Ecclesiastes 2:22

For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart in which he labors under the sun?

A Conservative Version

In The King James Version

For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

In Context

21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skillfulness, yet he shall leave it to a man who has not labored in it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

23For all his days are [but] sorrows, and his travail is grief, yea, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Cross References

Proverbs 16:26The appetite of the laboring man labors for him, for his mouth urges him.

Ecclesiastes 2:11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do, and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 4:6Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 5:10He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 6:7All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Matthew 6:11Give us this day the bread sufficient for us.

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 2:18-26

Sources of Dissatisfaction; The Cheerful Use of Abundance. 17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Ecclesiastes 2:22