Ecclesiastes 2:16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

Bible > Ecclesiastes > Chapter 2 > Verse 16

◄ Ecclesiastes 2:16 ►

New International Version
For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!

New Living Translation
For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.

English Standard Version
For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool!

Berean Standard Bible
For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

King James Bible
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

New King James Version
For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!

New American Standard Bible
For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will soon be forgotten. And how the wise and the fool alike die!

NASB 1995
For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

NASB 1977
For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

Legacy Standard Bible
For there is no remembrance of the wise man along with the fool forever, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man dies with the fool!

Amplified Bible
For there is no [more] lasting remembrance of the wise man than of the fool, since in the days to come all will be long forgotten. And how does the wise man die? Even as the fool!

Christian Standard Bible
For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise man dies just like the fool?

American Standard Version
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!

Contemporary English Version
Wise or foolish, we all die and are soon forgotten."

English Revised Version
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been already forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Neither the wise person nor the fool will be remembered for long, since both will be forgotten in the days to come. Both the wise person and the fool will die.

Good News Translation
No one remembers the wise, and no one remembers fools. In days to come, we will all be forgotten. We must all die--wise and foolish alike.

International Standard Version
For neither the wise nor the fool will be long remembered, since in days to come everything will be forgotten. The wise man dies the same way as the fool, does he not?

Majority Standard Bible
For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

NET Bible
For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies--just like the fool!

New Heart English Bible
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool.

Webster's Bible Translation
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

World English Bible
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
That there is no remembrance to the wise—with the fool—for all time, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dies the wise? With the fool!

Young's Literal Translation
That there is no remembrance to the wise -- with the fool -- to the age, for that which is already, in the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!

Smith's Literal Translation
For no remembrance for the wise with the foolish one forever, since in the days coming, all being forgotten. And how will the wise die? with the foolish one.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
For there shall be no remembrance of the wise no more than of the fool for ever, and the times to come shall cover all things together with oblivion: the learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.

New American Bible
The wise person will have no more abiding remembrance than the fool; for in days to come both will have been forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies like the fool!

New Revised Standard Version
For there is no enduring remembrance of the wise or of fools, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How can the wise die just like fools?

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
The fool speaks superficially, but there is no remembrance of the wise man more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is, in the days to come shall be forgotten. And just as the wise man dies, so the fool.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For the fool speaks from excess, because there is no remembrance of the wise with the fool for eternity, like days which already are coming and all are forgotten, and so the wise will die with the fool .

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now in the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Wise and the Foolish
…15So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile. 16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool! 17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Psalm 49:10
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.

Psalm 49:12
But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49:20
A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 146:4
When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.

Job 14:21
If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.

Job 21:21
For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?

Isaiah 14:22
“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,” declares the LORD.

Isaiah 26:14
The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them.

Daniel 12:2
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. / For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. / It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. / It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15:53-54
For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. / When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

James 1:10-11
But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. / For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

Treasury of Scripture

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dies the wise man? as the fool.

there is

Ecclesiastes 1:11
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

Exodus 1:6,8
And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation…

Psalm 88:12
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

how

Ecclesiastes 6:8
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

2 Samuel 3:33
And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?

Psalm 49:10
For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

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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

Berean Study Bible

For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered forever
This phrase highlights the transient nature of human memory and legacy. The Hebrew word for "wise man" is "חָכָם" (chakam), which denotes someone who is skillful, shrewd, or learned. In contrast, "fool" is "כְּסִיל" (kesil), referring to someone who is morally deficient or lacking in judgment. Despite their differences, both are subject to the same fate of being forgotten. This reflects the biblical theme of the vanity of earthly pursuits and the fleeting nature of human achievements. Historically, this echoes the ancient Near Eastern understanding of mortality and the limited scope of human legacy, reminding us that true wisdom lies in fearing God and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

in the days to come both will be forgotten
The phrase "in the days to come" suggests a future perspective, emphasizing the inevitability of being forgotten. The Hebrew word "יָמִים" (yamim) for "days" often signifies a period of time, indicating that as time progresses, the memory of individuals fades. This is a humbling reminder of the limitations of human endeavors and the importance of focusing on eternal values rather than temporal recognition. The historical context of Ecclesiastes, likely written during the post-exilic period, reflects a time when the Jewish people were grappling with their identity and legacy, making this message particularly poignant.

