Ecclesiastes2:4

Translation

I made my works become great,

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I built houses

for myself

and planted

vineyards

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for myself.

Paraphrase

I had anything anyone could ever want because I made my accomplishments numerous and spectacular. While most people only have one house, I built multiple houses for myself; while most people only have one vineyard, I planted

many vineyards for myself.

Footnotes

1: “become great”

The verb used here means “to grow, to make strong, or to become great.” I think it was chosen, not just to show growth, but to emphasize growth to the point of greatness. Solomon’s deeds or accomplishments were great in two ways, they were numerous and also spectacular.

2

Building houses and planting vineyards do not sound like great accomplishments, but, in a way that average people could understand, they show how much further ahead of them Solomon was.