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New Living Translation

Ecclesiastes 2:4

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Agriculture;   Epicureans;   Investigation;   Pleasure;   Solomon;   Vanity;   Vineyard;   Wisdom;   Worldliness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Solomon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Garden;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Israel, History of;   Jewels, Jewelry;   Joy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Winter ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Mad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bet Ha-Midrash;   Ḳohelet (Ecclesiastes) Rabbah;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for August 9;   Every Day Light - Devotion for October 1;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
I made my works great: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I made gorgious faire workes: I builded my houses, and planted vineyardes.
Darby Translation
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
New King James Version
I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.
Literal Translation
I made my works great; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;
Easy-to-Read Version
Then I began doing great things. I built houses, and I planted vineyards for myself.
World English Bible
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
King James Version (1611)
I made me great workes, I builded mee houses, I planted mee Uineyards.
King James Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I made gorgious fayre workes, I buylded me houses, and planted vynyardes:
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.
Amplified Bible
I made great works: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;
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.
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.
Contemporary English Version
I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards.
Complete Jewish Bible
I worked on a grand scale — I built myself palaces, planted myself vineyards,
Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards.
George Lamsa Translation
I multiplied my servants; I built myself houses; I planted vineyards for myself:
Hebrew Names Version
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
New Life Bible
I did great things. I built houses for myself. I planted grape-fields for myself.
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;
Berean Standard Bible
I enlarged my works. I built myself houses and planted myself vineyards.
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,
Lexham English Bible
I accomplished great things. I built for myself houses; I planted for myself 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.
Good News Translation
I accomplished great things. I built myself houses and planted vineyards.
Christian Standard Bible®
I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y magnefiede my werkis, Y bildide housis to me, and Y plauntide vynes; Y made yerdis and orcherdis,
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.

Contextual Overview

1 I said to myself, "Come on, let's try pleasure. Let's look for the ‘good things' in life." But I found that this, too, was meaningless. 2 So I said, "Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?" 3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. 4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! 9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. 10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.

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
And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:28
Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."
Genesis 1:31
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.
Genesis 2:1
So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed.
Genesis 2:2
On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.
Genesis 5:1
This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself.
Genesis 10:1
This is the account of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the great flood.
Genesis 11:10
This is the account of Shem's family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
Genesis 25:12
This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant.

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.


 
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