Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:23–25

²³All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me. ²⁴What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?

²⁵I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 7

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Ecclesiastes 7:23

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
All	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
this	זֹ֖ה	zōh	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2090 this, that
I tested	נִסִּ֣יתִי	nis·sî·ṯî	Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular	H5254 test, try
by wisdom	בַֽחָכְמָ֑ה	ḇa·ḥā·ḵə·māh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2451 wisdom
I resolve	אָמַ֣רְתִּי	’ā·mar·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H559 utter, say
to be wise	אֶחְכָּ֔מָה	’eḥ·kā·māh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H2449 be wise
But it	וְהִ֖יא	wə·hî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
was beyond	רְחוֹקָ֥ה	rə·ḥō·w·qāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7350 distant, far
me	מִמֶּֽנִּי׃	mim·men·nî	Preposition; first person common singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

Ecclesiastes 7:24

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
What	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
exists	שֶּׁהָיָ֑ה	še·hā·yāh	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
is out of reach	רָח֖וֹק	rā·ḥō·wq	Adjective - masculine singular	H7350 distant, far
and very deep	וְעָמֹ֥ק׀	wə·‘ā·mōq	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H6013 deep
Who	מִ֥י	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
can fathom it	יִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃	yim·ṣā·’en·nū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find

Ecclesiastes 7:25

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I	אֲנִ֤י	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
directed	סַבּ֨וֹתִֽי	sab·bō·w·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H5437 turn about, go around, surround
my mind	וְלִבִּי֙	wə·lib·bî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
to understand	לָדַ֣עַת	lā·ḏa·‘aṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3045 know
to explore	וְלָת֔וּר	wə·lā·ṯūr	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8446 seek out, spy out, explore
to search out	וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ	ū·ḇaq·qêš	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H1245 seek
wisdom	חָכְמָ֖ה	ḥāḵ·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H2451 wisdom
and explanations	וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן	wə·ḥeš·bō·wn	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H2808 reckoning, account
and to understand	וְלָדַ֙עַת֙	wə·lā·ḏa·‘aṯ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3045 know
the stupidity	כֶּ֔סֶל	ke·sel	Noun - masculine singular	H3689 loins
of wickedness	רֶ֣שַׁע	re·ša‘	Noun - masculine singular	H7562 wickedness
and the folly	וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת	wə·has·siḵ·lūṯ	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5531 folly
of madness	הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃	hō·w·lê·lō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H1947 madness

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ecclesiastes 7:23 Romans 1:22 · 1 Corinthians 1:20 · Genesis 3:5

Ecclesiastes 7:24 Romans 11:33 · 1 Timothy 6:16 · Isaiah 55:8–9 · Psalm 139:6 · Job 28:28 · Job 28:12–23 · Job 11:7–8 · Psalm 36:6

Ecclesiastes 7:25 Ecclesiastes 10:13 · Joshua 7:13

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.