Ecclesiastes 2:13
New International Version
I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.

New Living Translation
I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.

English Standard Version
Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness.

Berean Standard Bible
And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:

King James Bible
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

New King James Version
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness.

New American Standard Bible
Then I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness.

NASB 1995
And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

NASB 1977
And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

Legacy Standard Bible
And I saw that there is an advantage in wisdom over simpleminded folly as light has an advantage over darkness.

Amplified Bible
Then I saw that [even secular] wisdom [that brings sorrow] is better than [the pleasures of] folly and self-indulgence as light excels darkness.

Christian Standard Bible
And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.

American Standard Version
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And I have seen that there is more profit in wisdom than foolishness, as light is greater than darkness

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.

Contemporary English Version
And I discovered that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I saw that wisdom excelled folly, as much as light differeth from darkness.

English Revised Version
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But I saw that wisdom has an advantage over foolishness as light has an advantage over darkness.

Good News Translation
Oh, I know, "Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.

International Standard Version
I concluded that wisdom is more useful than foolishness, just as light is more useful than darkness.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

Literal Standard Version
And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.

Majority Standard Bible
And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:

New American Bible
And I saw that wisdom has as much profit over folly as light has over darkness.

NET Bible
I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness:

New Revised Standard Version
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

New Heart English Bible
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

World English Bible
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

Young's Literal Translation
And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Wise and the Foolish
12Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished? 13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: 14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.…

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 7:11
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.

Ecclesiastes 7:12
For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Ecclesiastes 10:10
If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.


Treasury of Scripture

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

i saw

Ecclesiastes 7:11,12
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun…

Ecclesiastes 9:16
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Proverbs 4:5-7
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth…

light

Ecclesiastes 11:7
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

Psalm 119:105,130
NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path…

Proverbs 4:18,19
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day…

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Ecclesiastes 2
1. the vanity of human courses is the work of pleasure
12. Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event
18. The vanity of human labor, in leaving it they know not to whom
24. Nothing better than joy in our labor but that is God's gift














(13) Wisdom surely has an advantage over folly, yet how full of "vanity" is that advantage. Let the wise man have done his best, soon death comes; the wise man is forgotten, and all he has gained by his labour passes, without labour, into the hands of one who may be no inheritor of his wisdom.

Excelleth.--There is profit in wisdom more than in folly. The same word "profit" is used as in Ecclesiastes 5:11. (See Note on Ecclesiastes 1:3.)

Verse 13. - Then (and) I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness; or, there is profit, advantage (περίσσεια Septuagint, Ecclesiastes 1:3) to wisdom over folly, as the advantage of light over darkness. This result, at any rate, was obtained - he learned that wisdom had a certain value, that it was as much superior to folly, in its effects on men, as light is more beneficial than darkness. It is a natural metaphor to represent spiritual and intellectual development as light, and mental and moral depravity as darkness (comp. Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And I
אָ֔נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

saw
וְרָאִ֣יתִי (wə·rā·’î·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

that
שֶׁיֵּ֥שׁ (še·yêš)
Pronoun - relative | Adverb
Strong's 3426: Being, substance, existence, is

wisdom
לַֽחָכְמָ֖ה (la·ḥā·ḵə·māh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom

exceeds
יִתְר֛וֹן (yiṯ·rō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3504: Preeminence, gain

folly,
הַסִּכְל֑וּת (has·siḵ·lūṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5531: Silliness

just as light
הָא֖וֹר (hā·’ō·wr)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary

exceeds
כִּֽיתְר֥וֹן (kî·ṯə·rō·wn)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3504: Preeminence, gain

darkness:
הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ (ha·ḥō·šeḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 2:12
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