TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered, inasmuch as in the times to come, everything will long ago have been forgotten. The wise man, no less than the fool, must die."
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!
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!
World English Bible Messianic
For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!
Geneva Bible (1599)
For there shalbe no remembrance of the wise, nor of the foole for euer: for that that now is, in the dayes to come shall all be forgotten. And howe dyeth the wise man, as doeth the foole?
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!
See also
In the KJVVerse 17,350 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 2 verses 12–16
12 ¶ 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.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 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.
Solomon having tried what satisfaction was to be had in learning first, and then in the pleasures of sense, and having also put both together, here compares them one with another and passes a judgment upon them.
I. He sets himself to consider both wisdom and folly. He had considered these before (Ecc 1:17); but lest it should be thought he was then too quick in passing a judgment upon them, he here turns himself again to behold them, to see if, upon a second view and second thoughts, he could gain more satisfaction in the search than he had done upon the first. He was sick of his pleasures, and, as nauseating them, he turned from them, that he might again apply himself to speculation; and if, upon this rehearing of the cause, the verdict be still the same, the judgment will surely be decisive; for what can the man do that comes after the king? especially such a king, who had so much of this world to make the experiment upon and so much wisdom to make it with. The baffled trial needs not be repeated. No man can expect to find more satisfaction in the world than Solomon did, nor to gain a greater insight into the principles of morality; when a man has done what he can still it is that which has been already done. Let us learn, 1. Not to indulge ourselves in a fond conceit that we can mend that which has been well done before us. Let us esteem others better than ourselves, and think how unfit we are to attempt the improvement of the performances of better heads and hands than ours, and rather own how much we are beholden to them, Joh 4:37, Joh 4:38. 2. To acquiesce in Solomon's judgment of the things of this world, and not to think of repeating the trial; for we can never think of having such advantages as he had to make the experiment nor of being able to make it with equal application of mind and so little danger to ourselves.
II. He gives the preference to wisdom far before folly. Let none mistake him, as if, when he speaks of the vanity of human literature, he designed only to amuse men with a paradox, or were about to write (as a great wit once did) Encomium moriae - A panegyric in praise of folly. No, he is maintaining sacred truths, and therefore is careful to guard against being misunderstood. I soon saw (says he) that there is an excellency in wisdom more than in folly, as much as there is in light above darkness. The pleasures of wisdom, though they suffice not to make men happy, yet vastly transcend the pleasures of wine. Wisdom enlightens the soul with surprising discoveries and necessary directions for the right government of itself; but sensuality (for that seems to be especially the folly here meant) clouds and eclipses the mind, and is as darkness to it; it puts out men's eyes, makes them to stumble in the way and wander out of it. Or, though wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy (St Paul shows a more excellent way than gifts, and that is grace), yet it is much better to have them than to be without them, in respect of our present safety, comfort, and usefulness; for the wise man's eyes are in his head (Ecc 2:14), where they should be, ready to discover both the dangers that are to be avoided and the advantages that are to be improved; a wise man has not his reason to seek when he should use it, but looks about him and is quick-sighted, knows both where to step and where to stop; whereas the fool walks in darkness, and is ever and anon either at a loss, or at a plunge, either bewildered, that he knows not which way to go, or embarrassed, that he cannot go forward. A man that is discreet and considerate has the command of his business, and acts decently and safely, as those that walk in the day; but he that is rash, and ignorant, and sottish, is continually making blunders, running upon one precipice or other; his projects, his bargains, are all foolish, and ruin his affairs. Therefore get wisdom, get understanding.
