Ecclesiastes 7:25 Meaning and Explanation
“I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The Preacher set his whole heart to know and search out wisdom, and to understand the true nature of wickedness and folly.
What Does Ecclesiastes 7:25 Mean?
The Preacher describes the seriousness of his quest: he 'applied' his heart — gave himself wholeheartedly — to know, search, and seek. His aim was both to find wisdom and to understand folly for the destructive thing it is.
To study evil is not to embrace it but to see clearly why it ruins. The wise seeker examines both the light and the darkness in order to choose the light with open eyes. This honest searching, undertaken in the fear of God, leads not to cynicism but to discernment about what truly gives life and what destroys it.
Ecclesiastes 7:25 in the Original Language
kesilut (כֶּסֶל), 'folly' -- here moral foolishness, the senselessness that leads to ruin.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecclesiastes 7:25
What does Ecclesiastes 7:25 mean?
The Preacher set his whole heart to know and search out wisdom, and to understand the true nature of wickedness and folly.