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Selected Verse: Ecclesiates 7:24 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ec 7:24	Strong Concordance	That which is far off [07350], and exceeding deep [06013], who can find it out [04672]?
	King James	That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
That . . . far off . . . deep--True wisdom is so when sought independently of "fear of God" (Ecc 7:18; Deu 30:12-13; Job 11:7-8; Job 28:12-20, Job 28:28; Psa 64:6; Rom 10:6-7).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

That . . . far off . . . deep--True wisdom is so when sought independently of "fear of God" (Ecc 7:18; Deu 30:12-13; Job 11:7-8; Job 28:12-20, Job 28:28; Psa 64:6; Rom 10:6-7).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
literally, Far off is that which hath been i. e., events as they have occurred in the order of Divine Providence), and deep, deep, who can find it out?

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
"For that which is, is far off, and deep, - yes, deep; who can reach it?" Knobel, Hitz., Vaih., and Bullock translate: for what is remote and deep, deep, who can find it? i.e., investigate it; but mah-shehayah is everywhere an idea by itself, and means either id quod fuit, or id quod exstitit, Ecc 1:9; Ecc 3:15; Ecc 6:10; in the former sense it is the contrast of mah-shěihyěh, Ecc 8:7; Ecc 10:14, cf. Ecc 3:22; in the latter, it is the contrast of that which does not exist, because it has not come into existence. In this way it is also not to be translated: For it is far off what it (wisdom) is (Zckl.) [= what wisdom is lies far off from human knowledge], or: what it is (the essence of wisdom), is far off (Elst.) - which would be expressed by the words מה־שּׁהיא. And if מה־שׁהיה is an idea complete in itself, it is evidently not that which is past that is meant (thus e.g., Rosenm. quod ante aderat), for that is a limitation of the obj. of knowledge, which is unsuitable here, but that which has come into existence. Rightly, Hengst.: that which has being, for wisdom is τῶν ὄντων γνῶσις ἀψευδής, Wisd. 7:17. He compares Jdg 3:11, "the work which God does," and Ecc 8:17, "the work which is done under the sun." What Koheleth there says of the totality of the historical, he here says of the world of things: this (in its essence and its grounds) remains far off from man; it is for him, and also in itself and for all creatures, far too deep (עמק עמק, the ancient expression for the superlative): Who can intelligibly reach (ימץ, from מצא, assequi, in an intellectual sense, as at Ecc 3:11; Ecc 8:17; cf. Job 11:7) it (this all of being)? The author appears in the book as a teacher of wisdom, and emphatically here makes confession of the limitation of his wisdom; for the consciousness of this limitation comes over him in the midst of his teaching.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

"For that which is, is far off, and deep, - yes, deep; who can reach it?" Knobel, Hitz., Vaih., and Bullock translate: for what is remote and deep, deep, who can find it? i.e., investigate it; but mah-shehayah is everywhere an idea by itself, and means either id quod fuit, or id quod exstitit, Ecc 1:9; Ecc 3:15; Ecc 6:10; in the former sense it is the contrast of mah-shěihyěh, Ecc 8:7; Ecc 10:14, cf. Ecc 3:22; in the latter, it is the contrast of that which does not exist, because it has not come into existence. In this way it is also not to be translated: For it is far off what it (wisdom) is (Zckl.) [= what wisdom is lies far off from human knowledge], or: what it is (the essence of wisdom), is far off (Elst.) - which would be expressed by the words מה־שּׁהיא. And if מה־שׁהיה is an idea complete in itself, it is evidently not that which is past that is meant (thus e.g., Rosenm. quod ante aderat), for that is a limitation of the obj. of knowledge, which is unsuitable here, but that which has come into existence. Rightly, Hengst.: that which has being, for wisdom is τῶν ὄντων γνῶσις ἀψευδής, Wisd. 7:17. He compares Jdg 3:11, "the work which God does," and Ecc 8:17, "the work which is done under the sun." What Koheleth there says of the totality of the historical, he here says of the world of things: this (in its essence and its grounds) remains far off from man; it is for him, and also in itself and for all creatures, far too deep (עמק עמק, the ancient expression for the superlative): Who can intelligibly reach (ימץ, from מצא, assequi, in an intellectual sense, as at Ecc 3:11; Ecc 8:17; cf. Job 11:7) it (this all of being)? The author appears in the book as a teacher of wisdom, and emphatically here makes confession of the limitation of his wisdom; for the consciousness of this limitation comes over him in the midst of his teaching.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
It - God's counsels and works, and the reasons of them.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
That which is far off - Though the wisdom that is essential to our salvation may be soon learned, through the teaching of the Spirit of wisdom, yet in wisdom itself there are extents and depths which none can reach or fathom.

