Ecclesiastes 3:9

9 What does the worker gain in his toil?

Ecclesiastes 3:9 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 3:9

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he
laboureth?
] That is, he has none. This is an inference drawn from the above premises, and confirms what has been before observed, ( Ecclesiastes 1:3 ) ( 2:11 ) ; Man has no profit of his labour, since his time is so short to enjoy it, and he leaves it to another, he knows not who; and, while he lives, is attended with continual vicissitudes and changes; sometimes it is a time for one thing, and sometimes for its contrary, so that there is nothing certain, and to be depended on; and a man can promise himself nothing in this world pleasant or profitable to him, and much less that will be of any advantage to him hereafter. The Targum adds,

``to make treasures and gather mammon, unless he is helped by Providence above;''
though it is man's duty to labour, yet all his toil and labour will be fruitless without a divine blessing; there is a time and season for everything in providence, and there is no striving against that.

Ecclesiastes 3:9 In-Context

7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak;
8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time [for] war and a time [for] peace.
9 What does the worker gain in his toil?
10 I have seen the busyness God gives to {humans} to preoccupy them.
11 He has made everything suitable in its time. He also has put {the past} in their hearts, yet no one can grasp what God does from the beginning to the end.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.