Ecclesiastes 2:10
in Ecclesiastes 2Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.
KJV
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 2
Commentary
14 notes on this verse"Whatever my eyes desired I did not deny them; I did not deprive myself of any joy. Indeed my heart drew joy from all my activities, and this was my reward for all my endeavours. "The eyes of the heart and the sight of the mind desire to gaze on spiritual matters, which the sinner does not see, so forbids his heart from true happiness. Therefore Ecclesiastes gave himself completely over to this cause and balanced eternal glory lightly in an world of discord. This is our lot, and our continual reward if we work for our virtues.
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
this was the reward
Wesley and Henry read the word for reward as portion, the share a man receives, and take it as the present delight of his work. Henry adds that this was all his labor could give him. Didymus the Blind takes heart here as reason.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
In the literal sense the following is meant: If I desired something among the things in the visible world, I did not keep my eyes from them. I got everything that I longed for. John says in his letter: "The desire of the flesh, the …
"Heart" does not here signify the organ but reason. In a different passage [we read]: "Blessed are the pure in heart." This means with regard to reason. And: "Listen to me, you stubborn of heart." The heart thus understood does not need to be "kept …
As is well known, the person who toils for something in his heart suffers if he does not succeed with it. Ecclesiastes thus wants to say: I did not fail in any of the things I hoped for in my toil. Further: The person who …
The Medieval Church2 voices
They nourish their hearts in self-indulgence who, according to the word of Ecclesiastes, do not prevent their heart from enjoying every wish and from delighting itself in the things which they have prepared. And they count it their due if they themselves make use of …
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
"And all things which they desired" etc. Here the fourth point is touched upon, namely his pleasure in fully enjoying those delectable things which he had prepared; and because there is a certain pleasure which has its origin from without, and a certain one from …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He met with no disappointment in it to give him any disturbance: This was my portion of all my labour; he had this added to all the rest of his pleasures that in them he did not only see, but eat, the labour of his hands; and this was all he had, for indeed it was all he could expect, from his labours.
And - Whatsoever was grateful to my senses. Rejoiced - I had the comfort of all my labours, and was not hindered from the full enjoyment of them by sickness or war, or any other calamity. My portion - This present enjoyment of them, was all the benefit which I could expect from all my labours.
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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;
I withheld not my heart from any joy - He had every means of gratification; he could desire nothing that was not within his reach; and whatever he wished, he took care to possess.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Portion - A word of frequent occurrence. By it Solomon describes the pleasure found in the act of working and also perhaps the pleasure felt in the process of acquiring wisdom; this pleasure is admitted to be good, if received from God (Ecc 2:26; Ecc 5:18; compare 1Ti 4:4); but being transitory it is subject to vanity, and therefore does not afford a sufficient answer to the repeated question, “What profit etc.?” Ecc 1:3.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
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.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
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.
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
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכֹל֙ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָֽׁאֲל֣וּ | shaalu | they asked | H7592 → | |
| עֵינַ֔י | ʾeinai | eyes my | H5869 → | 887 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָצַ֖לְתִּי | ʾatzalti | I withheld | H680 → | |
| מֵהֶ֑ם | mehem | from <the> them | ||
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מָנַ֨עְתִּי | mana'ti | I restrained | H4513 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִבִּ֜י | libi | heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| מִכָּל־ | mikol | from any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שִׂמְחָ֗ה | simchah | pleasure | H8057 → | 94 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לִבִּ֤י | libi | heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| שָׂמֵ֙חַ֙ | sameach | [was] joyful | H8056 → | |
| מִכָּל־ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֲמָלִ֔י | ʾamali | toil my | H5999 → | 55 times |
| וְזֶֽה־ | vezeh- | and this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| הָיָ֥ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| חֶלְקִ֖י | chelki | reward my | H2506 → | 67 times |
| מִכָּל־ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֲמָלִֽי׃ | ʾamali | toil my | H5999 → | 55 times |
וְכֹל֙and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
שָֽׁאֲל֣וּthey asked
shaaluH7592 →
עֵינַ֔יeyes my
ʾeinaiH5869 →887 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אָצַ֖לְתִּיI withheld
ʾatzaltiH680 →
מֵהֶ֑םfrom <the> them
mehem
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
מָנַ֨עְתִּיI restrained
mana'tiH4513 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לִבִּ֜יheart my
libiH3820 →595 times
מִכָּל־from any
mikolH3605 →5413 times
שִׂמְחָ֗הpleasure
simchahH8057 →94 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
לִבִּ֤יheart my
libiH3820 →595 times
שָׂמֵ֙חַ֙[was] joyful
sameachH8056 →
מִכָּל־from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
עֲמָלִ֔יtoil my
ʾamaliH5999 →55 times
וְזֶֽה־and this
vezeh-H2088 →1180 times
הָיָ֥הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
חֶלְקִ֖יreward my
chelkiH2506 →67 times
מִכָּל־from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
עֲמָלִֽי׃toil my
ʾamaliH5999 →55 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
Psalms 128:2For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours.
it leads to
- Isaiah 3:10
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
- Isaiah 62:8
The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain to your enemies for food, nor will foreigners drink the new wine for which…
- Isaiah 65:21–23
They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
- Ecclesiastes 5:18–19
Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life…
- Deuteronomy 28:4
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, as well as the produce of your land and the offspring of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
- Isaiah 3:10
Through
Psalms 119:37Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
- Proverbs 4:25
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
- 1 John 2:16
Through
Ecclesiastes 5:18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life…
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 2:24
Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ecclesiastes 2:24
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles, James 5:5; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 44:17; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 43:23; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 44:23; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.