Ecclesiastes Chapter One, Wisdom's Burden

Ecclesiastes 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

The preacher here states that the truly wise are likewise genuinely burdened. To be wise and to acquire knowledge makes one aware and accountable. If you know, and do not act, it is evil. Even the secular saying, alleged to have been spoken by Edward Burke, agrees with this. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph in the world is for good men to do nothing.” To be “good” posits the requisite knowledge that we are self-aware of evil’s corruption in human lives, disagree with evil’s worldview, and being thusly aware, choose to disregard said knowledge.

There is another saying, bittersweet in its truth, that states, “ignorance is bliss.” One may say that this saying is the opposite of our current text. If increasing our knowledge and wisdom leads to moral and spiritual grief and sorrow, then ignorance is to be happy. When children are raised in a stable home and protected from much of the world’s influence that would be more than happy to corrupt them, they live in a state of blissful ignorance. And often, they are happy. Of course, the increase of knowledge does not doom the possessor. But happiness is mingled with grief, and innocence lost is replaced with frequent sorrow. Ignorance is something that should generally be applied to children. Of course all of us will be (and are) ignorant of many things. But I refer to general self awareness, societal and moral awareness, and spiritual inquisitiveness. 

So, while I am woefully ignorant of many topics beyond the pale of my studies, such as rocket science or surgical practices, I am aware of my person, my position in society, those around me, and how conflicting moral ideologies color the conversation and outlook of those I interact with. Myself included, of course. The preacher attests to the fact that increased wisdom does not alleviate the burden of life; rather, and perhaps to the surprise of his readership, it exacerbates it. The preacher, David’s son, was looked upon with reverence and even awe by those who knew him, such as the Queen of Sheba, 1 Kings 10:4, 5. But greater wisdom comes with increased accountability. And since God gifted Solomon with exceptional—I daresay, unrivaled wisdom—the burden of his choices was greater than any man. We know that the unsaved will be sentenced based upon the knowledge they possessed and how they acted (or failed to act) upon it, Luke 12:47, 48. Believers likewise face a sentence: not for severity of punishment, but acquisition or loss of rewards at Christ’s judgment seat, 1 Corinthians 3:15, 2 Corinthians 5:10.

The Hebrew word for “increases,” is, “yawsef,” and translates to, “to add, continue, do again, increase or surpass.” The concept of increasing indicates adding to an already present sum. “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,” Proverbs 1:5. The aforementioned Queen of Sheba claimed that Solomon’s person surpassed all that she had heard (adding to his already grand reputation). While wisdom itself is not harmful or sorrow inducing, it opens one’s eyes to reality and can invoke grief when one reflects on the state of the world and those around us. “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished,” Proverbs 27:12. 

Prudent, a synonym for wise, is the state of the first man. The second, who is simple or lacking in wisdom, fails to heed what seemed an obvious warning to the first man and is punished for entering into whatever evil there was. Yes, wisdom delivered the first man, but his wisdom could not deliver the other.  And it would seem that wisdom’s enemy, ignorance, delivered its bearer to punishment. The wise behold the hurting state of the world and grieve. The saint was once the sinner, delivered by the life of Jesus Christ into glorious liberty. Being set free, the believer ought to practice their God-given prudence and hide himself as it were when temptation comes. But it is grievous to know how many will not, and how many happily walk the broad road that only ends with spiritual ruin, Proverbs 14:12, Matthew 7:13.