Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

2. Solomon’s evaluation of his investigation of human achievement 1:16-18

To conduct his investigation of human achievements, Solomon had employed the tool of wisdom. Wisdom here does not refer to living life with God in view. It means using human intelligence as an instrument to ferret out truth and significance. However, he discovered it inadequate to turn up any truly meaningful activity. Consequently, wisdom was in this respect no better than "madness and folly" (Ecclesiastes 1:17; i.e., foolish ideas and pleasures).

". . . in Scripture both ’madness’ and ’folly’ imply moral perversity rather than mental oddity." [Note: Kidner, p. 31.]

Greater wisdom had only brought him greater "grief" (mental anguish) and "pain" (emotional sorrow, Ecclesiastes 1:18). The phrase "I perceived" and its synonyms occur frequently in Ecclesiastes (cf. Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 2:1; Ecclesiastes 2:3; Ecclesiastes 2:14-15; Ecclesiastes 3:17-18; Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 7:25; Ecclesiastes 8:9; Ecclesiastes 8:16; Ecclesiastes 9:1).

"’Heart’ points to the combined use of mind and will in the quest for knowledge. Biblical Hebrew has no specific words for mind or brain. Thinking and understanding and deciding are all done by the ’heart.’" [Note: Hubbard, p. 64.]