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Mark Dunagan Commentaries

Ecclesiastes 2:12

"So. turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly, for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?"wisdom, madness and folly" -What is the relative worth of wisdom in contrast to folly and madness? Which is more profitable? It is better to go through life serious, prudent and circumspect, or should. throw caution to the wind? Who finds more fun and enjoyment in life? The cautious person or the carefree individual?

"for what will the man do" -Solomon realizes that while someone after him might be able to duplicate his experiment, no man could ever exceed what he had done. So, others aren't going to find any different results then he found. He found the answer! Solomon didn't say, "Maybe. missed something, maybe. overlooked something…" What hope has anyone else in finding happiness in earthly things, seeing that he, the ideal candidate, failed?

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See also Ecclesiastes 2:12 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Ecclesiastes 2:12. _FOR WHAT_ CAN _THE MAN_ DO _THAT COMETH AFTER THE KING_?] I have examined every thing proposed by _science_, by _maddening_ _pleasure_, and by more refined and regulated _mi...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Solomon having found that wisdom and folly agree in being subject to vanity, now contrasts one with the other Ecclesiastes 2:13. Both are brought under vanity by events Ecclesiastes 2:14 which come on...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 2THE RESULTS OF THE SEARCH AND DIFFERENT VANITIES _ 1. His personal experience (Ecclesiastes 2:1)_ 2. Various vanities and a conclusion (Ecclesiastes 2:12) Ecclesiastes 2:1

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Qoheleth turns to the study of human nature in its wisdom and its folly. Though all is vanity yet wisdom is better than folly; it is better to face the outlook, dreary though it be, with intelligence,...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 1:12 TO ECCLESIASTES 2:26. QOHELETH'S INVESTIGATIONS. Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom (Ecclesiastes...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    BEHOLD. consider. UNDER THE SUN. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:1....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly_ We enter on yet another phase of the life of the seeker after happiness. He falls back with a cynical despair, when mere pleasure left him a...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _THE VANITY OF LIVING WISELY -- ECCLESIASTES 2:12-17:_ Solomon reflected on what a common man could do to find true happiness when he, with all his resources, had not been able to do so._ _ He could o...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. Conclusions Ecclesiastes 2:12-26 a. Value of this wisdom and pleasure stop at the grave. Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 TEXT 2:12-17 12 So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly, for what will the...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. I TURNED MYSELF TO BEHOLD (the same Hebrew,...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WHAT _can_ THE MAN _do_] None can hope to attain or approach to the favourable conditions under which Solomon carried on his quest of the highest good. AFTER THE KING? _even_ THAT WHICH HATH BEEN ALRE...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    EPICUREANISM AND WISDOM ALIKE PROFITLESS 1-3. The writer makes enjoyment his quest, while aware that it is folly, and avoiding excess in a philosophic spirit....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 2 THE TEST TO DISCOVER WHAT MAKES A PERSON HAPPY – ECCLESIASTES 2:1-11...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    This verse presents some difficulties of translation which need not be discussed here. The Authorised Version gives the following very good sense: If the king has failed in his experiment, what likeli...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וּ פָנִ֤יתִֽי אֲנִי֙ לִ רְאֹ֣ות חָכְמָ֔ה וְ

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    24-26, VAIN UNDERTAKINGS Ecclesiastes 2:1-17 At the beginning of his search for happiness Solomon erected a splendid home and planned all kinds of delights of an artistic and sensuous nature. There w...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Turning from the pursuit of knowledge to the pathway of pleasure, the king had given himself up to mirth, seeking the false stimulus of wine. In this also he had been disappointed, finding that mirth...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And I turned myself to behold (h) wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done. (h) I thought to myself whether it...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _What. Hebrew, "For what man shall come after the king?" Septuagint, "after counsel?" Many other versions may be given of this obscure text. Solomon stopt at human wisdom, without consulting the divin...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. (13) Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, a...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND I TURNED MYSELF TO BEHOLD WISDOM, AND MADNESS, AND FOLLY,.... Being disappointed in his pursuit of pleasure, and not finding satisfaction and happiness in that, he turns from it, and reassumes his...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done._ Ver. 12. _For what can the man do tha...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _And I turned myself_, &c. Being frustrated of my hopes in pleasure, I returned to a second consideration of my first choice, to see whether there was not more satisfaction to be gotten from wisdom, t...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly, to compare them, to consider their relative value, 1:17; FOR WHAT CAN THE MAN DO THAT COMETH AFTER THE KING? Solomon surely had the best c...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Solomon's own Example...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    EVEN THAT WHICH HATH BEEN ALREADY DONE: Or, in those things which have been already done...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-17 Solomon found that knowledge and prudence were preferable to ignorance and folly, though human wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy. The most learned of men, who dies a stranger to Ch...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    I TURNED MYSELF TO BEHOLD WISDOM, AND MADNESS, AND FOLLY; of which see ECCLESIASTES 1:7. Being frustrated of my hopes in pleasure, I returned to a second and more serious consideration of my first cho...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 2:12 turned H6437 (H8804) consider H7200 (H8800) wisdom H2451 madness H1947 folly H5531 man H120

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    A RETURN TO PHILOSOPHY AND ITS HOPELESSNESS (ECCLESIASTES 2:12). Ecclesiastes 2:12 ‘And I turned my mind to observing wisdom and madness and folly. For what can a man do who follows what a king has...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 1:12-2 I. As was natural in so wise a man, the Preacher turns first to wisdom. It is the wisdom that is born of wide and varied experience, not of abstract study. He acquaints himself wit...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Solomon shows that there is no true happiness and satisfaction to be had in mirth, pleasure and the delights of sense. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: True and lasting happiness and...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 2:1. _Enjoy pleasure._ The first doctrine of Epicurus, whose system is here rebutted. Acts 17:18. Ecclesiastes 2:2. _I said of laughter,_ of all forced and frantic joy, _it is mad._ Chald...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth._ THE THREEFOLD VIEW OF HUMAN LIFE Three views of human life are given in this remarkable chapter. I. The theatrical view of life (Ecclesiastes 2:1). The wri...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON ECCLESIASTES 2:12 The Preacher’s reign as king surpassed all others. Anyone WHO COMES AFTER THE KING will at best only be able to copy WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 2:12. WHAT CAN THE MAN DO THAT COMETH AFTER THE KING?] What will my successor do? He will probably, like the rest of the world, follow the well-worn path of sin and foll...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 2:1 Section 2. _Vanity of striving after pleasure and wealth._ ECCLESIASTES 2:1 Dissatisfied with the result of the pursuit of wisdom, Koheleth embarks on a course of sensua...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So I said in my heart, Go to now, I'm going to prove thee with [pleasure,] with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: but, behold, this was vanity (Ecclesiastes 2:1). So we read in the New Testament the ep...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ecclesiastes 1:17; Ecclesiastes 7:25; Ecclesiastes 2:25...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    VANITY AND VEXATION UNDER THE SUN Ecclesiastes 2:11 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We shall introduce our study with quotations from our booklet on Ecclesiastes. Solomon had tried everything which his heart co...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    I turned — Being frustrated of my hopes in pleasure, I returned to a second consideration of my first choice, to see whether there was not more satisfaction to be gotten from wisdom, than I discovered...

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Old Testament