Ecclesiastes 1:14

14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 1:14 in Other Translations

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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

14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

14 I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke - smoke, and spitting into the wind.

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

14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun. Look at it! It's all pointless. [It's like] trying to catch the wind.

14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

14 I've seen what is done on this earth. It doesn't have any meaning. It's like chasing the wind.

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 Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!

14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.”

Cross References

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