Ecclesiastes 2:11 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.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 nkjv

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 niv

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 esv

Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 nlt

But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless ? like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

Ecclesiastes 2 verses

Ecclesiastes 2 11 Meaning

Ecclesiastes 2:11 conveys Qoheleth's ultimate disillusionment and conclusion after systematically pursuing every conceivable source of human satisfaction "under the sun"—including pleasure, grand works, accumulated wealth, and even wisdom itself. He reflects upon the immense labor and achievements of his hands only to declare that all of it, when divorced from a divine perspective, proves to be impermanent, futile, frustratingly elusive, and utterly devoid of lasting advantage or true significance. It reveals that the pursuit of earthly goods and endeavors as ultimate ends cannot provide true and enduring fulfillment.

Ecclesiastes 2 11 Context

Ecclesiastes chapter 2 describes Qoheleth's personal, extensive, and deliberate "experiments" in finding ultimate meaning and satisfaction apart from God, from a purely human perspective. Having pursued wisdom (Eccl 1:16-18), he then turned his attention to worldly endeavors. He explored pleasure and folly (Eccl 2:1-3), embarked on colossal building projects, cultivated gardens and parks, acquired vast numbers of servants and livestock, amassed gold and silver, enjoyed fine music, and gathered many concubines (Eccl 2:4-8). He pursued all these things with great diligence, excelling beyond any who came before him, retaining his wisdom through it all (Eccl 2:9). He held nothing back from his eyes or heart (Eccl 2:10). Verse 11 serves as his climactic, decisive conclusion to this grand worldly pursuit: despite the immense effort and apparent achievement, he found it all to be "vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun." This discovery drives the rest of the book's theological journey, culminating in the call to fear God.

Ecclesiastes 2 11 Word analysis

• looked (Hebrew: pā·nâ, פָּנָה): To turn, direct attention to. This word signifies a deliberate review, a careful post-hoc assessment of his past actions and their results. It implies deep reflection and a mental processing of the outcomes of his "experiment."
• works (Hebrew: ma·‘ă·śeh, מַעֲשֶׂה): Deeds, acts, accomplishments, achievements, enterprises. This refers to the vast array of tangible things Qoheleth created or managed—his construction projects, agricultural developments, and all other forms of worldly productivity detailed in chapter 2.
• wrought (Hebrew: ‘ā·śāh, עָשָׂה): To do, to make, to produce, to achieve. Emphasizes the active process of creating and accomplishing.
• labour (Hebrew: ‘āmāl, עָמָל): Toil, painful effort, struggle, trouble, misery often associated with the fruit of this strenuous effort. It points to the hard, exhausting work involved in achieving his great undertakings. This word can carry the connotation of vexing or distressing labor.
• laboured to do (Hebrew: yā·ḡa‘, יָגַע): To exert oneself, to grow weary, to toil hard, to struggle. This emphasizes the physical and mental exertion and the weariness associated with his immense endeavors.
• behold (Hebrew: hin·nêh, הִנֵּה): An interjection signaling immediate observation, surprise, or an emphatic declaration. It highlights the sudden and stark realization of his conclusion, often used to introduce something significant.
• vanity (Hebrew: heḇel, הֶבֶל): Breath, vapor, mere breath, transience, emptiness, futility, meaninglessness, absurd, enigma. This is the keynote word of Ecclesiastes, appearing over 30 times. It does not necessarily mean absolute worthlessness or nothingness, but rather that which is ephemeral, insubstantial, elusive, ultimately incomprehensible, and unable to provide lasting significance or satisfaction from a human standpoint. It is like trying to grasp smoke.
• vexation of spirit (Hebrew: re‘ut ruakh, רְעוּת רוּחַ): Literally, "feeding on wind" or "striving after wind" (often translated as "a striving after wind" or "chasing after wind"). Re'ut implies "shepherding," "grazing," or "pursuing," while ruakh refers to "wind," "spirit," or "breath." This phrase vividly describes the frustrating, futile, and unsatisfying nature of human efforts. It suggests an elusive and ungraspable quality to these pursuits, a relentless chase that yields nothing substantial or permanent, leading to exhaustion without reward.
• no profit (Hebrew: êyn yiṯrôn, אֵין יִתְרוֹן): No advantage, no lasting gain, no enduring benefit, no permanent surplus. Yithron is a term exclusive to Ecclesiastes, signifying a "surplus" or "advantage" that carries over or endures beyond a current transaction or the span of one's life. The declaration of "no profit" means that all these efforts provided no cumulative, eternal, or genuinely enriching return on investment.
• under the sun (Hebrew: taḥat haššemeš, תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ): A recurring phrase in Ecclesiastes, occurring 29 times. It specifies the perspective from which Qoheleth conducts his inquiry and renders his judgments. It refers to human life and endeavors as observed and experienced purely from an earthly, temporal standpoint, limited by death, natural observation, and devoid of divine revelation or an eternal, transcendent purpose. It defines the realm where hevel predominates.

