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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Ecclesiastes 2:2

I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?”

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Epicureans;   Investigation;   Pleasure;   Wisdom;   Worldliness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Joy;   Joy-Sorrow;   Laughter;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Israel, History of;   Joy;   Laugh;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Laughter;   Winter ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Canon of the Old Testament;   Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Mad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Asmodeus;   Joy;   Levi Ii.;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 1;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
King James Version
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
English Standard Version
I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"
New American Standard Bible
I said of laughter, "It is senseless," and of pleasure, "What does this accomplish?"
New Century Version
It is foolish to laugh all the time, and having fun doesn't accomplish anything.
Amplified Bible
I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"
World English Bible
I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
I saide of laughter, Thou art mad: and of ioy, What is this that thou doest?
Legacy Standard Bible
I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of gladness, "What does it do?"
Berean Standard Bible
I said of laughter, "It is folly," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"
Contemporary English Version
Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do?
Complete Jewish Bible
Of laughter I said, "This is stupid," and of pleasure, "What's the use of it?"
Darby Translation
I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?
Easy-to-Read Version
It is foolish to laugh all the time. Having fun does not do any good.
George Lamsa Translation
I said of laughter, What pleasure is there in it? and of mirth, What do you accomplish?
Good News Translation
I discovered that laughter is foolish, that pleasure does you no good.
Lexham English Bible
I said of laughter, "It is folly!" and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"
Literal Translation
I said of laughter, It is madness, and of mirth, What does it do?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
in so moch that I sayde vnto laughter: thou art madd, and to myrth: what doest thou?
American Standard Version
I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?
Bible in Basic English
Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I said of laughter: 'It is mad'; and of mirth: 'What doth it accomplish?'
King James Version (1611)
I saide of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Insomuch that I saide vnto the man geuen to laughter, thou art mad: and to mirth, what doest thou?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why doest thou this:
English Revised Version
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And leiyyng Y arrettide errour, and Y seide to ioye, What art thou disseyued in veyn?
Update Bible Version
I said of laughter, It is insane; and of mirth, What does it do?
Webster's Bible Translation
I said of laughter, [It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
New English Translation
I said of partying, "It is folly," and of self-indulgent pleasure, "It accomplishes nothing!"
New King James Version
I said of laughter--"Madness!"; and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
New Living Translation
So I said, "Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?"
New Life Bible
I said of laughing, "It is crazy," and of fun, "What use is it?"
New Revised Standard
I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Of laughter, I said, Madness! and, of mirth, What can it do?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Laughter I counted error: and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly deceived?
Revised Standard Version
I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"
Young's Literal Translation
Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What [is] this it is doing?'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

Contextual Overview

1I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. 2I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 3I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom— and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. 4I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. 6I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. 7I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned livestock—large herds and flocks—more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. 8I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men. 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. 10All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I said: Solomon is not speaking here of sober enjoyment of the things of the world, but of intemperate pleasure, whose two attendants, laughter and mirth, are introduced by a beautiful prosopopoeia, as two persons, whom he treats with the utmost contempt.

It is: Ecclesiastes 7:2-6, Proverbs 14:13, Isaiah 22:12, Isaiah 22:13, Amos 6:3-6, 1 Peter 4:2-4

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 25:36 - merry Ecclesiastes 7:6 - as Ecclesiastes 10:19 - feast Matthew 13:45 - seeking Luke 6:25 - laugh James 4:9 - let

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
Genesis 2:8
The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he placed the man he had formed.
Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon, which flows through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Exodus 23:12
“Do your work for six days but rest on the seventh day so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave as well as the resident alien may be refreshed.
Exodus 31:17
It is a sign forever between me and the Israelites, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.”
Deuteronomy 5:14
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your ox or donkey, any of your livestock, or the resident alien who lives within your city gates, so that your male and female slaves may rest as you do.
Isaiah 58:13
“If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath,from doing whatever you want on my holy day;if you call the Sabbath a delight,and the holy day of the Lord honorable;if you honor it, not going your own ways,seeking your own pleasure, or talking business;
John 5:17
Jesus responded to them, “My Father
Hebrews 4:4
For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I said of laughter, [it is] mad,.... The risible faculty in man is given him for some usefulness; and when used in a moderate way, and kept within due bounds, is of service to him, and conduces to the health of his body, and the pleasure of his mind; but when used on every trivial occasion, and at every foolish thing that is said or done, and indulged to excess, it is mere madness, and makes a man look more like a madman and a fool than a wise man; it lasts but for a while, and the end of it is heaviness, Ecclesiastes 7:6. Or, "I said to laughter, [thou art] mad" x; and therefore will have nothing to do with thee in the excessive and criminal way, but shun thee, as one would do a mad man: this therefore is not to be reckoned into the pleasure he bid his soul go to and enjoy;

and of mirth, what doth it? what good does do? of what profit and advantage is it to man? If the question is concerning innocent mirth, the answer may be given out of Proverbs 15:13; but if of carnal sinful mirth, there is no good arises from that to the body or mind; or any kind of happiness to be enjoyed that way, and therefore no trial is to be made of it. What the wise man proposed to make trial of, and did, follows in the next verses.

x לשחוק אמרתי מהולל "risui dixi, insanis", Mercerus, Drusius, Amama; "vel insanus es", Piscator, Schmidt, Rambachius.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 2:2. I said of laughter, It is mad — Literally "To laughter I said, O mad one! and to mirth, What is this one doing?"

Solomon does not speak here of a sober enjoyment of the things of this world, but of intemperate pleasure, whose two attendants, laughter and mirth are introduced by a beautiful prosopopoeia as two persons; and the contemptuous manner wherewith he treats them has something remarkably striking. He tells the former to her face that she is mad; but as to the latter, he thinks her so much beneath his notice, that he only points at her, and instantly turns his back.


 
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