Ecclesiastes 2:18

18 I hated all the things I had worked for here on earth, because I must leave them to someone who will live after me.

Ecclesiastes 2:18 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 2:18

Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun,
&c.] The great works he made, the houses he built; the vineyards, gardens, and orchards he planted what he got by his labour, his riches and wealth; and what he also got, not by the labour of his hands, but of his mind. Some understand this of the books he wrote; which were a weariness to his body, and fatigue to his mind; and which he might fear some persons would make an ill use of: Aben Ezra interprets it of his labour in this book. All which he had no great regard unto, since it was to be left to another; because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me;
because he could not enjoy the fruits of his labour himself, at least but a very short time: but must be obliged to leave all to another, his possessions, estates, riches, and treasure; which a man cannot carry with him when he dies, but must leave all behind him, to his heirs and successors F24. The Targum is,

``because I shall leave it to Rehoboam my son, who shall come after me; and Jeroboam his servant shall come and take ten tribes out of his hands, and possess half the kingdom.''

FOOTNOTES:

F24 "Rape, congere, aufer, posside, relinquendum est." Martial. Epigr. l. 8. Ep. 43.

Ecclesiastes 2:18 In-Context

16 The wise person and the fool will both die, and no one will remember either one for long. In the future, both will be forgotten.
17 So I hated life. It made me sad to think that everything here on earth is useless, like chasing the wind.
18 I hated all the things I had worked for here on earth, because I must leave them to someone who will live after me.
19 Someone else will control everything for which I worked so hard here on earth, and I don't know if he will be wise or foolish. This is also useless.
20 So I became sad about all the hard work I had done here on earth.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.