Ecclesiastes 2:4 — Word Study
WLCהִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי מַעֲשָׂ֑י בָּנִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בָּתִּ֔ים נָטַ֥עְתִּי לִ֖י כְּרָמִֽים׃
BSAI expandedgâdal■ [made great, undertook great works] my pursuitsmaʻăseh [deeds, actions] I builtbânâh■ [constructed, established] housesbayith [dwelling places, homes] and plantednâṭaʻ■ [established, fixed] vineyardskerem [gardens, plots of land for growing vines]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי | I made great | Verb, Hiphil, perfect first person common singular |
| מַעֲשָׂ֑י | works my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| בָּנִ֤יתִי | I built | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| לִי֙ | for myself | Preposition, suffix |
| בָּתִּ֔ים | houses | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| נָטַ֥עְתִּי | I planted | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| לִ֖י | for myself | Preposition, suffix |
| כְּרָמִֽים׃ | vineyards | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. |
| KJV | I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: |
| ASV | I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; |
| YLT | I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards. |
| WEB | I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards. |
| BBE | I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens. |
The translations agree on the rendering of the verse, emphasizing Solomon's personal achievements.
The main clause introduces Solomon's actions, followed by two subordinate phrases detailing specific pursuits.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbגָּדַל
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ecclesiastes 2:4
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Reflections on Life's Pursuitsgenerated
Ecclesiastes 2:4 is part of a larger discourse where Solomon examines the fruit of his labor and the pleasures he sought. He details his efforts to find satisfaction through various projects, including building houses and planting vineyards, as he reflects on the transient nature of these pursuits.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 11:4 | “Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.” |
| 2 | 2 Samuel 18:18 | During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument. |
| 3 | Daniel 4:30 | the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 8:12–14 | Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, |
| 5 | 1 Kings 7:1–2 | Solomon, however, took thirteen years to complete the construction of his entire palace. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 16 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי, hig.Dal.tigenerated
The verb גָּדַל (gadal) means to make something great or to magnify. In this verse, it is in the Hiphil form, indicating an action taken by the speaker to expand his pursuits. The parsing as a perfect first person singular verb shows that Solomon is reflecting on completed actions.
This word carries a sense of self-importance, as it can imply not just growth but also self-magnification. Solomon's use of this term highlights his desire to undertake significant works, suggesting a pursuit of greatness in his endeavors.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses expanded for הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי governs the sentence, with two clauses following it: one describing the construction of houses and the other detailing the planting of vineyards. This structure reflects Solomon's sequential actions in his pursuits.
The use of the first person throughout emphasizes Solomon's personal involvement in these endeavors, creating a narrative of individual achievement.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי as ἐμεγάλυνα, which carries a similar meaning of magnifying or making great. This choice reflects the same theme of personal expansion and achievement found in the Hebrew text.
The Greek rendering maintains the focus on the speaker's actions and intentions, aligning closely with the original Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ecclesiastes 2:4 shows Solomon reflecting on his personal achievements. He describes how he expanded his pursuits by building houses and planting vineyards for his own enjoyment. This verse highlights the efforts he made to create a life of comfort and satisfaction.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Solomon is reflecting on his efforts to achieve greatness through various projects, including building and planting.
These actions symbolize his desire for stability, comfort, and enjoyment in life.
Solomon's reflections often lead to questions about the ultimate value and meaning of these achievements.
His experiences remind us to consider the purpose and significance of our own pursuits in life.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What pursuits in my life have I undertaken for personal satisfaction?
- How do I define success in my own endeavors?
- In what ways can I find fulfillment beyond material achievements?
- What lessons can I learn from Solomon's reflections on his pursuits?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators reflect on Solomon's pursuits, interpreting them as metaphors for human endeavors and moral lessons.
