Ecclesiastes 1:17-18

So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.

Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Read all of Ecclesiastes 1

2 songs meet this passage

  • Snow (Hey Oh) · Red Hot Chili Peppers

    resonates with Ecclesiastes 1:17-18

    The whole song's weary, circling self-awareness ('the more I see, the less I know') echoes the Preacher's lament that much knowledge brings much grief.

  • Back to the Old House · The Smiths

    resonates with Ecclesiastes 1:18

    The song admits that returning to a place of memory brings only sorrow, echoing the Preacher's observation that much knowledge and memory can increase grief.

Elsewhere in Ecclesiastes 1