Ecclesiastes 2:11
in Ecclesiastes 2Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
KJV
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 2
Commentary
12 notes on this verse"Then I looked at all things that I had done and the energy I had expended in doing them. "He who does all things with diligence and wariness is able to say this. "It was clear that it was all futile and a vexation of the spirit, [and there is no profit under the sun.]" As if he considers that in comparison with other things, all things are cheap which are under the sun, and are different according to the variety of desires. "And there is no profit under the sun". Christ placed his tabernacle in the sun.
This site's exposition
So I became great
on Ecclesiastes 2:9-11
The Teacher records that he became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me, and adds that my wisdom remained with me. Then the ledger closes: I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
This site's exposition
there was nothing to be gained
Gregory of Nyssa likens pleasure to writing on water: the hand moves, the letters vanish, and nothing remains once the work is done. Didymus the Blind presses the words under the sun. A man lit by the sun of righteousness, he says, stands in that sun.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
When tracing formless letters in water, this act of writing only has existence while we perform it because our hand always follows the water's surface and smoothes over the impressions just made. Our exertions and energy on behalf of pleasure are similar. Once the action ceases, pleasure is blotted out and nothing remains; neither do those persons who have experienced pleasure have any trace of it. Such is the meaning of Ecclesiastes' words when he says that nothing remains under the sun for those who labor, for their end is vanity.
My hands are busy and tools fit for work. They toil and are active. And I saw that all that has been created by these visible hands and their activities, was vanity.… This kind of toil is to be rejected indeed—it is vanity. And still, …
A person who is enlightened by the "sun of righteousness" is not "under" it but "in" it. Thus it is said in the Gospel: "The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father," not "under" the sun. If a person says …
People who write in water are engaged in drawing the shapes of the letters in the liquid by writing with the hand, but nothing remains of the shape of the letters, and the interest in the writing consists solely in the act of writing (for the surface of the water continually follows the hand, obliterating what is written). In the same way all enjoyable interest and activity disappears with its accomplishment. When the activity ceases the enjoyment too is wiped out, and nothing is stored up for the future, nor is any trace or remnant of happiness left to the pleasure takers when the pleasant activity passes away. This is what the text means when it says "there is no advantage under the sun" for those who labor for such things, whose end is futility.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
He reproves his own curiosity on account of the vanity he discovered, which consists in mutability. He found therefore vanity and affliction in the works which he had done with curiosity, on account of diligent consideration; for which reason he says: "And when I turned …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Or, though wisdom and knowledge will not make a man happy (St. Paul shows a more excellent way than gifts, and that is grace), yet it is much better to have them than to be without them, in respect of our present safety, comfort, and usefulness; for the wise man's eyes are in his head (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And, behold, all was vanity - Emptiness and insufficiency in itself. And vexation of spirit - Because it promised the good I wished for, but did not, could not, perform the promise; and left my soul discontented and chagrined.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
1Co 12:2); or, one "allured" (2Pe 2:18, 19). yet acquainting . . . wisdom--literally, "and my heart (still) was behaving, or guiding itself," with wisdom [GESENIUS]. MAURER translates: "was weary of (worldly) wisdom." But the end of Ec 2:9 confirms English Version. folly--namely, pleasures of the flesh, termed "mad," Ec 2:2. all the days, &c.--(See Margin and Ec 6:12;
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Then I looked. Now at all my deeds, and I see that there is no benefit in them, for from all of them I am lacking. 17 I.e., they do not yield the eternal benefit I had expected of them.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
I did not deny. I did not distance myself to separate from them, and similarly, “and He held back some of the spirit [that was upon him] and he gave it unto.. the elders,” 13 Bamidbar:25.
I [then] turned my attention to behold wisdom. I turn away from all my affairs to delve into Torah, and madness and folly, [i.e.,] the punishment for transgressions.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּפָנִ֣יתִֽי | ufaniti | and I turned | H6437 → | |
| אֲנִ֗י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | on all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַעֲשַׂי֙ | maasai | works my | H4639 → | 236 times |
| שֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּ | sheasu | that <they> had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| יָדַ֔י | yadai | hands my | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וּבֶֽעָמָ֖ל | uveamal | and on the toil | H5999 → | 55 times |
| שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּי | sheamalti | that I had toiled | H5998 → | 11 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֨ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַכֹּ֥ל | hakol | <the> everything | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הֶ֙בֶל֙ | hevel | [was] futility | H1892 → | 73 times |
| וּרְע֣וּת | ureut | and striving of | H7469 → | 7 times |
| ר֔וּחַ | ruach | wind | H7307 → | 378 times |
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| יִתְר֖וֹן | yitron | [was] profit | H3504 → | 10 times |
| תַּ֥חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ | hashamesh | the sun | H8121 → | 134 times |
וּפָנִ֣יתִֽיand I turned
ufanitiH6437 →
אֲנִ֗יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
בְּכָל־on all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
מַעֲשַׂי֙works my
maasaiH4639 →236 times
שֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּthat <they> had done
sheasuH6213 →2628 times
יָדַ֔יhands my
yadaiH3027 →1618 times
וּבֶֽעָמָ֖לand on the toil
uveamalH5999 →55 times
שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּיthat I had toiled
sheamaltiH5998 →11 times
לַעֲשׂ֑וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
וְהִנֵּ֨הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
הַכֹּ֥ל<the> everything
hakolH3605 →5413 times
הֶ֙בֶל֙[was] futility
hevelH1892 →73 times
וּרְע֣וּתand striving of
ureutH7469 →7 times
ר֔וּחַwind
ruachH7307 →378 times
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
יִתְר֖וֹן[was] profit
yitronH3504 →10 times
תַּ֥חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃the sun
hashameshH8121 →134 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Timothy 6:6Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- 1 Timothy 6:8
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
- Philippians 4:11–13
I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.
- Proverbs 16:8
Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
- Luke 12:31–32
But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.
- Hebrews 13:5
Through
Genesis 1:31And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 4:4
For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
- Psalms 104:24
How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.
- Psalms 19:1–2
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
- 1 Timothy 4:4
Where this verse is studied
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About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 46:7; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 45:4; Gregory of Nyssa, HOMILIES ON ECCLESIASTES 4; Gregory of Nyssa, Commentary (church-history corpus); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.