Words-group analysis:

• all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: This emphasizes the comprehensive and intensely personal nature of Qoheleth's worldly experiment. He held nothing back, engaged in vast undertakings, and dedicated significant personal effort and physical exertion to achieve his goals. This was not a superficial observation but a deep, hands-on engagement.
• behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit: This phrase encapsulates the core philosophical insight of the verse. The abrupt "behold" signals a profound revelation, marking the climax of his personal journey of discovery. The combination of "vanity" (hevel – transient, unsubstantial) and "vexation of spirit" (re'ut ruach – frustrating, elusive effort) paints a bleak picture of comprehensive futility and unsatisfying pursuit, even at the height of achievement.
• and there was no profit under the sun: This summarizes the ultimate outcome from an earthly accounting perspective. It implies that for all the toil and accumulation, there was no lasting advantage or permanent value that could truly transcend mortality or bring genuine, enduring fulfillment. The boundary "under the sun" highlights that this is the verdict for life viewed without a divine, transcendent reference point.

Ecclesiastes 2 11 Bonus section

• This verse represents Qoheleth's unique, experiential methodology for discovering truth about life's ultimate meaning. Unlike many ancient wisdom teachers who pronounced doctrines, Qoheleth conducts an "investigation" and reports his findings, making the conclusion profoundly impactful because it comes from a place of firsthand, exhaustive engagement.
• The phrase "under the sun" is not a dismissal of all earthly activity, but rather a specific criticism of human endeavors that are disconnected from God's wisdom and eternal plan. The implication is that activities, including work and wisdom, can indeed have meaning when approached with the fear of God and aligned with His will (as the book's final chapters affirm).
• Ecclesiastes 2:11 stands as an implicit polemic against ancient and modern philosophies that assert human self-sufficiency and the ability to find ultimate meaning or satisfaction solely through human effort, intelligence, or material accumulation. It challenges the "wisdom of the world" (1 Cor 1:20-25) by demonstrating its inherent limitations from an empirical standpoint.
• The raw honesty of this verse—coming from someone with unparalleled resources and capacity to pursue anything—lends immense weight to its message. It is a cautionary tale for all who seek ultimate satisfaction in temporary, perishable things.

Ecclesiastes 2 11 Commentary

Ecclesiastes 2:11 serves as the decisive, often startling, conclusion to Qoheleth's extensive personal exploration of earthly endeavors as sources of satisfaction. Having meticulously experimented with everything human hands could build, attain, or labor over—from architectural marvels to vast wealth and cultivated pleasure—he reflects and renders a sober verdict. The triple declaration of "vanity" (hevel), "vexation of spirit" (re'ut ruach), and "no profit" (yithron) powerfully underscores his discovery that such pursuits, when approached "under the sun" (i.e., independent of God's overarching purpose), ultimately prove illusory, unsatisfying, and fleeting.

"Vanity" implies the inherent transience and insubstantial nature of these achievements; they offer no enduring meaning. "Vexation of spirit" depicts the exhausting and frustrating experience of pursuing things that are impossible to grasp or which leave an unquenchable thirst. Finally, "no profit" seals the verdict, indicating that nothing of eternal or ultimate value accumulates from a life spent solely on worldly pursuits. This conclusion sets the stage for the book's subsequent pivot towards recognizing God as the source of true meaning, contentment, and joy.

Practical Examples:

• A person who dedicates their entire life to building a massive corporate empire, only to find themselves profoundly empty and isolated at the top, realizing wealth alone cannot fill the void.
• An individual constantly chasing fleeting pleasures and fleeting sensations, moving from one gratification to another, yet always feeling a deep, nagging dissatisfaction.
• An academic who dedicates decades to accumulating vast knowledge and achieving intellectual renown but never finds peace or a coherent purpose for existence within that wisdom alone.