The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:25 Explained

Ecclesiastes 7:25

KJV: I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

YLT: I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.

Darby: I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;

ASV: I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things , and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I applied  mine heart  to know,  and to search,  and to seek out  wisdom,  and the reason  [of things], and to know  the wickedness  of folly,  even of foolishness  [and] madness: 

What does Ecclesiastes 7:25 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ecclesiastes 7

1  remedies against vanity are, a good name
2  mortification
7  patience
11  wisdom
23  The difficulty of wisdom

What do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 7:25 mean?

applied I and my heart to know and to search and seek out wisdom and the reason [of things] and to know the wickedness of folly and Even of foolishness [and] madness
סַבּ֨וֹתִֽי אֲנִ֤י וְלִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת וְלָת֔וּר וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ חָכְמָ֖ה וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ רֶ֣שַׁע כֶּ֔סֶל וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת הוֹלֵלֽוֹת

סַבּ֨וֹתִֽי  applied 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
וְלִבִּי֙  and  my  heart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
לָדַ֣עַת  to  know 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וְלָת֔וּר  and  to  search 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: תּוּר  
Sense: to seek, search out, spy out, explore.
וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ  and  seek  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
חָכְמָ֖ה  wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן  and  the  reason  [of  things] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶשְׁבֹּון  
Sense: account, reasoning, reckoning.
וְלָדַ֙עַת֙  and  to  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.
רֶ֣שַׁע  the  wickedness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶשַׁע  
Sense: wrong, wickedness, guilt.
כֶּ֔סֶל  of  folly 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶל 
Sense: loins, flank.
וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת  and  Even  of  foolishness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִכְלוּת 
Sense: folly, foolishness.
הוֹלֵלֽוֹת  [and]  madness 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: הֹולֵלֹות  
Sense: madness.