Ecclesiastes 1:16

16 locutus sum in corde meo dicens ecce magnus effectus sum et praecessi sapientia omnes qui fuerunt ante me in Hierusalem et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter et didicit

Ecclesiastes 1:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:16

I communed with my own heart
That is, looked into it, examined it, and considered what a stock and fund of knowledge he had in it, after all his researches into it; what happiness accrued to him by it, and what judgment upon the whole was to be formed upon it; and he spoke within himself after this manner: saying, lo, I am come to great estate;
or become a great man; famous for wisdom, arrived to a very great pitch of it; greatly increased in it, through a diligent application to it; and have gotten more wisdom than all [they] that have been before me
in Jerusalem;
or, "that before me were over Jerusalem" F16; governors of it, or in it; not only than the Jebusites, but than Saul, the first king of Israel, or than even his father David; or, as Gussetius F17, than any princes, rulers, and civil magistrates in Jerusalem, in his own days or in the days of his father; and also than all the priests and prophets, as well as princes, that ever had been there: and indeed he was wiser than all men, ( 1 Kings 4:30-32 ) ; and even than any that had been in Jerusalem, or any where else, or that should be hereafter, excepting the Messiah; see ( 1 Kings 3:12 ) ( 10:27 ) ( Matthew 12:42 ) . And seeing this is said of him by others, and even by the Lord himself, it might not only be said with truth by himself, but without ostentation; seeing it was necessary it should be said to answer his purpose, which was to show the vanity of human wisdom in its highest pitch; and it was nowhere to be found higher than in himself; yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge;
or, "saw much wisdom and knowledge" F18; he thoroughly understood it, he was a complete master of it; it was not a superficial knowledge he had attained unto, or a few lessons of it he had committed to memory; some slight notions in his head, or scraps of things he had collected together, in an undigested manner; but he had made himself thoroughly acquainted with everything worthy to be known, and had digested it in his mind.


FOOTNOTES:

F16 (Mlvwry le) "super Jerusalaim", Montanus, Cocceius, Schmidt; "qui praefueriut ante me Jeruscthalamis", Junius & Tremellius.
F17 Comment. Heb. p. 604.
F18 (tedw hmkx hbrh har) "vidit multum sapientiae et scientiae", Montanus, Amama; "vidit plurimam sapientiam et scientiam", Tigurine version.

Ecclesiastes 1:16 In-Context

14 vidi quae fiunt cuncta sub sole et ecce universa vanitas et adflictio spiritus
15 perversi difficile corriguntur et stultorum infinitus est numerus
16 locutus sum in corde meo dicens ecce magnus effectus sum et praecessi sapientia omnes qui fuerunt ante me in Hierusalem et mens mea contemplata est multa sapienter et didicit
17 dedique cor meum ut scirem prudentiam atque doctrinam erroresque et stultitiam et agnovi quod in his quoque esset labor et adflictio spiritus
18 eo quod in multa sapientia multa sit indignatio et qui addit scientiam addat et laborem
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.