Ecclesiastes 2:11
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labours wherein I had laboured in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind, and that nothing was lasting under the sun.

i looked

Ecclesiastes 2:14 The eyes of a wise man are in his head: the fool walketh in darkness: and I learned that they were to die both alike.

Genesis 1:31 And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. And the evening and morning were the sixth day.

Exodus 39:43 And when Moses saw all things finished, he blessed them.

1 John 2:16,17 For all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life, which is not of the Father but is of the world. . . .

behold

Ecclesiastes 1:3,14 What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun? . . .

Habakkuk 2:13 Are not these things from the Lord of hosts? for the people shall labour in a great fire: and the nations in vain, and they shall faint.

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Context
The Futility of Pleasure
10And whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not: and I withheld not my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the things which I had prepared: and esteemed this my portion, to make use of my own labour. 11And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labours wherein I had laboured in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind, and that nothing was lasting under the sun.
Cross References
Psalm 89:47
Remember what my substance is: for hast thou made all the children of men in vain?

Ecclesiastes 1:3
What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 1:17
And I have given my heart to know prudence, and learning, and errors, and folly: and I have perceived that in these also there was labour, and vexation of spirit,

Ecclesiastes 2:18
Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,

Ecclesiastes 2:22
For what profit shall a man have of all his labour, and vexation of spirit, with which he hath been tormented under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 2:23
All his days are full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity?

Ecclesiastes 3:9
What hath man more of his labour?

Ecclesiastes 5:10
A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 5:16
A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

Lexicon
Yet when I
אֲנִ֗י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 589: I

considered
וּפָנִ֣יתִֽי (ū·p̄ā·nî·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the works
מַעֲשַׂי֙ (ma·‘ă·śay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

that my hands
יָדַ֔י (yā·ḏay)
Noun - fdc | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 3027: A hand

had accomplished
שֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּ (še·‘ā·śū)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's Hebrew 6213: To do, make

and [what]
וּבֶֽעָמָ֖ל (ū·ḇe·‘ā·māl)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind

I had toiled
שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּי (še·‘ā·mal·tî)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 5998: To toil, work severely and with irksomeness

to achieve,
לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 6213: To do, make

I found
וְהִנֵּ֨ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's Hebrew 2009: Lo! behold!

everything
הַכֹּ֥ל (hak·kōl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3605: The whole, all, any, every

to be futile,
הֶ֙בֶל֙ (he·ḇel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

a pursuit
וּרְע֣וּת (ū·rə·‘ūṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 7469: A feeding upon, grasping after

of the wind;
ר֔וּחַ (rū·aḥ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's Hebrew 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

there was nothing
וְאֵ֥ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's Hebrew 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

to be gained
יִתְר֖וֹן (yiṯ·rō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3504: Preeminence, gain

under
תַּ֥חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

the sun.
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (haš·šā·meš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's Hebrew 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement


Additional Translations
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.Then I looked on all the works that my hands had worked, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

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.

And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labour which I laboured to perform: and behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do [them]; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

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 a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

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 vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!
Jump to Previous
Achieve Activities Advantage Chasing Considered Cost Gained Hands Labor Laboured Profit Purpose Pursuit Spent Spirit Striving Sun Surveyed Toil Toiled Vanity Vexation Whole Wind Worked Working Works Wrought
Jump to Next
Achieve Activities Advantage Chasing Considered Cost Gained Hands Labor Laboured Profit Purpose Pursuit Spent Spirit Striving Sun Surveyed Toil Toiled Vanity Vexation Whole Wind Worked Working Works Wrought
External Links
Ecclesiastes 2:11 NIV
Ecclesiastes 2:11 NLT
Ecclesiastes 2:11 ESV
Ecclesiastes 2:11 NASB
Ecclesiastes 2:11 ASV

Ecclesiastes 2:11 Bible Apps
Ecclesiastes 2:11 Biblia Paralela
Ecclesiastes 2:11 Chinese Bible
Ecclesiastes 2:11 French Bible
Ecclesiastes 2:11 German Bible

Alphabetical: a achieve activities after all and behold chasing considered done everything exerted gained had hands I labor meaningless my no nothing profit striving sun surveyed that the there Thus to toiled under vanity was what when which wind Yet

OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I looked at all the works (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools

Ecclesiastes 2:10
Top of Page
Top of Page