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Ecclesiastes 7:29

New American Standard Bible (NASB ©1995) [2]
— “Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”
King James Version (KJV 1769) [2]
— Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
English Revised Version (ERV 1885)
— Behold, this only have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
American Standard Version (ASV 1901) [2]
— Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Webster's Revision of the KJB (WEB 1833)
— Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Darby's Translation (DBY 1890)
— Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (EBR 1902)
— Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT 1898)
— See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they—they have sought out many devices.
Douay-Rheims Challoner Revision (DR 1750)
— Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? and who hath known the resolution of the word?
Geneva Bible (GNV 1560)
— Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.
Original King James Bible (AV 1611) [2]
— Loe, this onely haue I found, that God hath made man vpright: but they haue sought out many inuentions.
Lamsa Bible (1957)
— But behold, this thing I have found, that God has made men upright; but they have sought out many devices.
Brenton Greek Septuagint (LXX, Restored Names)
— But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
Full Hebrew Names / Holy Name KJV (2008) [2] [3]
— Lo, this only have I found, that Elohim hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Strong's Numbers & Hebrew NamesHebrew Old TestamentColor-Code/Key Word Studies
Lo, 7200
{7200} Prime
רָאָה
ra'ah
{raw-aw'}
A primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitively, intransitively and causatively).
z8798
<8798> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851)
Mood - Imperative (See H8810)
Count - 2847
this x2088
(2088) Complement
זֶה
zeh
{zeh}
A primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that.
only 905
{0905} Prime
בַּד
bad
{bad}
From H0909; properly separation; by implication a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as adverb, apart, only, besides.
have I found, 4672
{4672} Prime
מָצָא
matsa'
{maw-tsaw'}
A primitive root; properly to come forth to, that is, appear or exist; transitively to attain, that is, find or acquire; figuratively to occur, meet or be present.
z8804
<8804> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851)
Mood - Perfect (See H8816)
Count - 12562
that x834
(0834) Complement
אֲשֶׁר
'asher
{ash-er'}
A primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as adverb and conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430
{0430} Prime
אֱלֹהִים
'elohiym
{el-o-heem'}
Plural of H0433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative.
hath made 6213
{6213} Prime
עָשָׂה
`asah
{aw-saw'}
A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application.
z8804
<8804> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851)
Mood - Perfect (See H8816)
Count - 12562
x853
(0853) Complement
אֵת
'eth
{ayth}
Apparently contracted from H0226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely).
man 120
{0120} Prime
אָדָם
'adam
{aw-dawm'}
From H0119; ruddy, that is, a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.).
upright; 3477
{3477} Prime
יָשָׁר
yashar
{yaw-shawr'}
From H3474; straight (literally or figuratively).
but they x1992
(1992) Complement
הֵם
hem
{haym}
Masculine plural from H1931; they (only used when emphatic).
have sought out 1245
{1245} Prime
בּקשׁ
baqash
{baw-kash'}
A primitive root; to search out (by any method; specifically in worship or prayer); by implication to strive after.
z8765
<8765> Grammar
Stem - Piel (See H8840)
Mood - Perfect (See H8816)
Count - 2121
many 7227
{7227} Prime
רַב
rab
{rab}
By contraction from H7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality).
inventions. 2810
{2810} Prime
חִשָּׁבוֹן
chishshabown
{khish-shaw-bone'}
From H2803; a contrivance, that is, actual (a warlike machine) or mental (a machination).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

Ecclesiastes 7:29

_ _ The “only” way of accounting for the scarcity of even comparatively upright men and women is that, whereas God made man upright, they (men) have, etc. The only account to be “found” of the origin of evil, the great mystery of theology, is that given in Holy Writ (Genesis 2:1-3:24). Among man’s “inventions” was the one especially referred to in Ecclesiastes 7:26, the bitter fruits of which Solomon experienced, the breaking of God’s primeval marriage law, joining one man to “one” woman (Matthew 19:4, Matthew 19:5, Matthew 19:6). “Man” is singular, namely, Adam; “they,” plural, Adam, Eve, and their posterity.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

See commentary on Ecclesiastes 7:23-29.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Ecclesiastes 7:29

Lo, this — Though I could not find out all the streams of wickedness, and their infinite windings and turnings, yet I have discovered the fountain of it, Original sin, and the corruption of nature, which is both in men and women. That — God made our first parents, Adam and Eve. Upright — Heb. right: without any imperfection or corruption, conformable to his nature and will, after his own likeness. They — Our first parents, and after them their posterity. Sought out — Were not contented with their present state, but studied new ways of making themselves more wise and happy, than God had made them. And we, their wretched children, are still prone to forsake the certain rule of God's word, and the true way to happiness, and to seek new methods of attaining it.

Geneva Bible Translation Notes

Ecclesiastes 7:29

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many (t) devices.

(t) And so are cause for their own destruction.

Cross-Reference Topical ResearchStrong's Concordance
God:

Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ... So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 5:1 This [is] the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

they:
The descendants of Adam have sought out an immense number of inventions, in order to find happiness in the world, without God, which have only proved so many variations of impiety and iniquity.
Genesis 3:6-7 And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. ... And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Genesis 6:5-6 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. ... And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Genesis 6:11-12 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. ... And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Genesis 11:4-6 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top [may reach] unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. ... And the LORD said, Behold, the people [is] one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Psalms 99:8 Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
Psalms 106:29 Thus they provoked [him] to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
Psalms 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Jeremiah 2:12-13 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. ... For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Jeremiah 4:22 For my people [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
Ezekiel 22:6-13 Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood. ... Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.
Mark 7:8-9 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. ... And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Acts 7:40-43 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for [as for] this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. ... Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
Romans 1:21-32 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ... Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Romans 3:9-19 What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; ... Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Ephesians 2:2-3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ... Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another.
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Chain-Reference Bible SearchCross References with Concordance

Gn 1:26; 3:6; 5:1; 6:5, 11; 11:4. Ps 99:8; 106:29, 39. Jr 2:12; 4:22. Ezk 22:6. Mk 7:8. Ac 7:40. Ro 1:21; 3:9. Ep 2:2. Tit 3:3.

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