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Ecclesiastes 2

Eccl. 2:11 KJV (With Strong’s)

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11
Thenk I looked
panah (Hebrew #6437)
to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. appear, look, etc.
KJV usage: appear, at (even-)tide, behold, cast out, come on, X corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to), (re-)turn (aside, away, back, face, self), X right (early).
Pronounce: paw-naw'
Origin: a primitive root
on all the works
ma`aseh (Hebrew #4639)
an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property
KJV usage: act, art, + bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, X well, ((handy-, needle-, net-))work(ing, - manship), wrought.
Pronounce: mah-as-eh'
Origin: from 6213
that my hands
yad (Hebrew #3027)
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows)
KJV usage: (+ be) able, X about, + armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad, (broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, + creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship, force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in, labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine, ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain, power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing, + thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side, where, + wide, X with (him, me, you), work, + yield, X yourselves.
Pronounce: yawd
Origin: a primitive word
had wrought
`asah (Hebrew #6213)
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows)
KJV usage: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
Pronounce: aw-saw'
Origin: a primitive root
, and on the labor
`amal (Hebrew #5999)
toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind
KJV usage: grievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.
Pronounce: aw-mawl'
Origin: from 5998
that I had labored
`amal (Hebrew #5998)
to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness
KJV usage: (take) labour (in).
Pronounce: aw-mal'
Origin: a primitive root
to do
`asah (Hebrew #6213)
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows)
KJV usage: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
Pronounce: aw-saw'
Origin: a primitive root
: and, behold, allm was vanity
hebel (Hebrew #1892)
from 1891; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb
KJV usage: X altogether, vain, vanity.
Pronounce: heh'bel
Origin: or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}
and vexation
r`uwth (Hebrew #7469)
a feeding upon, i.e. grasping after
KJV usage: vexation.
Pronounce: reh-ooth'
Origin: probably from 7462
of spirit
ruwach (Hebrew #7307)
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
KJV usage: air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)), tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).
Pronounce: roo'-akh
Origin: from 7306
, and there was no profit
yithrown (Hebrew #3504)
preeminence, gain
KJV usage: better, excellency(-leth), profit(-able).
Pronounce: yith-rone'
Origin: from 3498
n under the sun
shemesh (Hebrew #8121)
the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (arch.) a notched battlement
KJV usage: + east side(-ward), sun ((rising)), + west(-ward), window. See also 1053.
Pronounce: sheh'-mesh
Origin: from an unused root meaning to be brilliant
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k
1 John 2:16‑17• 16because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
 17And the world is passing, and its lust, but he that does the will of God abides for eternity. (1 John 2:16‑17)
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Eccl. 11:8• 8but if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many: all that cometh is vanity. (Eccl. 11:8)
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1 Tim. 6:6• 6But piety with contentment *is* great gain. (1 Tim. 6:6)

More on:

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Spirit,
Sun

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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I looked.
Eccl. 1:14• 14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind. (Eccl. 1:14)
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Gen. 1:31• 31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. (Gen. 1:31)
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Ex. 39:43• 43And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as Jehovah had commanded--so had they done it; and Moses blessed them. (Ex. 39:43)
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1 John 2:16‑17• 16because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
 17And the world is passing, and its lust, but he that does the will of God abides for eternity. (1 John 2:16‑17)
behold.
Eccl. 2:17‑23• 17And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
 18And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
 19And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
 20Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.
 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.
 22For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?
 23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity. (Eccl. 2:17‑23)
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Eccl. 1:3,14• 3What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
 14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind. (Eccl. 1:3,14)
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Hab. 2:13• 13Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain? (Hab. 2:13)
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1 Tim. 6:6• 6But piety with contentment *is* great gain. (1 Tim. 6:6)
• Soon he will look round on the result of all his work, and be able to say, “All is very good; I can now rest in the full enjoyment of my labor and be satisfied.” But when he does reach the end, when every pleasure tried, every beauty of surrounding created, and he expects to eat the fruit of his work, instantly his mouth is filled with rottenness and decay. (“Ecclesiastes 2” by F.C. Jennings)
• Turn and listen to this sweet voice: “If any man thirst” (and what man does not?) “let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Thirst not only quenched, but water to spare for other thirsting ones― the void not only filled, but running over with a constant flow of blessing. Who can express the glories of that contrast? (“Ecclesiastes 2” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

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

JND Translation Notes

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g
Lit "that I had laboured," as vers. 19,20.