Ecclesiastes 1:14

14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is ¹vanity and a striving after wind.^[a]

Ecclesiastes 1:14 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 1:14

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun
All things done by the Lord, that were on the earth, and in it, and in the sea; he considered them, and endeavoured to search into the nature of them; and did attain to a very great knowledge of them, so that he could speak of them to the instruction of others; see ( 1 Kings 4:33 ) ; and all that were done by men, by their head, or by their hands; all that were written or wrought by them; all their philosophical works and experiments, and all their mechanic operations; as well as all their good and bad works, in a moral sense; so the Targum,

``I saw all the deeds of the children of men, which are done under the sun in this world;''

and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit;
not only the things known, but the knowledge of them; it is mere vanity, there is nothing solid and substantial in it, or that can make a man happy; yea, on the contrary, it is vexatious and distressing; it is not only a weariness to the flesh to obtain it, but, in the reflection of it, gives pain and uneasiness to the mind: it is a "breaking of the spirit"

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 of the man, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Alshech, interpret the phrase; it wastes and consumes his spirit, as well as his time, and all to no purpose; it is, as some ancient Greek versions and others render it, and not amiss, a "feeding on wind" ^F15; what is useless and unprofitable, and like labouring for that; see ( Hosea 12:1 ) ( Job 15:2 ) ( Ecclesiastes 5:16 ) ; and so Aben Ezra.
F14 (xwr twer) "affiictio spiritus", V. L. Junius & Tremellius; "contritio spiritus", so some in Vatablus.
F15 (nomh anemou) , Aquila; "pastio venti", Mercerus, Piscator, Gejerus, Amama.

Ecclesiastes 1:14 In-Context

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.

14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said in my heart, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."

Cross References

• 1. ver. 2; Ecclesiastes 2:11, 17, 26; Ecclesiastes 4:4; Ecclesiastes 6:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Or a feeding on wind; compare Hosea 12:1 (so throughout Ecclesiastes)