III. Yet he maintains that, in respect of lasting happiness and satisfaction, the wisdom of this world gives a man very little advantage; for, 1. Wise men and fools fare alike. "It is true the wise man has very much the advantage of the fool in respect of foresight and insight, and yet the greatest probabilities do so often come short of success that I myself perceived, by my own experience, that one event happens to them all (Ecc 2:14); those that are most cautious of their health are as soon sick as those that are most careless of it, and the most suspicious are imposed upon." David had observed that wise men die, and are involved in the same common calamity with the fool and the brutish person, Psa 49:12. See Ecc 9:11. Nay, it has of old been observed that Fortune favours fools, and that half-witted men often thrive most, while the greatest projectors forecast worst for themselves. The same sickness, the same sword, devours wise men and fools. Solomon applies this mortifying observation to himself (Ecc 2:15), that though he was a wise man, he might not glory in his wisdom; I said to my heart, when it began to be proud or secure, As it happens to the fool, so it happens to me, even to me; for thus emphatically it is expressed in the original: "So, as for me, it happens to me. Am I rich? So is many a Nabal that fares as sumptuously as I do. Is a foolish man sick, does he get a fall? So do I, even I; and neither my wealth nor my wisdom will be my security. And why was I then more wise? Why should I take so much pains to get wisdom, when, as to this life, it will stand me in so little stead? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity." Some make this a correction of what was said before, like that (Psa 77:10), "I said, This is my infirmity; it is my folly to think that wise men and fools are upon a level;" but really they seem to be so, in respect of the event, and therefore it is rather a confirmation of what he had before said, That a man may be a profound philosopher and politician and yet not be a happy man. 2. Wise men and fools are forgotten alike (Ecc 2:16): There is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool. It is promised to the righteous that they shall be had in everlasting remembrance, and their memory shall be blessed, and they shall shortly shine as the stars; but there is no such promise made concerning the wisdom of this world, that that shall perpetuate men's names, for those names only are perpetuated that are written in heaven, and otherwise the names of this world's wise men are written with those of its fools in the dust. That which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. What was much talked of in one generation is, in the next, as if it had never been. New persons and new things jostle out the very remembrance of the old, which in a little time are looked upon with contempt and at length quite buried in oblivion. Where is the wise? Where is the disputer of this world? Co1 1:20. And it is upon this account that he asks, How dies the wise man? As the fool. Between the death of a godly and a wicked man there is a great difference, but not between the death of a wise man and a fool; the fool is buried and forgotten (Ecc 8:10), and no one remembered the poor man that by his wisdom delivered the city (Ecc 9:15); so that to both the grave is a land of forgetfulness; and wise and learned men, when they have been awhile there out of sight, grow out of mind, a new generation arises that knew them not.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 12–16. Public domain.
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Gregory of NeocaesareaAD 270
PARAPHRASE OF ECCLESIASTES 2:16
A wise person and a foolish person have nothing in common, either in terms of human remembrance or in terms of divine recompense. As for human works, the end already overtakes them all while they still seem to be beginning. But a wise person never shares the same fate as a stupid person.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ecclesiastes
"So I
said to myself: the fate of the fool will befall me also; to what advantage
then have I become wise? But I concluded
that this, too, was vanity. For there is
no comparison between the remembrance of the wise and of the fool at all, for
as the succeeding days roll by, is all forgotten? How can the wise man's death be like the
fool's? "I have stated that the wise man and the fool, the
righteous and wicked are destined to die by the same fate and all wicked things
in this world will suffer a similar fate; what profit is there for me then,
that I have sought wisdom and worked more than others? On reconsidering the matter and applying
myself to it diligently I saw that my opinion was unfounded. For the wise and foolish will not have
similar remembrance in the future when the end of the world comes; and they
will be confined for no reason by equal death because the wise man will
continue to the joys of heaven and the fool to his punishment. The Septuagint translates the meaning of the
Hebrew here more clearly, for it doesn't necessarily follow the Hebrew word
order: "and to what purpose have I become wise?" Then I said to myself copiously, (for the
fool is he, who speaks too much), 'for this is also vanity, because there is no
remembrance of the wise with the fool for ever, and so on.' Since he tried to convince us that his prior
thoughts were foolish, he bore witness that he had spoken foolishly, and that
he had erred, and it was by doing this that he realised his folly.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Ecclesiastes 2:16 encapsulates the Preacher's somber conclusion regarding the ultimate futility of human distinction "under the sun." It asserts that in the face of mortality, the memory and fate of the wise man are no different from that of the fool; both are destined for oblivion and the same end in death. This verse powerfully underscores the impermanence of earthly achievements, intellect, and reputation, challenging the human desire for lasting legacy and highlighting the great equalizer that is death.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Ecclesiastes 2:16 appears within Qoheleth's (the Preacher's) detailed account of his personal "experiments" in finding meaning and satisfaction apart from God. Having explored the pursuit of pleasure, wealth, grand building projects, and even the acquisition of wisdom in the preceding verses of Ecclesiastes 2, he consistently arrives at the same disheartening conclusion: all is "vanity and a chasing after wind," a phrase repeated throughout the book, notably in Ecclesiastes 1:14. Verse 16 specifically follows his reflection on the limited advantage wisdom offers over folly in Ecclesiastes 2:13-15. While wisdom might provide a temporary benefit in navigating life, the Preacher concludes that it offers no ultimate escape from the common human fate of death and eventual forgottenness, thus diminishing its perceived value in the grand scheme of time.
