Chuándàoshū 2:15

15 Wǒ jiù xīnli shuō , yúmeì rén suǒ yùjiàn de , wǒ yĕ bì yùjiàn . wǒ wèihé gèng yǒu zhìhuì ne . wǒ xīnli shuō , zhè yĕ shì xū kōng .

Chuándàoshū 2:15 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 2:15

Then said I in my heart, as it happeneth to the fool, so it
happeneth even to me
The wisest of kings, and the wisest of men; that is, he looked over things in his mind, and considered what had befallen him, or what were his present circumstances, or what would be his case, especially at death; and said within himself, the same things happen to me, who have attained to the highest pitch of wisdom, as to the most errant fool; and therefore no true happiness can be in this sort of wisdom. The Targum paraphrases it thus,

``as it happened to Saul the son of Kish, the king who turned aside perversely, and kept not the commandment he received concerning Amalek, and his kingdom was taken from him; so shall it happen to me;''

and why was I then more wise?
the Targum adds, than he, or than any other man, or even than a fool; why have I took so much pains to get wisdom? what am I the better for it? what happiness is there in it, seeing it gives me no advantage, preference, and excellency to a fool; or secures me from the events that befall me? Then I said in my heart, that this also [is] vanity;
this worldly wisdom has nothing solid and substantial in it, as well as pleasure; and it is a vain thing to seek happiness in it, since this is the case, that the events are the same to men that have it, as to one that has it not.

Chuándàoshū 2:15 In-Context

13 Wǒ biàn kàn chū zhìhuì shēng guo yúmeì , rútóng guāngmíng shēng guo hēiàn .

14 Zhìhuì rén de yǎnmù guāngmíng , ( guāngmíng yuánwén zuò zaì tā tóu shang ) yúmeì rén zaì hēiàn lǐ xíng . wǒ què kàn míng yǒu yī jiàn shì , zhè liǎng dĕng rén dōu bì yùjiàn .

15 Wǒ jiù xīnli shuō , yúmeì rén suǒ yùjiàn de , wǒ yĕ bì yùjiàn . wǒ wèihé gèng yǒu zhìhuì ne . wǒ xīnli shuō , zhè yĕ shì xū kōng .

16 Zhìhuì rén , hé yúmeì rén yíyàng , yǒngyuǎn wú rén jìniàn . yīnwei rìhòu dōu beì wàngjì . kĕ tàn zhìhuì rén sǐwáng , yǔ yúmeì rén wú yì .

17 Wǒ suǒyǐ hèn è shēngmìng , yīnwei zaì rì guāng zhī Xiàsuǒ xíng de shì wǒ dōu yǐwéi fán nǎo . dōu shì xū kōng , dōu shì bǔ fēng .