the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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World English Bible
Ecclesiastes 1:12
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I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I my selfe the preacher was kyng of Israel at Hierusalem,
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king ouer Israel in Ierusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I myself ye Preacher, beynge kynge of Israel & Ierusale,
Call me "the Quester." I've been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there's not much to write home about. God hasn't made it easy for us. I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke—smoke, and spitting into the wind.
I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I said these things when I lived in Jerusalem as king of Israel.
I, Kohelet, have been king over Isra'el in Yerushalayim.
I the Preacher haue bene King ouer Israel in Ierusalem:
I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, Kohelet, was king over Yisra'el in Yerushalayim.
I Koheleth have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem,
I, the Proclaimer, was king over Israel, in Jerusalem.
I Ecclesiastes was king over Israel in Jerusalem,
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Philosopher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I Ecclesiastes was king of Israel in Jerusalem;
I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Ecclesiastes 1:1, 1 Kings 4:1-19
Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 17:7 - he sent 2 Chronicles 34:30 - he read Ecclesiastes 12:10 - Preacher 1 Timothy 2:7 - a preacher
Cross-References
God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. God saw that it was good.
God said, "Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth," and it was so.
God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind," and it was so.
God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
For as the earth brings forth its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don't gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;
Don't be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. Solomon having given a general proof of the vanity of all things here below, and of the insufficiency of them to make men happy, proceeds to particular instances, and begins with human wisdom and knowledge, which of all things might be thought to be most conducive to true happiness; and yet it falls short of it: he instances in himself for proof of it; and he could not have pitched on anyone more proper and pertinent to the purpose, who had all the advantages of obtaining wisdom, was assiduous in his pursuit of it, and made a proficiency in it above all mankind; wherefore he must be owned to be a proper judge, and whatever is concluded by him may be taken for granted as certain; and this is the sum of the following verses to the end of the chapter. Now let it be observed, that he was a "preacher", not a private person, and must have a good share of knowledge to qualify him for teaching and instructing others; and, more than this, he was a king, and did not want money to purchase books, and procure masters to instruct him in all the branches of literature; and when he entered upon the more profound study of wisdom, and especially when he said this, it was not in his infancy or childhood, or before he came to the throne, but after; even after he had asked, wisdom of God to govern, and it had been given him; yea, after he had been a long time king, as he now was; though the Jewish writers, as the Targum, Jarchi, and others, conclude from hence that he was not now a king, but become a private person, deposed or driven from his throne, which does not appear: moreover, he was king of Israel, not over a barbarous people, where darkness and ignorance reigned, but over a "wise and understanding people", as they are called Deuteronomy 4:6; and he was king over them in Jerusalem too, the metropolis of the nation; there he had his royal palace, where were not only the temple, the place of divine worship, but a college of prophets, and a multitude of priests, and an abundance of wise and knowing men, whom he had opportunity of conversing with frequently; to which may be added, his large correspondence abroad; persons from all kings and kingdoms came to hear his wisdom, as the queen of Sheba; and by putting questions to him, and so exercising his talents, not a little contributed to the improvement of them. Now a person so qualified must be a judge of wisdom, and what he says deserves attention; and it may be observed, that what he says, as follows, is "in verbo regis et sacerdotis", on the word of a king and preacher, who would never risk his honour, or forfeit his character, by saying an untruth.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Solomon relates his personal experience Ecclesiastes 2:0; the result of which was “no profit,” and a conviction that all, even God’s gifts of earthly good to good men, in this life are subject to vanity. His trial of God’s first gift, wisdom, is recounted in Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.
Was - This tense does not imply that Solomon had ceased to be king when the word was written. See the introduction to Ecclesiastes. He begins with the time of his accession to the throne, when the gifts of wisdom and riches were especially promised to him 1 Kings 3:12-13.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ecclesiastes 1:12. I the Preacher was king — This is a strange verse, and does not admit of an easy solution. It is literally, "I, Choheleth, have been king over Israel, in Jerusalem." This book, as we have already seen, has been conjectured by some to have been written about the time that Ptolemy Philadelphus formed his great library at Alexandria, about two hundred and eighty-five years before our Lard; and from the multitude of Jews that dwelt there, and resorted to that city for the sake of commerce, it was said there was an Israel in Alexandria. See the introduction. Ecclesiastes 1:1.
It has also been conjectured from this, that if the book were written by Solomon, it was intended to be a posthumous publication. "I that was king, still continue to preach and instruct you." Those who suppose the book to have been written after Solomon's fall, think that he speaks thus through humility. "I was once worthy of the name of king: but I fell into all evil; and, though recovered, I am no longer worthy of the name." I am afraid this is not solid.
