Ecclesiastes 2:5
New International Version
I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

New Living Translation
I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees.

English Standard Version
I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.

Berean Standard Bible
I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.

King James Bible
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

New King James Version
I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

New American Standard Bible
I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

NASB 1995
I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

NASB 1977
I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

Legacy Standard Bible
I made for myself gardens and parks, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

Amplified Bible
I made gardens and orchards for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

Christian Standard Bible
I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them.

American Standard Version
I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;

Contemporary English Version
I had flower gardens and orchards full of fruit trees.

English Revised Version
I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I made gardens and parks for myself. I planted every kind of fruit tree in them.

Good News Translation
I planted gardens and orchards, with all kinds of fruit trees in them;

International Standard Version
I constructed gardens and orchards for myself, and within them I planted all kinds of fruit trees.

Majority Standard Bible
I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.

NET Bible
I designed royal gardens and parks for myself, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

New Heart English Bible
I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.

Webster's Bible Translation
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

World English Bible
I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I made for myself gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.

Young's Literal Translation
I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.

Smith's Literal Translation
I made to me gardens and pleasure grounds, and I planted in them a tree of all fruit.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I made gardens, and orchards, and set them with trees of all kinds,

Catholic Public Domain Version
I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.

New American Bible
I made gardens and parks, and in them set out fruit trees of all sorts.

New Revised Standard Version
I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them trees of all kinds of fruit;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I made for myself gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit-tree.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Futility of Pleasure
4I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees. 6I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.…

Cross References
1 Kings 4:33
He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.

1 Kings 7:1-12
Solomon, however, took thirteen years to complete the construction of his entire palace. / He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high, with four rows of cedar pillars supporting the cedar beams. / The house was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the pillars—forty-five beams, fifteen per row. ...

Nehemiah 2:8
And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

Nehemiah 9:25
They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.

Psalm 104:16
The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted,

Isaiah 5:1-2
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour!

Isaiah 65:21-22
They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. / No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit, nor plant for others to eat. For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands.

Jeremiah 12:10
Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.

Jeremiah 31:5
Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant and enjoy the fruit.

Amos 9:14
I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

Matthew 21:33
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

Mark 12:1
Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

Luke 13:6-9
Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. / So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ / ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ...

John 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...

1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.


Treasury of Scripture

I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

me

Song of Solomon 4:12-16
A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed…

Song of Solomon 5:1
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

Song of Solomon 6:2
My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

i planted

Genesis 2:8,9
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed…

Luke 17:27-29
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all…

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Fruit Fruits Fruit-Trees Gardens Kind Kinds Orchards Planted Planting Sorts Trees
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Fruit Fruits Fruit-Trees Gardens Kind Kinds Orchards Planted Planting Sorts Trees
Ecclesiastes 2
1. the vanity of human courses is the work of pleasure
12. Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event
18. The vanity of human labor, in leaving it they know not to whom
24. Nothing better than joy in our labor but that is God's gift














I made myself
This phrase indicates a personal initiative and effort by Solomon, the traditionally attributed author of Ecclesiastes. The Hebrew root word "עשיתי" (asiti) suggests a deliberate and intentional act of creation. In the context of ancient Israel, this reflects a king's ability to command resources and labor for personal projects, highlighting the human desire to create and control one's environment. It also underscores the theme of human endeavor and the pursuit of satisfaction through personal achievements.

gardens and parks
The Hebrew words "גנות" (ganot) for gardens and "פרדסים" (pardesim) for parks suggest cultivated spaces of beauty and utility. Historically, gardens and parks were symbols of wealth and status in the ancient Near East, often associated with royal estates. The term "pardesim" is particularly interesting as it is a Persian loanword, indicating the influence of surrounding cultures on Israelite society. These spaces were not only for aesthetic pleasure but also for practical purposes, such as growing food and medicinal plants, reflecting the human longing for both beauty and sustenance.

and planted in them
The act of planting, from the Hebrew "ונטעתי" (venatati), implies nurturing and growth. This reflects the biblical theme of stewardship and care for creation, a responsibility given to humanity by God. Planting is an act of faith, investing in the future with the hope of reaping a harvest. It symbolizes the human desire to leave a legacy and to see the fruits of one's labor, both literally and metaphorically.

all kinds of fruit trees
The diversity of "all kinds" (כל עץ פרי) indicates abundance and variety, suggesting a richness of life and experience. Fruit trees in the Bible often symbolize prosperity, blessing, and the provision of God. In the ancient world, fruit trees were valuable for their produce, providing sustenance and economic benefit. This phrase highlights the human pursuit of pleasure and fulfillment through the accumulation of diverse experiences and possessions, yet it also serves as a reminder of the ultimate futility of seeking satisfaction solely in earthly things, a central theme in Ecclesiastes.

(5) Orchards.--Rather, parks. The word, which occurs also in Song of Solomon 4:3, Nehemiah 2:8, is originally Persian, and passed into the Greek and into modern languages in the form of "paradise" (Luke 23:43; 2Corinthians 12:4; and in LXX., Genesis 2:10; Genesis 13:10; Numbers 24:6; Isaiah 1:30; Ecclesiasticus 24:30; Susan. 5:4). Parks and trees giving, not only fruit, but shade from the hot Eastern sun, were an almost necessary part of kingly luxury. The king's garden is spoken of in 1Kings 21:2; 2Kings 21:18; 2Kings 25:4; Nehemiah 3:15. . . . Verse 5. - I made me gardens and orchards. Solomon's love of gardens appears throughout the Canticles (Song of Solomon 6:2, etc.). He had a king's garden on the slope of the hills south of the city (2 Kings 25:4); and Beth-hacchemm, "the House of the Vine," at Ain Karim, about six miles east of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 6:1); and at Baal-hamon another extensive vineyard (Song of Solomon 8:11). The word rendered "orchard" (parder) occurs also in Song of Solomon 4:13 and Nehemiah 2:8. It is a Persian word, and passed into the Greek form παράδειος (Xenophon, 'Anab.,' 1:2.7), meaning "a park" planted with forest and fruit trees, and containing herds of animals. It is probably derived from the Zend oairidaeza," an enclosure." (For the trees in such parks, see Song of Solomon 4:13, 14; and for an estimate of Solomon's works, Josephus, 'Ant.,' 8:07. 3.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I made
עָשִׂ֣יתִי (‘ā·śî·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

myself
לִ֔י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

gardens
גַּנּ֖וֹת (gan·nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1593: A garden

and parks
וּפַרְדֵּסִ֑ים (ū·p̄ar·dê·sîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6508: A preserve, park

and planted
וְנָטַ֥עְתִּי (wə·nā·ṭa‘·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5193: To strike in, fix, to plant

in them
בָהֶ֖ם (ḇā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

all kinds
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

of fruit
פֶּֽרִי׃ (pe·rî)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6529: Fruit

trees.
עֵ֥ץ (‘êṣ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:5 I made myself gardens and parks (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 2:4
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