Ecclesiastes 2:1-3
Christian Standard Bible
The Emptiness of Pleasure
2 I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure;(A) enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. 2 I said about laughter,(B) “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 3 I explored with my mind the pull of wine(C) on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly,(D) until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven[a] during the few days of their lives.(E)
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- 2:3 Two Hb mss, LXX, Syr read the sun
Ecclesiastes 2:1-3
Lexham English Bible
Qohelet’s Investigation of Self-Indulgence
2 I said to myself,[a] “Come! I will test[b] pleasure to see whether it is worthwhile.”[c] But look, “This also is vanity!” 2 I said of laughter, “It is folly!” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”[d] 3 I also explored[e] the effects of indulging my flesh[f] with wine. My mind guiding me with wisdom, I investigated[g] folly so that I might discover what is good under heaven[h] for humans[i] to do during the days of their lives.[j]
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- Ecclesiastes 2:1 Literally “to my heart”
- Ecclesiastes 2:1 The MT reads “I will test you,” but the BHS editors propose “I will test …” Whether or not one adopts MT, Qohelet is speaking to himself
- Ecclesiastes 2:1 Literally “and look at goodness”; this idiom refers to the enjoyment of life
- Ecclesiastes 2:2 Literally “What does it give?”
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “I searched in my mind”
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “to cheer my flesh”
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “laid hold of”
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 Follows MT; two medieval Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Peshitta read, “under the sun,” cf. 1:3, 9, etc.
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “the sons of the man”
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “the number of the days of their lives”
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