Ecclesiastes 2:9
New International Version
I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

New Living Translation
So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me.

English Standard Version
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

Berean Standard Bible
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.

King James Bible
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

New King James Version
So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

New American Standard Bible
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

NASB 1995
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

NASB 1977
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

Amplified Bible
So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

Christian Standard Bible
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.

American Standard Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And I was great and I had gained more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem, and also my wisdom remained with me

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.

Contemporary English Version
I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me.

English Revised Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So I grew richer than anyone in Jerusalem before me. Yet, my wisdom remained with me.

Good News Translation
Yes, I was great, greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and my wisdom never failed me.

International Standard Version
So I became great, greater than anyone who had lived before me in Jerusalem. Throughout all of this, I remained wise.

JPS Tanakh 1917
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.

Literal Standard Version
And I became great, and increased above everyone who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

Majority Standard Bible
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.

New American Bible
I accumulated much more than all others before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom, too, stayed with me.

NET Bible
So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity:

New Revised Standard Version
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.

New Heart English Bible
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

Webster's Bible Translation
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

World English Bible
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

Young's Literal Translation
And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Futility of Pleasure
8and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines. 9So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me. 10Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.…

Cross References
1 Chronicles 29:25
The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal majesty such as had not been bestowed on any king in Israel before him.

Ecclesiastes 1:16
I said to myself, "Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."

Ecclesiastes 5:11
When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?


Treasury of Scripture

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

Ecclesiastes 1:16
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

1 Kings 3:12
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

1 Kings 10:7,23
Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard…

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Far Great Greater Increased Increasing Jerusalem Preceded Stead Stood Surpassed Wisdom
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














(9-11) Koheleth carried out his plan of tempering his enjoyment with discretion, but while he took his fill of the pleasure that fell to his lot, he found in it no abiding profit. He goes on in the following paragraph to complain that the wisdom and other advantages he possessed in his search for happiness render his failure the more disheartening.

Verse 9. - So I was great (see on Ecclesiastes 1:16). This refers to the magnificence and extent of his possessions and luxury, as the former passage to the surpassing excellence of his wisdom. We may compare the mention of Abraham (Genesis 26:13), "The man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great" (sc. Job 1:3). Also my wisdom remained with me; perseveravit mecum (Vulgate); ἐστάθη μοι (Septuagint). In accordance with the purpose mentioned in ver. 3, he retained command of himself, studying philosophically the effects and nature of the pleasures of which he partook, and keeping ever in view the object of his pursuit. Voluptuousness was not the end which he sought, but one of the means to obtain the end; and what he calls his wisdom is not pure Divine wisdom that comes from above, but an earthly prudence and self-restraint.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So I became great
וְגָדַ֣לְתִּי (wə·ḡā·ḏal·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1431: To grow up, become great

and surpassed
וְהוֹסַ֔פְתִּי (wə·hō·w·sap̄·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3254: To add, augment

all
מִכֹּ֛ל (mik·kōl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

in Jerusalem
בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (bî·rū·šā·lim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

who had preceded me;
שֶׁהָיָ֥ה (še·hā·yāh)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

and
אַ֥ף (’ap̄)
Conjunction
Strong's 637: Meaning accession, yea, adversatively though

my wisdom
חָכְמָתִ֖י (ḥā·ḵə·mā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom

remained with me.
עָ֥מְדָה (‘ā·mə·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:9 So I was great and increased more (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 2:8
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