Ecclesiastes 2:12 kjv

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

Ecclesiastes 2:12 nkjv

Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?? Only what he has already done.

Ecclesiastes 2:12 niv

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done?

Ecclesiastes 2:12 esv

So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.

Ecclesiastes 2:12 nlt

So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king? ).

Ecclesiastes 2 verses

Ecclesiastes 2 12 Meaning

Ecclesiastes 2:12 poses a rhetorical question, asking what more a successor can achieve after the king (often identified with the Preacher himself, who has exhaustively explored all earthly pleasures, wisdom, and pursuits) has already experienced and accomplished everything under the sun. The verse conveys the futility of human endeavor and the inescapable repetition of life's cycles, suggesting that no amount of new striving or accumulated wisdom can fundamentally alter the condition of vanity, or hevel (emptiness, meaninglessness), that characterizes existence apart from God. It highlights the inherent limitations of human effort and wisdom in bringing about true satisfaction or novelty.

Ecclesiastes 2 12 Context

Ecclesiastes 2:12 appears after Qoheleth (the Preacher, likely King Solomon as a literary persona) describes his comprehensive and intense experimental quest for meaning and satisfaction "under the sun" in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11. He details his endeavors in pursuing pleasure, accumulating vast wealth, undertaking great building projects, and excelling in wisdom beyond all his predecessors. Yet, despite achieving unparalleled success in every earthly pursuit, he concludes that all was hevel (vanity, emptiness, meaninglessness), a chasing after the wind, yielding no lasting profit or joy. Verse 12 serves as a rhetorical bridge, transitioning from his personal experiment to a broader, general observation about humanity. It implicitly argues that if he, the wisest and wealthiest king, could not find enduring meaning or introduce anything genuinely new or satisfying through his exhaustive efforts, what could anyone who comes after such a king possibly accomplish that hasn't already been proven futile? It reinforces the overarching theme that apart from God, human striving within the limitations of earthly existence is inherently repetitive and unproductive in providing true, lasting satisfaction or fundamental novelty. The verse points to the deep philosophical and theological challenge of the book: if the peak of human achievement and wisdom cannot break the cycle of vanity, where is hope to be found?

Ecclesiastes 2 12 Word analysis

• For: Implies a reason or explanation, linking this verse to the preceding declaration of hevel.
• what: (mah, מָה) A rhetorical interrogative, expressing incredulity or indicating that the answer is "nothing of consequence."
• can... do: (ya'aseh, יַעֲשֶׂה) From the verb asah (עָשָׂה), meaning "to do, make, achieve, perform." It implies bringing about significant change or creating something truly new and impactful. The rhetorical nature suggests the answer is "nothing truly impactful."
• the man: (ha'adam, הָאָדָם) Refers to humanity in general, not just a specific individual. It signifies human effort and capability.
• who comes after: (asher yabo' acharei, אֲשֶׁר יָבֹוא אַחֲרֵי) Refers to a successor, someone inheriting a position or situation. It emphasizes continuity in time and circumstances, highlighting the lack of opportunity for true innovation.
• the king: (hamelech, הַמֶּלֶךְ) Symbolizes the ultimate human power, wealth, and wisdom achievable "under the sun," as exemplified by Qoheleth himself in the preceding verses. The King has exhausted every possibility.
• except: (ella, אֶלָּא) A strong adversative conjunction, meaning "but," "except," "only." It marks the severe limitation of possibilities.
• what he has already done: (asher asah k'var, אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ כְּבָר)
  • asher asah: "that which has been done." Refers to the actions, achievements, and experiments of the previous "king" (Qoheleth/Solomon).
  • k'var (כְּבָר): This crucial adverb means "already," "long ago," "previously." It strongly emphasizes that all possible earthly endeavors, experiments, and pursuits have already been undertaken and their ultimate futility (hevel) proven. Nothing genuinely new or fulfilling remains to be discovered or created.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "For what can the man do": This phrase introduces the core question, pointing to the inherent limitations of human action and its inability to produce genuine, lasting meaning when disconnected from God.
• "who comes after the king": This paints a picture of succession. The "king" represents the pinnacle of human achievement and experience within worldly pursuits. Anyone following such a figure has nothing truly novel left to discover or accomplish. This highlights the repetitive nature of life "under the sun" and the exhaustion of earthly potential.
• "except what he has already done?": This is the biting rhetorical conclusion. It asserts that human effort, wisdom, or power cannot escape the predetermined path or transcend the inherent vanity already demonstrated by the ultimate worldly experimenter. The past has defined the limits of the future in the hevel framework.

Ecclesiastes 2 12 Bonus section

The "king" in this verse, embodying the zenith of human experience, achievement, and wisdom, serves as a literary device to test the very limits of human capacity to find meaning apart from God. If such a one, capable of anything "under the sun," finds no lasting profit or ultimate novelty, it signifies the comprehensive futility of human-centered existence. This also implies a critique, or polemic, against the prevalent ancient Near Eastern belief in the king as semi-divine or the source of all prosperity and order. Qoheleth, through the "king's" experience, deconstructs this myth, revealing the king, like all humanity, as subject to the same cycle of vanity and ultimately powerless to truly alter the human condition or discover genuine newness. Only God possesses the power to create "new things" (Isa 43:19) and establish genuine meaning that transcends the temporal limitations "under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 2 12 Commentary

Ecclesiastes 2:12 functions as a poignant summary and rhetorical punchline to Qoheleth's personal quest detailed in the earlier verses. Having explored every avenue of pleasure, wealth, labor, and even wisdom to their fullest earthly extent, the "king" (Qoheleth himself) found them all to be hevel—vanity and a striving after wind. This verse logically extends that conclusion: if even the greatest human wisdom and power, as demonstrated by one who achieved unprecedented success and insight, could not yield ultimate satisfaction or overcome the emptiness of life "under the sun," then what hope is there for anyone else, for any "man who comes after the king"?

The question isn't whether a successor can literally repeat every action, but whether he can find or create anything fundamentally different or more fulfilling within the parameters of earthly existence. The answer, implied by "except what he has already done," is a resounding "no." There is no new wisdom, no new pleasure, no new labor that can transcend the verdict of vanity that Qoheleth has pronounced. It reinforces the cyclical, un-progessing nature of human experience when viewed horizontally. This verse deepens the sense of human futility, leaving the reader with the stark reality that true novelty and ultimate purpose must lie beyond human ability or material accumulation, thus hinting at the need for a divine perspective or intervention, which Qoheleth explores later in the book.