Rav Sadya Gaon: I put them in front of my eyes [Metzudas David - at once].

Rashi: I turn from all my affairs to engage in Torah and contemplate it.

Ibn Ezra: I engage in them.

Ri Kara: I will see what one will gain if he engages in Chachmah, or in Holelos and Sichlus.

Rid: After I investigated the path of pleasure, and its end, I abandoned it, for it is not good to engage in it. I turned to investigate the paths of Chachmah, Holelos and Sichlus.

Seforno: I wanted to see the truth of the eternity of the Nefesh, or the opposing opinions, and to see which is correct. Refer to 2:12:2:3.

Rashi: [He will contemplate] the punishment for Aveiros.

Ibn Ezra: [He will drink] wine, which leads to inebriety and lunacy; Sichlus is building and acquiring wealth.

Seforno: These are opinions that deny the eternity of the Nefesh, due to mistakes or missing axioms.

Metzudas Tziyon: They are insanity and folly.

Ibn Ezra: This is like "Hashem Mah ha'Adam va'Teda'ehu" (Tehilim 144:3). When I saw Your Shamayim, moon and stars - the entire world is under one star - "Mah Enosh Ki Sizkerenu" (Tehilim 8:4-5). Why did You give such grandeur to man?

Refer to 2:12:4:3-8 and the note there.

Rashi: He will supplicate about a decree that was already made on him. It is better to contemplate his deeds first (before acting), and he will not need to request!

Ibn Ezra: How can one come after me, the king, and think that he will do something that no one did before? It is as if it says Asuhu ha'Osim; the subject is omitted, just like "va'Yomer l'Yosef" (Bereishis 48:1) does not say who told him.

Ibn Ezra: Some say that ha'Melech is [counsel], like "va'Yimalech Libi Alai" (Nechemyah 5:7. The verse asked,) what should man do? It answers, he should follow the counsel of what earlier ones did ¹ .

Rashbam, Ri Kara: Why should man come to the king to supplicate for his life after the verdict? It cannot help. It is folly to request grace after the verdict! Ri Kara - therefore, before acting, I contemplated what will occur in the end. If I will do folly, and the king will decree against me, I cannot appeal it!

Rid: This explains verse 11. All my toil is Hevel u'Re'us Ru'ach, for who will come after me and rule over and rejoice in all my toil? One whom it was already decreed in Shamayim [that he will have wealth. He would get what was decreed whether or not I toiled! - PF]

R. Avigdor: The King is Hashem. When Hashem said "Na'aseh Adam b'Tzalmenu" (Bereishis 1:26), angels said "Mah Enosh Ki Sizkerenu" (Tehilim 8:5). He burned them for ruling in front of their Rebbi. They should have said 'You know what is proper!' The initial letters of she'Yavo Acharei, backwards, spell Esh (fire). Also the initial letters of "[Ki] Er'eh Shamecha" (the previous verse there), spell Esh (fire).

Seforno: My doubt was, how can we think that Chachmah, the perfection of the potential of our intellect, will be acquired via efforts? It is impossible, for man cannot complete what the King, whose deed is perfect (Devarim 32:4), did, and what He did via Heavenly causes, that made man on the King's command!

Metzudas David: How can man despise folly, and be 'wiser' than Hashem, who created it? Did He create it for nothing?!