Ecclesiastes 2:21

Some people work wisely and skillfully, using the things that they have learned. But when they die, they leave everything, and someone who has not worked hard acquires those things. And that also seemed to be senseless and caused me to be discouraged.

Translation for Translators

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

20I thought about all the hard work that I had done. It seemed useless, and I became depressed/discouraged.

22So, it seems that people do not [RHQ] get much for all the hard work that they do and for worrying.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Cross References

2 Chronicles 31:20That is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He always faithfully did things that Yahweh his God considered to be right and good.

2 Chronicles 34:2He did things that were pleasing to Yahweh and conducted his life like his ancestor King David had done. He fully obeyed [IDM] all the laws of God.

2 Chronicles 36:5Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became the king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 11 years. He did things that Yahweh his God considers to be evil.

Psalms 49:11Those wise people once had houses on land that they owned, but now their graves are their homes forever, the place where they will stay for all time!

Ecclesiastes 9:18Being wise is more useful than a lot of weapons; but if you do one foolish thing, it is possible that because of doing that, you will ruin all the good things that you have done.

Jeremiah 22:17But Jehoiakim, you [MTY] are greedy and desire only to obtain things by acting dishonestly. You murder [MTY] innocent people, you oppress poor people, and you treat people cruelly and violently.”

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