Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Ecclesiastes 1:17
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, etc.] Which is repeated, for the confirmation of it, from (<210113>Ecclesiastes 1:13), and that it might be taken notice of how assiduous and diligent he had been in acquiring it; a circumstance not to be overlooked; and to know madness and folly: that he might the better know wisdom, and learn the difference between the one and the other, since opposites illustrate each other; and that he might shun madness and folly, and the ways thereof, and expose the actions of mad and foolish men: so Platof44 says, ignorance is a disease, of which there are two kinds, madness and folly. The Targum, Septuagint, and all the Oriental versions, interpret the last word, translated “folly”, by understanding, knowledge, and prudence; which seems to be right, since Solomon speaks of nothing afterwards, as vexation and grief to him, but wisdom and knowledge: and I would therefore read the clause in connection with the preceding, thus, “and the knowledge of things boasted of”, vain glorious knowledge; “and prudence”, or what may be called craftiness and cunning; or what the apostle calls “science falsely so called”, (<540620>1 Timothy 6:20); (see <201208> Proverbs 12:8 <270825>Daniel 8:25); I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit; (see Gill on “<210114>Ecclesiastes 1:14”); the reason follows.
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