传道书 1:14

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

我看過日光之下所發生的一切事，不料，一切都是虛空，都是捕風。

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
我 见 日 光 之 下 所 做 的 一 切 事 ， 都 是 虚 空 ， 都 是 捕 风 。

Contextual Overview

¹² I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ I decided to use my wisdom to learn about everything that happens on earth. I learned that God has given us terrible things to face. ¹⁴ I looked at everything done on earth and saw that it is all useless, like chasing the wind. ¹⁵ If something is crooked, you can't make it straight. If something is missing, you can't say it is there. ¹⁶ I said to myself, "I have become very wise and am now wiser than anyone who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are." ¹⁷ So I decided to find out about wisdom and knowledge and also about foolish thinking, but this turned out to be like chasing the wind. ¹⁸ With much wisdom comes much disappointment; the person who gains more knowledge also gains more sorrow.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:17, Ecclesiastes 1:18, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:17, Ecclesiastes 2:26, 1 Kings 4:30-32, Psalms 39:5, Psalms 39:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - cursed Genesis 42:38 - bring Esther 5:13 - Yet all this Job 7:3 - months of Psalms 78:33 - years Psalms 127:2 - vain Psalms 144:4 - Man Ecclesiastes 2:15 - Then I Ecclesiastes 3:10 - General Ecclesiastes 4:3 - who Ecclesiastes 4:4 - This is Ecclesiastes 4:16 - this Ecclesiastes 6:9 - this Ecclesiastes 8:9 - this Ecclesiastes 11:10 - for Ecclesiastes 12:8 - General Jeremiah 2:13 - broken cisterns Matthew 11:28 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the sky and the earth.

Genesis 1:2
The earth was empty and had no form. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit was moving over the water.

Genesis 1:3
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Genesis 1:4
God saw that the light was good, so he divided the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:6
Then God said, "Let there be something to divide the water in two."

Genesis 1:7
So God made the air and placed some of the water above the air and some below it.

Genesis 1:8
God named the air "sky." Evening passed, and morning came. This was the second day.

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered together so the dry land will appear." And it happened.

Genesis 1:12
The earth produced plants with grain for seeds and trees that made fruits with seeds in them. Each seed grew its own kind of plant. God saw that all this was good.

Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night. These lights will be used for signs, seasons, days, and years.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun,.... All things done by the Lord, that were on the earth, and in it, and in the sea; he considered them, and endeavoured to search into the nature of them; and did attain to a very great knowledge of them, so that he could speak of them to the instruction of others; see 1 Kings 4:33; and all that were done by men, by their head, or by their hands; all that were written or wrought by them; all their philosophical works and experiments, and all their mechanic operations; as well as all their good and bad works, in a moral sense; so the Targum,

"I saw all the deeds of the children of men, which are done under the sun in this world;''

and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit; not only the things known, but the knowledge of them; it is mere vanity, there is nothing solid and substantial in it, or that can make a man happy; yea, on the contrary, it is vexatious and distressing; it is not only a weariness to the flesh to obtain it, but, in the reflection of it, gives pain and uneasiness to the mind: it is a "breaking of the spirit" n of the man, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Alshech, interpret the phrase; it wastes and consumes his spirit, as well as his time, and all to no purpose; it is, as some ancient Greek versions and others render it, and not amiss, a "feeding on wind" o; what is useless and unprofitable, and like labouring for that; see Hosea 12:1 Ecclesiastes 5:16; and so Aben Ezra.

n רעות רוח "affiictio spiritus", V. L. Junius Tremellius "contritio spiritus", so some in Vatablus. o νομη ανεμου, Aquila; "pastio venti", Mercerus, Piscator, Gejerus, Amama.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Vexation of spirit - A phrase which occurs 7 times, and may be otherwise translated, “feeding on wind.” Modern Hebrew grammarians assert that the word rendered “vexation” must be derived from a root signifying “to feed,” “follow,” “strive after.” This being admitted, it remains to choose between two translations:

(1) “striving after wind,” or “windy effort;” adopted by the Septuagint and the majority of modern interpreters; or

(2) feeding on wind. Compare Hosea 12:1 : and similar phrases in Proverbs 15:14; Isaiah 44:20; Psalms 37:3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. Behold, all is vanity — After all these discussions and experiments, when even the results have been the most successful, I have found only rational satisfaction; but not that supreme good by which alone the soul can be made happy.

O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane!

"How anxious are our cares, and yet how vain

The bent of our desires!"

PERS. Sat. i., v. 1.