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⁶ But [1161] the righteousness [1343] which is of [1537] faith [4102] speaketh [3004] on this wise [3779], Say [2036] not [3361] in [1722] thine [4675] heart [2588], Who [5101] shall ascend [305] into [1519] heaven [3772]? (that is [5123], to bring [2609] Christ [5547] down [2609] from above:)
⁷ Or [2228], Who [5101] shall descend [2597] into [1519] the deep [12]? (that is [5123], to bring up [321] Christ [5547] again [321] from [1537] the dead [3498].)

⁶ They search out [02664] iniquities [05766]; they accomplish [08552] a diligent [02664] search [02665]: both the inward [07130] thought of every one [0376] of them, and the heart [03820], is deep [06013].

²⁸ And unto man [0120] he said [0559], Behold, the fear [03374] of the Lord [0136], that is wisdom [02451]; and to depart [05493] from evil [07451] is understanding [0998].

¹² But where [0370] shall wisdom [02451] be found [04672]? and where is the place [04725] of understanding [0998]?
¹³ Man [0582] knoweth [03045] not the price [06187] thereof; neither is it found [04672] in the land [0776] of the living [02416].
¹⁴ The depth [08415] saith [0559], It is not in me: and the sea [03220] saith [0559], It is not with me.
¹⁵ It cannot be gotten [05414] for gold [05458], neither shall silver [03701] be weighed [08254] for the price [04242] thereof.
¹⁶ It cannot be valued [05541] with the gold [03800] of Ophir [0211], with the precious [03368] onyx [07718], or the sapphire [05601].
¹⁷ The gold [02091] and the crystal [02137] cannot equal [06186] it: and the exchange [08545] of it shall not be for jewels [03627] of fine gold [06337].
¹⁸ No mention [02142] shall be made of coral [07215], or of pearls [01378]: for the price [04901] of wisdom [02451] is above rubies [06443].
¹⁹ The topaz [06357] of Ethiopia [03568] shall not equal [06186] it, neither shall it be valued [05541] with pure [02889] gold [03800].
²⁰ Whence [0370] then cometh [0935] wisdom [02451]? and where is the place [04725] of understanding [0998]?

⁷ Canst thou by searching [02714] find out [04672] God [0433]? canst thou find [04672] out the Almighty [07706] unto perfection [08503]?
⁸ It is as high [01363] as heaven [08064]; what canst thou do [06466]? deeper [06013] than hell [07585]; what canst thou know [03045]?

¹² It is not in heaven [08064], that thou shouldest say [0559], Who shall go up [05927] for us to heaven [08064], and bring [03947] it unto us, that we may hear [08085] it, and do [06213] it?
¹³ Neither is it beyond [05676] the sea [03220], that thou shouldest say [0559], Who shall go [05674] over [05676] the sea [03220] for us, and bring [03947] it unto us, that we may hear [08085] it, and do [06213] it?

¹⁸ It is good [02896] that thou shouldest take hold [0270] of this; yea, also from this [02088] withdraw [03240] not thine hand [03027]: for he that feareth [03373] God [0430] shall come forth [03318] of them all.

⁷ Canst thou by searching [02714] find out [04672] God [0433]? canst thou find [04672] out the Almighty [07706] unto perfection [08503]?

¹⁷ Then I beheld [07200] all the work [04639] of God [0430], that a man [0120] cannot [03201] find out [04672] the work [04639] that is done [06213] under the sun [08121]: because [0834] though [07945] a man [0120] labour [05998] to seek it out [01245], yet he shall not find [04672] it; yea further; though a wise [02450] man think [0559] to know [03045] it, yet shall he not be able [03201] to find [04672] it.

¹¹ He hath made [06213] every thing beautiful [03303] in his time [06256]: also he hath set [05414] the world [05769] in their heart [03820], so that [01097] no man [0120] can find out [04672] the work [04639] that God [0430] maketh [06213] from the beginning [07218] to the end [05490].

¹¹ And the land [0776] had rest [08252] forty [0705] years [08141]. And Othniel [06274] the son [01121] of Kenaz [07073] died [04191].

²² Wherefore I perceive [07200] that there is nothing better [02896], than that a man [0120] should rejoice [08055] in his own works [04639]; for that is his portion [02506]: for who shall bring [0935] him to see [07200] what shall be after [0310] him?

¹⁴ A fool [05530] also is full [07235] of words [01697]: a man [0120] cannot tell [03045] what shall be; and what shall be after [0310] him, who can tell [05046] him?

⁷ For he knoweth [03045] not that which shall be: for who can tell [05046] him when it shall be?

¹⁰ That which hath been is named [07121] [08034] already [03528], and it is known [03045] that it is man [0120]: neither may [03201] he contend [01777] with him that is mightier [08623] than he.

¹⁵ That which hath been is now [03528]; and that which is to be hath already [03528] been; and God [0430] requireth [01245] that which is past [07291].

⁹ The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done [06213] is that which shall be done [06213]: and there is no new [02319] thing under the sun [08121].