What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:23? All this I tested • Solomon looks back on everything he has examined—pleasure, work, wealth, morality (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11; 3:1-8; 6:1-2). • He did not theorize from a distance; he “tested” each matter, just as he earlier “applied [his] mind to study and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 1:13). • The phrase highlights an evidence-based approach: observation, reflection, conclusion. Scripture applauds this kind of honest inquiry that still starts with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). by wisdom • The measuring stick was not public opinion but God-given wisdom. Solomon had asked for and received this gift (1 Kings 3:9-12). • Wisdom in the biblical sense is moral, practical, and rooted in reverence for God (Job 28:28). • His method reminds believers that the only reliable lens for evaluating life is the wisdom that “comes from above” (James 3:17). saying, “I resolve to be wise.” • This is the king’s determined goal. Like the father in Proverbs urging his son, “Get wisdom, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7), Solomon sets his heart to grab hold of it. • The resolve itself is commendable. God invites everyone to “ask, and it will be given” (James 1:5). • Yet the wording shows that determination alone cannot guarantee success if God does not grant deeper insight. But it was beyond me. • After all the experiments and effort, Solomon still hit a wall. Human wisdom, even at its best, is finite (Psalm 139:6). • Some realities remain “the secret things” that “belong to the LORD our God” (Deuteronomy 29:29). • The apostle later echoes this awareness: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments” (Romans 11:33). • Solomon’s confession humbles every believer, steering us to rely on the One “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom” (Colossians 2:3). summary Solomon personally investigated every avenue of life, using the God-given wisdom he possessed. He firmly resolved to master wisdom, yet discovered that ultimate understanding still lay out of reach. The verse teaches that honest inquiry and firm resolve are vital, but final insight rests with God alone. True wisdom begins with fearing the Lord, seeks Him earnestly, and finally bows before His infinite, unsearchable mind. |
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