Ecclesiastes 2:22

For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?

Darby Translation

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 labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Cross References

Proverbs 16:26The appetite of the labourer laboureth for him, for his mouth urgeth him on.

Ecclesiastes 2:11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do [them]; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 4:6Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

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

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

Matthew 6:11give us to-day our needed bread,

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