Ecclesiastes 2:21

For there is an adam whose amal is with chochmah, and da'as, and kishron (skill); yet to an adam that hath not worked for it he must leave it for his chelek. This also is hevel and a ra'ah rabbah.

Orthodox Jewish Bible

In The King James Version

For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

In Context

20Therefore I turned aside to give up my lev to despair over all the wearisome amal with which I toiled under the shemesh.

22For what hath adam for all his amal, and for all the striving of his lev, wherein he hath labored under the shemesh?

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Cross References

2 Chronicles 31:20And thus did Chizkiyahu (Yechizkiyahu) throughout kol Yehudah, and wrought that which was tov and yashar and emes before Hashem Elohav.

2 Chronicles 34:2And he did that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem, and walked in the ways of Dovid Aviv, and veered off neither right nor left.

2 Chronicles 36:5Y'hoyakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Yerushalayim; and he did that which was rah in the eyes of Hashem Elohav.

Psalms 49:11For he seeth that chachamim die, 1 likewise the kesil (foolish) and the ba'ar (brutish, senseless person, dolt) perish, 1 and leave their chayil (wealth) to others. 1

Ecclesiastes 9:18Chochmah is better than weapons of war, but one choteh destroyeth much good.

Jeremiah 22:17But thine eynayim (eyes) and thine lev 1 are but for thy betza (covetousness, greed) 1 and for to shed dahm hanaki (innocent blood), 1 and for oshek (oppression), and for merutzah (extortion, persecution), to do it.

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 2:21