KJV King James Version
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Ecclesiastes 2:8
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
and 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.
WEB World English Bible
I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
ASV American Standard Version
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man—a wife and wives.
Surrounding context — Ecclesiastes 2
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I got [me] servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all [was] vanity and vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
כָּנַ֤סְתִּיH3664 · ka.nasto gatherלִי֙H9030 · nimeגַּם־H1571 · gamalsoכֶּ֣סֶףH3701 · ke.sephsilver: moneyוְזָהָ֔בH2091 · za.havgoldוּסְגֻלַּ֥תH5459 · se.gul.lahpossessionמְלָכִ֖יםH4428 · me.lekhkingוְהַמְּדִינ֑וֹתH4082 · me.di.nahprovinceעָשִׂ֨יתִיH6213 · a.sahto make: doלִ֜יH9030 · nimeשָׁרִ֣יםH7891 · shirto singוְשָׁר֗וֹתH7891 · shirto singוְתַעֲנוּגֹ֛תH8588 · ta.a.nugluxuryבְּנֵ֥יH1121 · benson: childהָאָדָ֖םH120 · a.dammanשִׁדָּ֥הH7705 · shid.dahconcubineוְשִׁדּֽוֹת׃H7705 · shid.dahconcubine
Cross-references
1 Kings 10:10And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.1 Kings 9:28And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought [it] to king Solomon.2 Samuel 19:35I [am] this day fourscore years old: [and] can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?1 Kings 10:14Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,Amos 6:5That chant to the sound of the viol, [and] invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;Psalm 150:3-5Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.Daniel 3:5[That] at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:1 Kings 9:14And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.1 Kings 14:27And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed [them] unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.1 Chronicles 25:1Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:2 Chronicles 9:15-21And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of beaten gold went to one target.Ezra 2:65Beside their servants and their maids, of whom [there were] seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and [there were] among them two hundred singing men and singing women.1 Kings 14:21-22And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name [was] Naamah an Ammonitess.2 Chronicles 9:11And the king made [of] the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.Daniel 3:7Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down [and] worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.1 Kings 10:21And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels [were of] gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon [were of] pure gold; none [were of] silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.1 Chronicles 25:6All these [were] under the hands of their father for song [in] the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.Daniel 3:15Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; [well]: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who [is] that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:8
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →