Rashi: I retracted to seek ¹ all of them in my heart - Simchah, Chachmah and folly.

Ibn Ezra: When I saw that Chachmah alone brings pain, and laughter alone does not help ² , I sought a way to combine them.

Rashbam: I investigated by myself.

Seforno: Because I clung so much to this investigation, I thought that my heart will not turn at all to [needs of] the country, if not with great efforts.

Metzudas David: I sought a way to pursue all three at once - (a) drinking wine, which refines the flesh and draws it to become fat; (b) to grow wise in Chachmah of the Torah; (c) to go in the way of Sichlus - things that do not enter the body, yet people yearn for them, like nice buildings, musical instruments?

Rashi: I will draw and indulge my flesh with Misteh Yayin ¹ . Every Seudah of pleasure is called [Mishteh] based on wine.

Ibn Ezra: I gave wine to my body, to get Simchah.

R. Avigdor: He will engage in the wine of Torah.

Seforno: He will give some pleasure to his flesh, so his heart will turn a little to the needs of the country and temporary life.

Ri Kara: Wine caused No'ach [to stumble; the words that tell this begin with] Vov's - "va'Yishkar va'Yisgal" (Bereishis 9:21). In that verse (really, 20-25), 14 words in [close] succession begin with Vai ¹ , to teach that one must be careful seven days and seven nights during the week not to avidly pursue wine.

Rashi: It engages in Chachmah to persist in (guard) Torah.

Ibn Ezra: Libi is my intellect and Neshamah. Noheg is Po'el Yotzei (it acts on others); the object is omitted. It is as if it says v'Libi Noheg Davarav b'Chachmah.

Rashbam: This refers to practical Chachmah needed for worldly matters. It is not deep.

Ri Kara: My heart told me, to know the difference between Chachmah and folly, engage in both of them, and see what happens when you engage in Chachmah, and what happens when you engage in folly. And so I did [like the coming verses discuss].

Seforno: I did so (gave pleasure of wine to my flesh) while engaging in Chachmah and investigation, lest I despise needs of temporary life.

Rav Sadya Gaon: My heart will hold a harness of kinds of folly and lunacy.

Rashi: It is matters that appear to me like folly, that I said about them "l'Isi'el v'Uchal" (Mishlei 30:1; refer to 1:18:1:3 and the notes there), and matters like Kil'ai ha'Kerem and wearing Sha'atnez, which the Satan and nations challenge them. And so it says "Tov Asher Te'echoz ba'Zeh v'Gam mi'Zeh" (7:18) regarding Sha'ul, who thought that it is folly to kill [from Amalek] "me'Ish Ad Ishah me'Olel v'Ad Yonek" (Shmuel I, 15:3). It is Hashem's command, and he calls it folly ¹ !

Ibn Ezra: He takes a little Sichlus, i.e. desire of this world. All this is until he will see what is the good path.

Rashbam: This is a repetition [of "Noheg b'Chachmah", practical Chachmah needed for worldly matters). However, "Ki b'Rov Chachmah Rov Ka'as" (1:18) is deep Chachmah, which people do not need [for worldly matters], and are not used to engaging in it.

Seforno: I also investigated the folly of pleasure, and to conquer my Yetzer, lest it trap me.

Seforno: I did not decide to persist in indulging my flesh in wine - it is only until I see which part of temporary life people should choose.

Metzudas David: I will go on all three paths, until I see the best path for people to go on. Then, I will adopt that path and abandon the others.

Seforno: In the days of their lifetimes, which are few.