Ecclesiastes 1:16–18 NET - I thought to…

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Ecclesiastes 1:16–18

Futility of Secular Wisdom

1:16 I thought to myself,65

“I have become much wiser66 than any of my predecessors who ruled67 over Jerusalem;68

I69 have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.”70

1:17 So I decided71 to discern the benefit of72 wisdom and knowledge over73 foolish behavior and ideas;74

however, I concluded75 that even76 this endeavor77 is like78 trying to chase the wind!79

1:18 For with great wisdom comes80 great frustration;

whoever increases his81 knowledge merely82 increases his83 heartache.

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65	tn Heb “I spoke, I, with my heart.”
66	tn Heb “I, look, I have made great and increased wisdom.” The expression הִגְדַּלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי (higdalti véhosafti) is a verbal hendiadys; it means that Qoheleth had become the wisest man in the history of Jerusalem.
67	tn The phrase “who ruled” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
68	map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
69	tn Heb “my heart” (לִבִּי, libbi). The term “heart” is a metonymy of part for the whole (“my heart” = myself).
70	tn Heb “My heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.”
71	tn Heb “gave my heart,” or “set my mind.” See v. 13.
72	tn The phrase “the benefit of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
73	tn The word “over” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
74	tn The terms שִׂכְלוּת (sikhlut, “folly”) and הוֹלֵלוֹת (holelot, “foolishness”) are synonyms. The term שִׂכְלוּת (alternate spelling of סִכְלוּת, sikhlut) refers to foolish behavior (HALOT 755 s.v. סִכְלוּת), while הוֹלֵלוֹת refers to foolish ideas and mental blindness (HALOT 242 s.v. הוֹלֵלוֹת). Qoheleth uses these terms to refer to foolish ideas and self-indulgent pleasures (e.g., Eccl 2:2–3, 12–14; 7:25; 9:3; 10:1, 6, 13).
75	tn Heb “I know.”
76	tn The term גַּם (gam, “even”) is a particle of association and emphasis (HALOT 195 s.v. גַּם).
77	tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
78	tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
79	tn Heb “striving of wind.”
80	tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
81	tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
82	tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
83	tn This term does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.