King James Version

Ecclesiastes 1:16

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

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Hebrew

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דִּבַּ֨רְתִּיdibartispeakדָבַרverb, piel, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “speak”, a completed actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אֲנִ֤יanimineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.עִםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).לִבִּי֙libicomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…לֵאמֹ֔רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֲנִ֗יanimineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.הִנֵּ֨הhinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּיhigdaltibeגָּדַלverb, hiphil, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1431to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride)advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax), great(-er, come to... estate, [phrase] things), grow(up), increase, lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly (spoken), towe…וְהוֹסַ֨פְתִּי֙vehosaftiand addיָסַףconjunction, verb, hiphil, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and add”, a completed actionH3254to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)add, [idiom] again, [idiom] any more, [idiom] cease, [idiom] come more, [phrase] conceive again, continue, exceed, [idiom] further, [idiom] gather together, get more, give more-over, [idiom] henceforth, increase (more and more), join, [idi…חָכְמָ֔הchakhemahwisdomחׇכְמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “wisdom”, the ordinary formH2451wisdom (in a good sense)skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.עַ֛לalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “all”, the ordinary formH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).אֲשֶׁרasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…הָיָ֥הhayahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לְפָנַ֖יlefanayto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םyerushalimJerusalemיְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםnoun, proper name — “Jerusalem”H3389Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of PalestineJerusalem.וְלִבִּ֛יvelibiand comfortablyלֵבconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…רָאָ֥הraahseeרָאָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “see”, a completed actionH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…הַרְבֵּ֖הharbehincreaseרָבָהverb, hiphil, infinitive absolute — “increase”, the verb used for emphasisH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…חָכְמָ֥הchakhemahwisdomחׇכְמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “wisdom”, the ordinary formH2451wisdom (in a good sense)skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.וָדָֽעַתvadaatand cunningדַּעַתconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and cunning”, the ordinary formH1847knowledgecunning, (ig-) norantly, know(-ledge), (un-) awares (wittingly).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

Young’s Literal Translation

I — I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge.

World English Bible

I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

Darby Translation

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

Douay-Rheims

I have spoken in my heart, saying: Behold I am become great, and have gone beyond all in wisdom, that were before me in Jerusalem: and my mind hath contemplated many things wisely, and I have learned.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

I spoke with my own heart, saying: 'Lo, I have gotten great wisdom, more also than all that were before me over Jerusalem'; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐλάλησα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, τῷ λέγειν, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμεγαλύνθην, καὶ προσέθηκα σοφίαν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἳ ἐγένοντο ἔμπροσθέν μου ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἔδωκα καρδίαν μου τοῦ γνῶναι σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν.