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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• 16For 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 passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (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 godliness 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 vexation of spirit. (Eccl. 1:14)
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Gen. 1:31• 31And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Gen. 1:31)
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Ex. 39:43• 43And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. (Ex. 39:43)
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1 John 2:16‑17• 16For 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 passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:16‑17)
behold.
Eccl. 2:17‑23• 17Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
 18Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
 19And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
 20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.
 21For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
 22For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath labored under the sun?
 23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. (Eccl. 2:17‑23)
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Eccl. 1:3,14• 3What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?
 14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. (Eccl. 1:3,14)
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Hab. 2:13• 13Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? (Hab. 2:13)
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1 Tim. 6:6• 6But godliness 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.