Ecclesiastes 2:4

Complete Jewish Bible

I worked on a grand scale — I built myself palaces, planted myself vineyards,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

Hebrew Names Version
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

King James Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

English Standard Version
I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

New American Standard Bible
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

New Century Version
Then I did great things: I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

Amplified Bible
I made great works: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;

World English Bible
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards.

Legacy Standard Bible
I made my works great: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;

Berean Standard Bible
I enlarged my works. I built myself houses and planted myself vineyards.

Contemporary English Version
I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards.

Darby Translation
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

Easy-to-Read Version
Then I began doing great things. I built houses, and I planted vineyards for myself.

George Lamsa Translation
I multiplied my servants; I built myself houses; I planted vineyards for myself:

Good News Translation
I accomplished great things. I built myself houses and planted vineyards.

Lexham English Bible
I accomplished great things. I built for myself houses; I planted for myself vineyards.

Literal Translation
I made my works great; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I made gorgious fayre workes, I buylded me houses, and planted vynyardes:

American Standard Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

Bible in Basic English
I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

King James Version (1611)
I made me great workes, I builded mee houses, I planted mee Uineyards.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I made gorgious faire workes: I builded my houses, and planted vineyardes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.

English Revised Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y magnefiede my werkis, Y bildide housis to me, and Y plauntide vynes; Y made yerdis and orcherdis,

Update Bible Version
I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;

Webster's Bible Translation
I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:

New English Translation
I increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.

New King James Version
I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.

New Living Translation
I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards.

New Life Bible
I did great things. I built houses for myself. I planted grape-fields for myself.

New Revised Standard
I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I enlarged my works, - I built me houses, I planted me vineyards;

Douay-Rheims Bible
I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,

Revised Standard Version
I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;

Young's Literal Translation
I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.

THE MESSAGE
Oh, I did great things: built houses, planted vineyards, designed gardens and parks and planted a variety of fruit trees in them, made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees. I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem. I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and—most exquisite of all pleasures— voluptuous maidens for my bed.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

Contextual Overview

¹ I said to myself, "Come now, I will test myself with pleasure and enjoying good things"; but this too was pointless. ² Of laughter I said, "This is stupid," and of pleasure, "What's the use of it?" ³ I searched my mind for how to gratify my body with wine and, with my mind still guiding me with wisdom, how to pursue foolishness; my object was to find out what was the best thing for people to do during the short time they have under heaven to live. ⁴ I worked on a grand scale — I built myself palaces, planted myself vineyards, ⁵ and made myself gardens and parks; in them I planted all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I made myself pools from which to water the trees springing up in the forest. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and I had my home-born slaves as well. I also had growing herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, more than anyone before me in Yerushalayim. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold, the wealth of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, things that provide sensual delight, and a good many concubines. ⁹ So I grew great, surpassing all who preceded me in Yerushalayim; my wisdom, too, stayed with me. ¹⁰ I denied my eyes nothing they wanted. I withheld no pleasure from myself; for I took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward for all my work.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

made: Genesis 11:4, 2 Samuel 18:18, Daniel 4:30

I builded: Deuteronomy 8:12-14, 1 Kings 7:1, 1 Kings 7:2, 1 Kings 7:8-12, 1 Kings 9:1, 1 Kings 15:19, 1 Kings 10:19, 1 Kings 10:20, 2 Chronicles 8:1-6, 2 Chronicles 8:11, Psalms 49:11

I planted: 1 Chronicles 27:27, 2 Chronicles 26:10, Song of Solomon 1:14, Song of Solomon 7:12, Song of Solomon 8:11, Song of Solomon 8:12, Isaiah 5:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:17 - and he 2 Samuel 5:11 - they built 2 Chronicles 7:11 - all that came 2 Chronicles 8:6 - all that Solomon desired to build Proverbs 4:7 - with Ecclesiastes 2:18 - I hated Ecclesiastes 6:2 - so

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:4
God saw that the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them: God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth."

Genesis 1:31
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. So there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them.

Genesis 2:2
On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Genesis 5:1
(vi) Here is the genealogy of Adam. On the day that God created man he made him in the likeness of God;

Genesis 10:1
Here is the genealogy of the sons of Noach — Shem, Ham and Yefet; sons were born to them after the flood.

Genesis 11:10
Here is the genealogy of Shem. Shem was 100 years old when he fathered Arpakhshad two years after the flood.

Genesis 25:12
(vii) Here is the genealogy of Yishma‘el, Avraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian woman bore to Avraham.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I made me great works,.... He did not spend his time in trifling things, as Domitian a, in catching and killing flies; but in devising, designing, directing, and superintending great works of art and skill, becoming the grandeur of his state, and the greatness of his mind: the Midrash restrains it to his great throne of ivory, overlaid with gold, 1 Kings 10:18, but it is a general expression, including all the great things he did, of which the following is a particular enumeration;

I builded me houses; among which must not be reckoned the house of God, though that was built by him, and in the first place; yet this was built, not for his own pleasure and grandeur, but for the worship and glory of God: but his own house and palace is chiefly meant, which was thirteen years in building; and the house of the forest in Lebanon, which perhaps was his country seat; with all other houses and offices, for his stores, for his servants, his horsemen, and chariots; see 1 Kings 7:1; and in fine spacious buildings men take a great deal of pleasure, and promise themselves much happiness in dwelling in them, and in perpetuating their names to posterity by them; see

Psalms 49:11. The Targum is,

"I multiplied good works in Jerusalem; I builded me houses; the house of the sanctuary, to make atonement for Israel; the king's house of refreshment, and the conclave and porch; and the house of judgment, of hewn stones, where the wise men sit and do judgment; I made a throne of ivory for the royal seat;''

I planted me vineyards; perhaps those at Engedi were of his planting; however, he had one at Baalhamon, and no doubt in other places, Song of Solomon 1:14; the Targum makes mention of one at Jabne, planted by him; these also add to the pleasure of human life; it is delightful to walk in them, to gather the fruit and drink of the wine of them; see Song of Solomon 7:12.

a Sueton. Vit. Domitian. c. 3. Aurel. Victor. De. Caesar. & Epitome.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare 1 Kings 7:1-12; 1 Kings 9:15-19; 1 Kings 10:14-27; and 2 Chronicles 8:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 2:4. I builded me houses — Palace after palace; the house of the forest of Lebanon, 1 Kings 7:1, c. a house for the queen; the temple, c., 2 Chronicles 8:1, c. 1 Kings 9:10, &c., besides many other buildings of various kinds.