If one wants to understand houses as good deeds, then every good deed is the house of its owner. Those who “hear the words of Jesus and do them” … build their foundation on a rock.Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 2 →
The confession about planting vines encompasses a great catalogue of effects on the person. The text includes in its meaning the full extent and nature of the effects caused by wine.Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 2 →
Whether [Solomon] really did these things or made the story up for our benefit, so that the argument might reach its logical conclusion, I cannot say precisely.Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 2 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ecclesiastes 2:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI made me great works,.... He did not spend his time in trifling things, as Domitian (a), in catching and killing flies; but in devising, designing, directing, and superintending great works of art
Read John Gill on Ecclesiastes 2 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under
Read Robert Jamieson on Ecclesiastes 2 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI made me great works; magnificent works for my honour and delight. I built me houses; of which see , &c.; , &c. I planted me vineyards: see .
Read Matthew Poole on Ecclesiastes 2 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEcclesiastes 2:4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:Ver. 4. I made me great works.] I took not pleasure in trifles, as Domitian did, in catching and killing flies with his penknife; or as Artaxerxes did, in making hafts for knives; or as Solyman the great Turk did, in making notches of horn for bows; but I built stately houses, planted pleasant vineyards, &c. A godly man may be busied in mean, low things; but he is not satisfied in them as adequate objects: he trades for better commodities, and cannot rest without them. I builded me houses.] Curious and spacious, such as is the Turk’ s seraglio or palace, said to be more than two miles in compass. William…
Read John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 2 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) Houses.—1 Kings 5:11; 2 Chronicles 8:4. Vineyards.—1 Chronicles 27:27; Son 8:11.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ecclesiastes 2 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 4. I builded me houses] Palace after palace; the house of the forest of Lebanon, 1Kg 7:1, c. a house for the queen; the temple, c., 2 Chronicles 8:1, c. 1Kg 9:10, &c., besides many other buildings of various kinds.
Read AdamClarke on Ecclesiastes 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. I made me great works] The verse may be either a retrospect of the details of the life of the pleasure-seeker as sketched in the previous verse, or, as seems more probable, the account of a new experiment in which the man passed from purely sensual pleasures to the life of what we know as ‘culture,’ the pursuit of beauty and magnificence in Art. Here the writer throws himself into the surroundings of the historical Solomon. We may venture to refer to Tennyson’s Palace of Art as tracing the working out of a like experiment to its inevitable issue. See Appendix II. I builded me houses] We think of David’s house of cedar (2 Chronicles 2:3) and the storehouses, oliveyards and vineyards (1…
Read Cambridge on Ecclesiastes 2 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleCompare 1 Kings 7:1-12; 1 Kings 9:15-19; 1 Kings 10:14-27; and 2 Chronicles 8:4.
Read Albert Barnes on Ecclesiastes 2 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
I increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
Tyndale line
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:
I haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards.
Strictly literal
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.
I made great my works, I built for myself houses, I planted for myself vineyards.
I made great works: I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;
I accomplished great things. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
From the Latin
I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,
Simplified
Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in the wording of this verse, with all eight words matched. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of Solomon's reflections on his pursuits.
הִגְדַּ֖לְתִּי מַעֲשָׂ֑י בָּנִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בָּתִּ֔ים נָטַ֥עְתִּי לִ֖י כְּרָמִֽים׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ecclesiastes 2:4
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
גָּדַל (gadal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to grow up or become great. It encompasses a range of meanings including to magnify, promote, and make powerful. The word has various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of growth and greatness. Notably, it can also imply self-magnification.
גָּדַל 115 vb. grow up, become great
Qal
grow up
become great
to be magnified
Pi.
cause to grow
make great, powerful
magnify
Pu. brought up
Hiph.
make great
magnify
do great things
Hithp. I will magnify myself
base
H1431 גָּדַל grow up, become great .. grow up
. become great
. to be magnified
. . cause to grow
. make great, powerful
. magnify
. brought up
. . make great
. magnify
. do great things
. I will magnify myself
1431 gadal gaw-dal'
a primitive root; properly, to twist (compare 1434), i.e. to
be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body,
mind, estate or honor, also in pride):--advance, boast, bring
up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax),
great(-er, come to...estate, + things), grow(up),increase,
lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass,
promote, proudly (spoken), tower.
see HEBREW for 01434
גָּדַל (ga.dal) — to magnify.
