Ecclesiastes 7:24 (ASV)

Passage

That which is, is far off and exceeding deep; who can find it out?

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:22 for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

Ecclesiastes 7:23 All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

Ecclesiastes 7:24 That which is, is far off and exceeding deep; who can find it out?

Ecclesiastes 7:25 I turned about, and my heart [was set] to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason [of things], and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.

Ecclesiastes 7:26 And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "exceeding", "deep", and "find". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "exceeding" and "deep", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "All this have I proved in wisdom..." into verse 25's "I turned about and my heart was...", so "exceeding" and "deep" belong inside that flow. In Ecclesiastes context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "exceeding" and "deep" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.