The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 2:12 Explained

Ecclesiastes 2:12

KJV: And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

YLT: And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what is the man who cometh after the king? that which is already -- they have done it!

Darby: And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man do that cometh after the king? that which hath already been done.

ASV: And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been done long ago.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I turned  myself to behold  wisdom,  and madness,  and folly:  for what [can] the man  [do] that cometh  after  the king?  [even] that which hath been already  done. 

What does Ecclesiastes 2:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Ecclesiastes 2:1-17 - 24-26, Vain Undertakings
At the beginning of his search for happiness Solomon erected a splendid home and planned all kinds of delights of an artistic and sensuous nature. There were gardens, pools of crystal water, fruit trees, meadows filled with cattle, regal splendor, musicians who poured into the palace their sweet melodies. He went further, adding to architecture and art his intellectual pursuits. But when he had gone to the furthest limit, he turned from it all, with the old gnawing at his heart-Vanity of vanities!
A few days before the death of the great Cardinal Mazarin, he was heard by a friend to utter something of the same sad refrain. "I was walking," says this friend, "in one of the apartments of the palace, when I recognized the approach of the Cardinal by the sound of his slippered feet, which he dragged one after the other as a man suffering from a mortal malady. I concealed myself behind the tapestry and heard him say, as he looked at one picture and rare treasure after another, "˜I must leave all these.'" Let us, in the light of these things, ponder again those words of Christ in Luke 12:33. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 2

1  the vanity of human courses is the work of pleasure
12  Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event
18  The vanity of human labor, in leaving it they know not to whom
24  Nothing better than joy in our labor but that is God's gift

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 2:12 mean?

And turned I to consider wisdom and madness and folly for what [can do] the man who succeeds after the king - [Only] what already he has done
וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי אֲנִי֙ לִרְא֣וֹת חָכְמָ֔ה וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת וְסִכְל֑וּת כִּ֣י ׀ מֶ֣ה הָאָדָ֗ם שֶׁיָּבוֹא֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י ؟ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־ כְּבָ֖ר עָשֽׂוּהוּ

וּפָנִ֤יתִֽי  And  turned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
לִרְא֣וֹת  to  consider 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
חָכְמָ֔ה  wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
וְהוֹלֵל֖וֹת  and  madness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: הֹולֵלֹות  
Sense: madness.
וְסִכְל֑וּת  and  folly 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִכְלוּת 
Sense: folly, foolishness.
מֶ֣ה  what  [can  do] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
הָאָדָ֗ם  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
שֶׁיָּבוֹא֙  who  succeeds 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אַחֲרֵ֣י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
؟ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֵ֥ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲשֶׁר־  [Only]  what 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
כְּבָ֖ר  already 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כְּבָר  
Sense: already, long ago, a great while.
עָשֽׂוּהוּ  he  has  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.

What are the major concepts related to Ecclesiastes 2:12?

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