1) to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to grow up
1a2) to become great
1a3) to be magnified
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to cause to grow
1b2) to make great, powerful
1b3) to magnify
1c) (Pual) to be brought up
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to make great
1d2) to magnify
1d3) to do great things
1e) (Hithpael) to magnify oneself
V-Hiphil-Perf-1cs — Verb · Hiphil · perfect first person common singularHVhp1cs
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma`aseh) means deed or work, encompassing a range of actions from good to bad, and includes concepts like business, labor, and products made. It can refer to specific achievements, works of God, or even customs. The entries suggest a broad application in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
מַעֲשֶׂה 233 n.m. deed, work
base
H4639 מַעֲשֶׂה deed, work
4639 ma`aseh mah-as-eh'
from 6213; an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction;
abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically,
a poem) or (generally) property:--act, art, + bakemeat,
business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making,
occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, X well,
((handy-, needle-, net-))work(ing, - manship), wrought.
see HEBREW for 06213
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: work.
: work/product
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: justice.
: justice/right/righteousness
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: judgement.
: judgement/punishment
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: custom.
: custom/manner
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.
בָּנָה 373 vb. build
Qal build
Niph.
be built
be rebuilt
(fig.) of restored exiles, = established
established, made permanent
base
H1129 בָּנָה build .build
.. . be built
. be rebuilt
. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established
. established, made permanent
1129 banah baw-naw'
a primitive root; to build (literally and
figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,
repair, set (up), X surely.
בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.
1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to build, rebuild
1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be built
1b2) to be rebuilt
1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)
1b4) established (made permanent)
1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)
Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HRd/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between
base
בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house
house
place
receptacle
of house as containing a family
household, family (592 t.)
house, including household affairs
lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards
מִבַּיִת
adv. on the inside
prep. within
base
H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house
1004 bayith bah'-yith
probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest
variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,
daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as
would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),
inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,
temple, web, + within(-out).
see HEBREW for 01129
בֵּית (bet) — place.
nm
place, origin, between
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.
: home/temple/building
nm
1) house
1a) house, dwelling habitation
1b) shelter or abode of animals
1c) human bodies (fig.)
1d) of Sheol
1e) of abode of light and darkness
1f) of land of Ephraim
2) place
3) receptacle
4) home, house as containing a family
5) household, family
5a) those belonging to the same household
5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body
6) household affairs
7) inwards (metaph.)
8) (TWOT) temple
adv
9) on the inside
prep
10) within
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
נָטַע (nata`) is a Hebrew verb meaning to plant or establish. It can refer to planting in a literal sense or establishing something figuratively. The verb appears in both the Qal and Niphal forms, indicating actions of planting and being established, respectively.
נָטַע vb. plant
Qal
plant
plant, fig. = establish
Niph. be planted, fig., = be established.
base
H5193 נָטַע plant
5193 nata` naw-tah'
a primitive root; properly, to strike in, i.e. fix;
specifically, to plant (literally or
figuratively):--fastened, plant(- er).
נָטַע (na.ta) — to plant.
1) to plant, fasten, fix, establish
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to plant
1a2) to plant, establish (fig.)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be planted
1b2) to be established (fig.)
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HRd/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp1bs
כֶּרֶם (kerem) means 'vineyard' and is derived from an unused root of uncertain meaning. It covers the concept of a garden or vineyard, including terms like 'vines' and 'vintage.' The word appears in contexts related to agriculture, specifically in the Old Testament.
כֶּרֶם 92 n.m. (f.) vineyard
base
H3754 כֶּרֶם vineyard
3754 kerem keh'-rem
from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a garden or
vineyard:--vines, (increase of the) vineyard(-s), vintage. See
also 1021.
see HEBREW for 01021
כֶּרֶם (ke.rem) — vineyard.
vineyard
N-cp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
- Origin and antiquity of
- The design of planting
- Frequently walled or fenced with hedges