So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
Parallel Translations
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So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
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So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
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So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Ecclesiastes 2:9 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Chronicles 29:25 Yahweh magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and gave to him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 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.”
- 1 Kings 10:23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.
- 2 Chronicles 9:22-23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
- 1 Kings 3:12 behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart; so that there has been no one like you before you, and after you none will arise like you.
- 1 Kings 10:7 However I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.
- 2 Chronicles 1:1 Solomon the son of David was firmly established in his kingdom, and Yahweh his God was with him, and made him exceedingly great.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain For all this God did not take his gift…
For all this God did not take his gift of wisdom from me.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Ecc 2:9 So I was great, and increased more…
Ecc 2:9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Ver. 9. Also my wisdom remained with me.] Outward things are dead things, and cannot touch the soul, a lively spirit, unless by way of taint. Solomon, if not at first, yet at length, was fearfully tainted by them, making good that of the poet -
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“Stultitiam patiuntur opes …
Ardua res haec est, opibus non tradere mores,
Et cum tot Croesos viceris, esse Numam.”
- Martial.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain I was great, in riches, and power, and glory.
I was great, in riches, and power, and glory.
Also my wisdom remained with me; as yet I was not wholly besotted and seduced from God by these things, as I was afterwards; I still had the use of my reason, whereby I was capable of searching after and finding satisfaction, if it was to be had in those things.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain So I was great,.... Became famous for the great…
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;
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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.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Great - In riches, and power, and glory. My…
Great - In riches, and power, and glory. My wisdom remained - As yet I was not wholly seduced from God.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Ecc 2:9-10. So I was great — In riches,…
Ecc 2:9-10. So I was great — In riches, and power, and glory. My wisdom remained — As yet I was not wholly seduced from God. And whatsoever mine eyes desired — Whatsoever was grateful to my senses, or my heart desired; I kept not from them — I denied myself nothing, at least, of lawful delights, but went to the very bounds of them; which was the occasion of his falling afterward into sinful pleasures. I withheld not my heart, &c. — As my heart was vehemently set upon pleasure, so I did not resist, or curb it therein, but made all possible provision to gratify it. For my heart rejoiced — I had the comfort of all my labours, and was not hindered from the full enjoyment of them by sickness or war, or any other calamity. This was my portion — This present enjoyment of them was all the benefit which I could expect from all my labours. So that I made the best of them.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Wisdom, not that which was supernatural, and could not…
Wisdom, not that which was supernatural, and could not be found amid such delights, ver. 3., and James iii. 17. I knew that all this was vanity. (Calmet) Video meliora proboque,
Deteriora sequor. (Ovid) (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain great--opulent (Gen 24:35; Job 1:3; see Kg1 10:23).
great--opulent (Gen 24:35; Job 1:3; see Kg1 10:23).
remained-- (Ecc 2:3).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 9. So I was great — The result of…
9. So I was great — The result of all these efforts, his wisdom standing by to guide him, was the unrivalled greatness of the “Grand Monarch.” He developed every resource of his kingdom, and by alliances and commerce enhanced his wealth.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 9. I was great, and increased] There is something…
9. I was great, and increased] There is something significant in the repetition of the formula of ch. Ecc_1:16. The king had surpassed all others in wisdom, he was now surpassing all others in magnificence.
also my wisdom remained with me] The thought expressed seems to be, as in Ecc_2:3, that the seeker, though he plunged into the pleasures of a sensual life, was never altogether their slave. They were for him experiments which he watched as with an intellectual impartiality. Like Goethe, he analysed his voluptuousness, and studied his own faculties of enjoyment.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (9-11) Kohéleth carried out his plan of tempering his…
(9-11) Kohéleth carried out his plan of tempering his enjoyment with discretion, but while he took his fill of the pleasure that fell to his lot, he found in it no abiding profit. He goes on in the following paragraph to complain that the wisdom and other advantages he possessed in his search for happiness render his failure the more disheartening.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain So I was great. (see on Ecc_1:16) This refers…
So I was great. (see on Ecc_1:16) This refers to the magnificence and extent of his possessions and luxury, as the former passage to the surpassing excellence of his wisdom. We may compare the mention of Abraham, (Gen_26:13) "The man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great". (sc Job_1:3) Also my wisdom remained with me; perseveravit mecum (Vulgate); ejstaqh moi (Septuagint). In accordance with the purpose mentioned in ver. 3, he retained command of himself, studying philosophically the effects and nature of the pleasures of which he partook, and keeping ever in view the object of his pursuit. Voluptuousness was not the end which he sought, but one of the means to obtain the end; and what he calls his wisdom is not pure Divine wisdom that comes from above, but an earthly prudence and self-restraint.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 than all who were before me in Jerusalem
than all who were before me in Jerusalem
This refers to all the previous rulers of Jerusalem. AT: "than all the kings who had ruled before me in Jerusalem" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
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my wisdom remained with me
This is an idiom. "I continued to act wisely" or "I continued to be wise" (See: Idiom)
Whatever my eyes desired ... from them
Here the author refers to himself by his "eyes" to emphasize what he sees. AT: "Whatever I saw and desired ... from myself" (See: Synecdoche)
I did not withhold from them
This can be stated positively. AT: "I got for them"
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure
Here the author refers to himself by his "heart" to emphasize his desires. This can be stated positively and the word "pleasure" can be expressed as a verb. AT: "I did not keep myself from any pleasure" or "I allowed myself to enjoy everything that made me happy" (See: Synecdoche and Abstract Nouns)
my heart rejoiced
Here the author refers to himself by his "heart" to emphasize his desires. AT: "I rejoiced" (See: Synecdoche)
translationWords
wise
heart
joy
labor
reward
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 2:9 I became greater: Cp. 1 Kgs 10:23. •…
2:9 I became greater: Cp. 1 Kgs 10:23. • Solomon’s wisdom enabled his successful rise in power and prosperity (see 1 Kgs 3:2-14; 4:20-34).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.