Historical & Cultural Context: The book of Ecclesiastes is traditionally attributed to King Solomon, who lived in the 10th century BCE. This attribution lends significant weight to the Preacher's observations, as Solomon was renowned for his unparalleled wisdom, immense wealth, and vast building projects, as described in 1 Kings 4:29-34. His unique position allowed him to pursue every earthly endeavor to its fullest extent, making his conclusions about their vanity particularly poignant. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a lasting name and legacy were highly valued, often seen as a form of immortality. Kings and powerful individuals invested heavily in monumental architecture and written records to ensure their remembrance. Qoheleth's lament in Ecclesiastes 2:16 directly confronts this cultural aspiration, asserting that even the most celebrated figures will eventually fade from memory, just like the forgotten masses.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Ecclesiastes. Firstly, it reinforces the pervasive theme of the universality of death, a stark reality that levels all human distinctions, as also emphasized in Ecclesiastes 3:19-20. Secondly, it highlights the impermanence of human memory and legacy. Despite efforts to achieve lasting fame or impact, the Preacher contends that time inevitably erodes all remembrance, rendering earthly achievements ultimately meaningless "under the sun." This challenges the human tendency to seek ultimate significance in temporal accomplishments. Lastly, it underscores the vanity of earthly wisdom and distinctions. While wisdom is generally praised in biblical literature, Qoheleth's perspective here is that even wisdom, when viewed solely from an earthly perspective, cannot overcome the finality of death or secure lasting remembrance, thus making it ultimately as futile as foolishness in the grand cosmic scheme.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ecclesiastes 2:16 employs several potent literary devices to convey its stark message. The most prominent is Irony, as the Preacher, renowned for his wisdom, ironically concludes that wisdom offers no ultimate advantage over foolishness in the face of death and forgottenness. This subverts conventional wisdom and highlights the limitations of human endeavor. A powerful Rhetorical Question ("And how dieth the wise man? as the fool?") is used to drive home the point with dramatic force, inviting the reader to acknowledge the undeniable truth of shared mortality. The question is not meant to be answered, but to emphasize the self-evident and sobering reality. Finally, Juxtaposition is central to the verse, contrasting the "wise" and the "fool" throughout. While these two figures represent opposite ends of the spectrum of human intellect and conduct, the Preacher repeatedly brings them together to demonstrate their identical fate, thereby underscoring the vanity of earthly distinctions.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ecclesiastes 2:16 presents a profound theological challenge, particularly from an "under the sun" perspective. It forces a confrontation with human mortality and the impermanence of all earthly endeavors. The Preacher's lament about the wise and the fool sharing the same forgotten end underscores the biblical truth that all humanity, regardless of status or intellect, is subject to the curse of death (e.g., Genesis 3:19). This verse serves as a powerful reminder that our ultimate significance cannot be found in human achievements, fame, or even wisdom, if these are pursued as ends in themselves. It implicitly points to the need for a transcendent hope and a purpose that extends beyond the fleeting nature of this earthly life and its limited memory.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ecclesiastes 2:16 is a sobering mirror reflecting the ultimate reality of our mortality and the transient nature of human recognition. It compels us to re-evaluate what we truly value and where we invest our lives. If even the greatest wisdom and most profound achievements will eventually fade from human memory, then pursuing earthly fame, wealth, or even intellectual prowess as our ultimate goal is indeed "vanity." This verse urges us to shift our focus from building a legacy that is remembered by others to living a life that is remembered by God. It calls us to consider what truly endures beyond the grave and beyond the fleeting memories of humanity. Our actions, our character, and our relationship with our Creator are the only things that carry eternal weight. This perspective frees us from the exhausting pursuit of temporary accolades and redirects our energy towards eternal purposes, finding true meaning not in what we accumulate or achieve, but in who we are in relation to God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Ecclesiastes 2:16 mean that wisdom is useless?
Answer: No, Ecclesiastes 2:16 does not mean that wisdom is useless in an absolute sense. The Preacher himself acknowledges in Ecclesiastes 2:13 that "wisdom excels folly, as light excels darkness." Wisdom offers practical advantages for navigating life, making better decisions, and avoiding pitfalls. However, Qoheleth's point in Ecclesiastes 2:16 is that from an "under the sun" perspective—that is, without considering God or eternity—wisdom ultimately cannot overcome the universal reality of death or secure lasting remembrance. It's a critique of wisdom as an ultimate source of meaning or immortality, not a dismissal of its practical value in daily life. The book's overarching message is that true wisdom lies in fearing God and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13), which does offer lasting significance.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The Preacher's despair in Ecclesiastes 2:16—that both the wise and the fool share the same forgotten end—finds its ultimate resolution and hope in Jesus Christ. While "under the sun" all human efforts and memories fade, Christ offers an "above the sun" perspective that transforms the meaning of life and death. Jesus Himself conquered death, rising from the grave, thereby offering eternal life and a hope that transcends the grave's oblivion (John 11:25). For those who are "in Christ," their lives are not forgotten but are eternally remembered by God, written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The wisdom that Qoheleth sought but found fleeting is fully embodied in Christ, who is "the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). Furthermore, the "legacy" of a believer is not built on earthly achievements that perish, but on a relationship with Christ and deeds done for His glory, which endure for eternity (Matthew 6:20). In Christ, the sting of death is removed (1 Corinthians 15:55), and the pursuit of wisdom finds its true and lasting purpose in knowing Him, in whom "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3).