Ecclesiastes 2:16 (KJV)

What does Ecclesiastes 2:16 mean?

Ecclesiastes 2:16 says that both wise people and fools will eventually be forgotten, and in the end, both die the same way. The verse points out that wisdom does not guarantee lasting remembrance or a different fate from foolishness.

The speaker here is traditionally understood to be Solomon, reflecting on the limits of human achievement and wisdom. He is speaking to anyone who might believe that being wise will secure a lasting legacy or make them fundamentally different from others in the face of death. The verse fits into a larger section where the author is wrestling with the seeming futility of life and the pursuit of meaning "under the sun."

The Hebrew behind Ecclesiastes 2:16

• "Remembrance" (זִכָּרוֹן, zikaron) means memory or being remembered. The verse stresses that even the wise do not have a lasting memory that sets them apart from fools.
• "Wise" (חָכָם, chakam) and "fool" (כְּסִיל, kesil) are contrasted, but the verse emphasizes that their end is the same, underlining the limits of human wisdom.
• "Forgotten" (נָשָׁה, nashah) means to be forgotten or overlooked. The word highlights the idea that time erases distinctions between people, no matter their wisdom.
• "Dieth" (מוּת, muth) is the plain word for dying, used for both the wise and the fool, showing their shared fate.

Why Ecclesiastes 2:16 matters

• Ecclesiastes 2:16 challenges the common hope that wisdom or success will make a person lastingly significant or remembered.
• The verse emphasizes the theme of mortality and the limits of human effort, which runs throughout Ecclesiastes, encouraging honest reflection about what truly endures.
• This verse helps set up the book’s larger argument about the search for meaning and the need to look beyond earthly achievements for lasting value.