Ecclesiastes 2:4
New International Version
I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.

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

English Standard Version
I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

Berean Standard Bible
I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

King James Bible
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.

New American Standard Bible
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

NASB 1995
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

NASB 1977
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

Legacy Standard Bible
I made my works great: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;

Amplified Bible
I made great works: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;

Christian Standard Bible
I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

American Standard Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I multiplied Servants for myself, I built houses for myself , I planted for myself vineyards

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.

Contemporary English Version
I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,

English Revised Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I accomplished some great things: I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards for myself.

Good News Translation
I accomplished great things. I built myself houses and planted vineyards.

International Standard Version
With respect to my extravagant works, I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.

JPS Tanakh 1917
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

Literal Standard Version
I made great my works, I built for myself houses, I planted for myself vineyards.

Majority Standard Bible
I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

New American Bible
I undertook great works; I built myself houses and planted vineyards;

NET Bible
I increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.

New Revised Standard Version
I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;

New Heart English Bible
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:

World English Bible
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

Young's Literal Translation
I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Futility of Pleasure
3I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. 4I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.…

Cross References
1 Kings 7:1
Solomon, however, took thirteen years to complete the construction of his entire palace.

Song of Solomon 8:11
Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He leased it to the tenants. For its fruit, each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver.


Treasury of Scripture

I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:

made

Genesis 11:4
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

2 Samuel 18:18
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

Daniel 4:30
The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

I builded

Deuteronomy 8:12-14
Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; …

1 Kings 7:1,2,8-12
But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house…

1 Kings 9:1
And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do,

i planted

1 Chronicles 27:27
And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:

2 Chronicles 26:10
Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.

Song of Solomon 1:14
My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.

Jump to Previous
Builded Building Built Enlarged Great Houses Planted Planting Projects Undertook Vine-Gardens Vineyards Works
Jump to Next
Builded Building Built Enlarged Great Houses Planted Planting Projects Undertook Vine-Gardens Vineyards Works
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














(4) Houses.--1Kings 5:11; 2Chronicles 8:4.

Vineyards.--1Chronicles 27:27; Song of Solomon 8:11.

Verse 4. - This commences a new experience in the pursuit of his object. Leaving this life of self-indulgence, he takes to art and culture, the details being drawn from the accounts of the historical Solomon. I made me great works; literally, I made great my works; Septuagint, Ἐμεγάλυνα ποίημά per; Vulgate, Magnificavi opera mea. Among these works the temple, with all its wonderful structural preparations, is not specially mentioned, perhaps because no one could think of Solomon without connecting his name with this magnificent building, and it was superfluous to call attention to it; or else because the religious aspect of his operations is not here in question, but only his taste and pursuit of beauty. But the omission tells strongly against the Solomonic authorship of the book. I builded me houses. Solomon had a passion for erecting magnificent buildings. We have various accounts of his works of this nature in 1 Kings 7. and 9; 2 Chronicles 8. There was the huge palace for himself, which occupied thirteen years in building; there was the "house of the forest of Lebanon," a splendid hall constructed with pillars of cedar; the porch of pillars; the hall of judgment; the harem for the daughter of Pharaoh. Then there were fortresses, store-cities, chariot-towns, national works of great importance; cities in distant lands which he founded, such as Tadmor in the wilderness. I planted me vineyards. David had vineyards and olive yards (1 Chronicles 27:27, 28), which passed into the possession of his son; and we read in Song of Solomon 8:11 of a vineyard that Solomon had in Baal-hamon, which some identify with Belamon (Judith 8:3), a place near Shunem, in the Plain of Esdraelon.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I enlarged
הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי (hiḡ·dal·tî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1431: To grow up, become great

my works.
מַעֲשָׂ֑י (ma·‘ă·śāy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

I built
בָּנִ֤יתִי (bā·nî·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1129: To build

myself
לִי֙ (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

houses
בָּתִּ֔ים (bāt·tîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1004: A house

and planted
נָטַ֥עְתִּי (nā·ṭa‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5193: To strike in, fix, to plant

myself
לִ֖י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

vineyards.
כְּרָמִֽים׃ (kə·rā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard


Links
Ecclesiastes 2:4 NIV
Ecclesiastes 2:4 NLT
Ecclesiastes 2:4 ESV
Ecclesiastes 2:4 NASB
Ecclesiastes 2:4 KJV

Ecclesiastes 2:4 BibleApps.com
Ecclesiastes 2:4 Biblia Paralela
Ecclesiastes 2:4 Chinese Bible
Ecclesiastes 2:4 French Bible
Ecclesiastes 2:4 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:4 I made myself great works (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 2:3
Top of Page
Top of Page