many thingis wiseli, and Y lernede.
I communed with my own heart, saying, Look, I have gotten myself great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have come to great estate, and have gained more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem: and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
I thought to myself, "I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge."
I communed with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge."
I said to myself, "Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them."
I said to myself, "I have received more wisdom than all who were over Jerusalem before me. My mind has seen much wisdom and much learning."
I said to myself, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
Spake, I, in my heart, saying, As for me, lo! I have become great, and have gathered wisdom, beyond any one who hath been before me over Jerusalem, - and, my heart, hath seen much wisdom and knowledge:
I have spoken in my heart, saying: Behold I am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.
I said to myself, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
I -- I spake with my heart, saying, `I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.
I said to myself, "I know more and I'm wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I've stockpiled wisdom and knowledge." What I've finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless—nothing but spitting into the wind.
I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
communed: 2 Kings 5:20, Psalms 4:4, Psalms 77:6, Isaiah 10:7-14, Jeremiah 22:14, Ezekiel 38:10, Ezekiel 38:11, Daniel 4:30
Lo: Ecclesiastes 2:9, 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 3:13, 1 Kings 4:30, 1 Kings 10:7, 1 Kings 10:23, 1 Kings 10:24, 2 Chronicles 1:10-12, 2 Chronicles 2:12, 2 Chronicles 9:22, 2 Chronicles 9:23
great experience of: Heb. seen much, Hebrews 5:14
Reciprocal: 1 Kings 4:29 - God Ecclesiastes 2:1 - said Ecclesiastes 2:15 - even to me Ecclesiastes 3:17 - said
Cross-References
Then God made ye firmamet, and parted the waters vnder the firmamet, from the waters aboue the firmament: And so it came to passe.
And God called ye firmament, Heauen. Then of the euenynge & mornynge was made the seconde daye.
And God sayde: let the waters vnder heauen gather theselues vnto one place, yt the drye londe maye appeare. And so it came to passe.
And the earth brought forth grene grasse and herbe, yt beareth sede euery one after his kynde, & trees bearinge frute, & hauynge their owne sede in them selues, euery one after his kynde. And God sawe that it was good.
And God sayde: let there be lightes in ye firmament of heauen, to deuyde the daye fro the night, that they maye be vnto tokes, seasons, dayes, and yeares.
yt thou lifte not vp thine eyes towarde heauen, and se the Sonne and the Moone & the starres, and the whole hoost of heaue, and be disceaused, and worsh ppe, and serue them: which the LORDE yi God hath made to serue all nacios vnder ye whole heaue.
Dyd I euer greatly regarde the rysinge of the Sonne? Or, had I the goinge downe of ye Moone in greate reputacion?
where wast thou when the mornynge starres gaue me prayse, ad when all the angels of God reioysed?
For I considre thy heauens, euen the worke off thy fyngers: the Moone and the starres which thou hast made.
It goeth forth fro the one ende of the heauen, and runneth aboute vnto the same ende agayne, & there maye no ma hyde himself fro the heate therof.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I communed with my own heart,.... That is, looked into it, examined it, and considered what a stock and fund of knowledge he had in it, after all his researches into it; what happiness accrued to him by it, and what judgment upon the whole was to be formed upon it; and he spoke within himself after this manner:
saying, lo, I am come to great estate; or become a great man; famous for wisdom, arrived to a very great pitch of it; greatly increased in it, through a diligent application to it;
and have gotten more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me in Jerusalem; or, "that before me were over Jerusalem" p; governors of it, or in it; not only than the Jebusites, but than Saul, the first king of Israel, or than even his father David; or, as Gussetius q, than any princes, rulers, and civil magistrates in Jerusalem, in his own days or in the days of his father; and also than all the priests and prophets, as well as princes, that ever had been there: and indeed he was wiser than all men, 1 Kings 4:30; and even than any that had been in Jerusalem, or any where else, or that should be hereafter, excepting the Messiah; see 1 Kings 3:12. And seeing this is said of him by others, and even by the Lord himself, it might not only be said with truth by himself, but without ostentation; seeing it was necessary it should be said to answer his purpose, which was to show the vanity of human wisdom in its highest pitch; and it was nowhere to be found higher than in himself;
yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge; or, "saw much wisdom and knowledge" r; he thoroughly understood it, he was a complete master of it; it was not a superficial knowledge he had attained unto, or a few lessons of it he had committed to memory; some slight notions in his head, or scraps of things he had collected together, in an undigested manner; but he had made himself thoroughly acquainted with everything worthy to be known, and had digested it in his mind.
p ×¢× ×ר×ש×× "super Jerusalaim", Montanus, Cocceius, Schmidt; "qui praefueriut ante me Jeruscthalamis", Junius Tremellius. q Comment. Heb. p. 604. r ר×× ×ר×× ×××× ××עת "vidit multum sapientiae et scientiae", Montanus, Amama "vidit plurimam sapientiam et scientiam", Tigurine version.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
I am come ... - Rather, I have accumulated (literally âenlarged and addedâ) wisdom more than etc.
They that have been ... - The reference is probably to the line of Canaanite kings who lived in Jerusalem before David took it, such as Melchizedek Genesis 14:18, Adonizedek Joshua 10:1, and Araunah 2 Samuel 24:23; or, it may be, to Solomonâs contemporaries of his own country 1 Kings 4:31 and of other countries who visited him 1 Kings 4:34; 1 Kings 10:24. for âinâ Jerusalem render over.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. I communed with mine own heart — Literally, "I spoke, I, with my heart, saying." When successful in my researches, but not happy in my soul, though easy in my circumstances, I entered into my own heart, and there inquired the cause of my discontent. He found that, though -
1. He had gotten wisdom beyond all men;
2. Wealth and honours more than any other;
3. Practical wisdom more than all his predecessors;
4. Had tried pleasure and animal gratification, even to their extremes; yet after all this he had nothing but vexation of spirit.
None of these four things, nor the whole of them conjoined, could afford him such a happiness as satisfies the soul. Why was all this? Because the soul was made for God, and in the possession of him alone can it find happiness.
