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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

Ecclesiastes 7:23

All these thinges haue I proued because of wy?dome: for I thought to be wyse, but she wente farther fro me

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ignorance;   Wisdom;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Holy Spirit;   Solomon;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 31;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.
Hebrew Names Version
All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
King James Version
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
English Standard Version
All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
New American Standard Bible
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but wisdom was far from me.
New Century Version
I used wisdom to test all these things. I wanted to be wise, but it was too hard for me.
Amplified Bible
I have tested all this with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise [independently of God]," but true wisdom was far from me.
World English Bible
All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
Geneva Bible (1587)
All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.
Legacy Standard Bible
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
Berean Standard Bible
All this I tested by wisdom, saying, "I resolve to be wise." But it was beyond me.
Contemporary English Version
I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all of this, but it was too much for me.
Complete Jewish Bible
All this I have put to the test of wisdom; I said, "I will acquire wisdom"; but wisdom remained far away from me.
Darby Translation
All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Easy-to-Read Version
I used my wisdom and thought about all these things. I wanted to be wise, but I couldn't do it.
George Lamsa Translation
I have tried all these things by wisdom; I said, I will be wise; but wisdom was far from me.
Good News Translation
I used my wisdom to test all of this. I was determined to be wise, but it was beyond me.
Lexham English Bible
All this I have tested with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise!" but it was beyond my grasp.
Literal Translation
All this I have tested by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
American Standard Version
All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Bible in Basic English
All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
All this have I tried by wisdom; I said: 'I will get wisdom'; but it was far from me.
King James Version (1611)
All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I said, I will be wise, but it was farre from me.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
All these thinges haue I proued in wysdome, for I thought to be wyse, but she went farther fro me then she was before:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For many times he shall trespass against thee, and repeatedly shall he afflict thine heart; for thus also hast thou cursed others.
English Revised Version
All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was;
Update Bible Version
All this I have proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Webster's Bible Translation
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me.
New English Translation
I have examined all this by wisdom; I said, "I am determined to comprehend this"—but it was beyond my grasp.
New King James Version
All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise"; But it was far from me.
New Living Translation
I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, "I am determined to be wise." But it didn't work.
New Life Bible
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
New Revised Standard
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
All this, have I proved by wisdom, - I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-24) I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther from me,
Revised Standard Version
All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, "I will be wise"; but it was far from me.
Young's Literal Translation
All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
THE MESSAGE
I tested everything in my search for wisdom. I set out to be wise, but it was beyond me, far beyond me, and deep—oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it? I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom—the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.

Contextual Overview

23 All these thinges haue I proued because of wy?dome: for I thought to be wyse, but she wente farther fro me 24 then she was before, yee & so depe that I might not reach vnto her. 25 I applied my mynde also vnto knowlege, and to seke out sciece, wisdome and vnderstondinge: to knowe the foolishnesse of the vngodly, and the erroure of dotinge fooles. 26 And I founde, that a woman is bytterer then death: for she is a very angle, hir hert is a nett, and hir handes are cheynes. Who so pleaseth God shal escape from her, but the synner will be taken wt her. 27 Beholde (sayeth ye preacher) this haue I diligently searched out & proued, yt I might come by knowlege: which as yet I seke, and fynde it not. 28 Amonge a thousande men I haue founde one, but not one woman amonge all. 29 Lo, this onely haue I founde, that God made man iust & right, but they seke dyuerse sotylties,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I said: Genesis 3:5, 1 Kings 3:11, 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 11:1-8, Romans 1:22, 1 Corinthians 1:20

Reciprocal: Job 28:12 - General Job 28:20 - General Ecclesiastes 1:17 - I gave Ecclesiastes 7:28 - yet Ecclesiastes 8:17 - that a man

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
And ye LORDE sayde vnto Noe: Go in to the Arcke thou & thy whole house: for the haue I sene righteous before me at this tyme.
Genesis 7:8
Of cleane beastes and of vncleane, of all fethered foules, & of all that crepeth vpon earth,
Genesis 7:9
wente in vnto him to the Arcke by pares, a male and a female, as ye LORDE comaunded him.
Genesis 7:10
And whan the seuen dayes were past, the water floude came vpon the earth.
Genesis 7:14
and all maner of beastes after their kynde, all maner of catell after their kynde, all maner of crepynge thinges (that crepe vpo the earth) after their kynde, and all maner of foules (what so euer coude flye & what so euer had fethers) after their kynde:
Genesis 7:15
These wente all vnto Noe in to the Arcke by cooples, of all flesh in whom was the breth of life.
Genesis 7:17
Then came the water floude fourtie dayes vpon the earth, and the water increased, and bare vp the Arcke, and lift it vp ouer ye earth.
Genesis 7:18
Thus the water preuayled, and increased sore vpon the earth, so that the Arcke wente vpon the waters.
Genesis 7:20
Fyftene cubytes hye preuayled ye waters ouer the mountaynes, which were couered.
Genesis 7:21
Then all flesh that crepte vpon earth, perished, both foules, catell, beastes, and all yt moued vpon earth, and all men.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

All this have I proved by wisdom,.... Referring either to all that he had been discoursing of hitherto in this book, concerning the vanity of natural wisdom and knowledge, of pleasure, power, and riches; or to the several useful instructions given in this chapter, particularly concerning patiently bearing everything from the hands of God or men, Ecclesiastes 7:8. This, by the help and use of that wisdom which God had given him, he had made trial of, and found it to be right, and therefore recommended it to others; though he acknowledges that, with all his wisdom, he was from perfection;

I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me; he determined, if possible, to attain to the perfection of wisdom, and made use of all means to come at it; that he might know all the works of God in creation, the nature, use, and excellency of them; in providence, his different dispensations towards the sons of men, and the causes of them; and in grace, the redemption and salvation of men, and the mysteries thereof; but the more he knew, the more he was convinced of his own ignorance, and seemed further off from the summit of knowledge than he was before; and plainly saw, that perfection in wisdom is not attainable in this life. The Targum restrains this to the wisdom of the law; but it is better to understand it in a more general sense.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I will be - Or, I am. There was a time when Solomon thought himself wise enough to comprehend the work of God, and therefore needed for himself the self-humbling conviction declared in this verse.

It - i. e. Wisdom. Compare Ecclesiastes 8:17.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. All this have I proved by wisdom — These rules I have laid down for my own conduct, and sought after more wisdom; but have fallen far short of what I wished to be.


 
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