Ecclesiastes 2:11 BSB

Ecclesiastes 2:11

Yet 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

Parallel translations (2) ▾

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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Commentary

3 voices

Jerome

Commentary on Ecclesiastes (420)

"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.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

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.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

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;

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

18 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וּפָנִ֣יתִֽי	u.fa.Ni.ti	and I turned	H6437 →
אֲנִ֗י	'a.Ni	I	H589 →
בְּכָל־	be.khol	on all	H3605 →
מַעֲשַׂי֙	ma.'a.Sai	works my	H4639 →
שֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּ	she.'a.Su	that <they> had done	H6213 →
יָדַ֔י	ya.Dai	hands my	H3027 →
וּבֶֽעָמָ֖ל	u.ve.'a.Mal	and on the toil	H5999 →
שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּי	she.'a.Mal.ti	that I had toiled	H5998 →
לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת	la.'a.Sot	to do	H6213 →
וְהִנֵּ֨ה	ve.hi.Neh	and there!	H2009 →
הַכֹּ֥ל	ha.Kol	<the> everything	H3605 →
הֶ֙בֶל֙	he.vel	[was] futility	H1892 →
וּרְע֣וּת	u.re.'Ut	and striving of	H7469 →
ר֔וּחַ	Ru.ach	wind	H7307 →
וְאֵ֥ין	ve.'Ein	and there not	H369 →
יִתְר֖וֹן	yit.Ron	[was] profit	H3504 →
תַּ֥חַת	Ta.chat	under	H8478 →
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃	ha.Sha.mesh	the sun	H8121 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 Timothy 6:6
Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
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.
Through
Genesis 1:31
And 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.
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.

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Vanity Under the Sun — Ecclesiastes

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About Ecclesiastes

King Solomon in Old Age — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Ecclesiastes: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: Ecclesiastes 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Ecclesiastes

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Ecclesiastes