Alas, the wise man dies just like the fool!
The exclamation "Alas" conveys a sense of lament or sorrow, underscoring the inevitability of death for both the wise and the foolish. The Hebrew word "מוּת" (muth) for "dies" is a common term for death, highlighting the universal nature of this experience. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the equality of all people in the face of mortality. From a scriptural perspective, it reinforces the biblical teaching that life is a gift from God and should be lived in accordance with His will. The historical context of Ecclesiastes, with its exploration of life's meaning and purpose, encourages readers to seek fulfillment in their relationship with God rather than in earthly accomplishments.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) It might be urged on behalf of the Solomonic authorship that Solomon himself might imagine that in the days to come he and his wisdom would be forgotten, but that such a thought does not become a long subsequent writer who had been induced by Solomon's reputation for wisdom to make him the hero of his work. It would seem to follow that the writer is here only giving the history of Solomon's reflections, and not his ultimate conclusions. Better to omit the note of interrogation after "wise man," and put a note of exclamation after "fool," the "how" being used as in Isaiah 14:4; Ezekiel 26:17.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever; Revised Version, more emphatically, for of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance forever. This, of course, is not absolutely true. There are men whose names are history, and will endure as long as the world lasts; but speaking generally, oblivion is the portion of all; posterity soon forgets the wisdom of one and the folly of another. Where the belief in the future life was not a strong and animating motive, posthumous fame exercised a potent attraction for many minds. To be the founder of a long line of descendants, -r to leave a record which should be fresh in the minds of future generations, these were objects of intense ambition, and valued as worthy of highest aspirations and best efforts. The words of classical poets will occur to our memory; e.g. Horace, 'Carm.,' 3:30.

"Exegi monumentum aere perennius...
Non omnis metier, multaque pars mei
Vitabit Libitinam." Ovid, 'Amor.,' 1:15. 4 -

"Ergo etiam, cum me supremus adederit ignis,
Vivam, parsquc mei multa supersteserit." But Koheleth shows the vanity of all such hopes; they are based on sounds which experience proves to be unsubstantial. Though Solomon's own fame gives the lie to the statement received without limitation (comp. Wisd. 8:13), yet his reflections might well have taken this turn, and the writer is quite justified in putting the thought into his mouth, as the king could not know how subsequent ages would regard his wisdom and attainments. Seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. The clause has been variously translated. Septuagint, "Forasmuch as the coming days, even all the things, are forgotten;" Vulgate, "And future times shall cover all things equally with oblivion." Modern editors give, "Since in the days that are to come they are all forgotten;" "As in time past, so in days to come, all will be forgotten.... In the days which are coming [it will be said by-and-by], The whole of them are long ago forgotten.'" This is a specimen of the uncertainty of exact interpretation, where the intended meaning is well ascertained. "All" (הכל) may refer either to wise and foolish, or to the circumstances of their lives. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. Better taken as one sentence, with an exclamation, How doth the wise man die with (even as) the fool I (For "with" (ira), equivalent to "as," comp. Ecclesiastes 7:11; Job 9:26; Psalm 106:6.) "How" (אֵידּ) is sarcastic, as Isaiah 14:4, or sorrowful, as 2 Samuel 1:19. The same complaint falls from a psalmist's lips, "He seeth that wise men die; the fool and the brutish together perish" (Psalm 49:10). So David laments the death of the murdered leader, "Should Abner die as a fool dieth?" (2 Samuel 3:33). Plumptre considers that the author of the Book of Wisdom expands this view with the design of exposing its fallacy, and introducing a better hope (Ecclesiastes 2:1-9). But that writer would not have designated Solomon's sentiments as those of "the ungodly" (ἀσεβεῖς), nor foisted these utterances of sensualists and materialists upon so honored a source. At the same time, it is only as being victims, nil miserantis Opel, the prey of the pitiless and indiscriminating grave, that the wise and foolish are placed in the same category. There is the widest difference between the death-beds of the two, as the experience of any one who has watched them will testify, the one happy with the consciousness of duty done honestly, however imperfectly, and bright with the hope of immortality; the other darkened by vain regrets and shrinking despair, or listless in brutish insensibility.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

there is no
אֵ֨ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

lasting
לְעוֹלָ֑ם (lə·‘ō·w·lām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

remembrance
זִכְר֧וֹן (ziḵ·rō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2146: Memorial, remembrance

of the wise,
לֶחָכָ֛ם (le·ḥā·ḵām)
Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2450: Wise

just as with
עִֽם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

the fool,
הַכְּסִ֖יל (hak·kə·sîl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool

seeing that
בְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞ר (bə·šek·kə·ḇār)
Preposition-b, Pronoun - relative | Adverb
Strong's 3528: Extent of time, a great while, long ago, formerly, hitherto

both
הַכֹּ֣ל (hak·kōl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

will be forgotten
נִשְׁכָּ֔ח (niš·kāḥ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7911: To mislay, to be oblivious of, from want of memory, attention

in the days
הַיָּמִ֤ים (hay·yā·mîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

to come.
הַבָּאִים֙ (hab·bā·’îm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

Alas,
וְאֵ֛יךְ (wə·’êḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 349: How?, how!, where

the wise man
הֶחָכָ֖ם (he·ḥā·ḵām)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2450: Wise

will die
יָמ֥וּת (yā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

just like
עִֽם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

the fool!
הַכְּסִֽיל׃ (hak·kə·sîl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool

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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:16 For of the wise man even as (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)