Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

Ecclesiastes 1:3

For what els hath a man of all the labour that he taketh vnder the sunne?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Covetousness;   Industry;   Thompson Chain Reference - Business Life;   Capital and Labour;   Fruitless Labour;   Labour;   Toil;   Worldly;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wisdom literature;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Poetry;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Canon of the Old Testament;   Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Labor;   Pain;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Deism;   Ḳohelet (Ecclesiastes) Rabbah;   Sun;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 4;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
What does a person gain for all his effortsthat he labors at under the sun?
Hebrew Names Version
What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
King James Version
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
English Standard Version
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
New American Standard Bible
What advantage does a person have in all his work Which he does under the sun?
New Century Version
What do people really gain from all the hard work they do here on earth?
Amplified Bible
What advantage does man have from all his work Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?
World English Bible
What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
Geneva Bible (1587)
What remaineth vnto man in all his trauaile, which he suffereth vnder ye sunne?
Legacy Standard Bible
What advantage does man have in all his laborIn which he labors under the sun?
Berean Standard Bible
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
Contemporary English Version
What is there to show for all of our hard work here on this earth?
Complete Jewish Bible
What does a person gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
Darby Translation
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
Easy-to-Read Version
Do people really gain anything from all the hard work they do in this life?
George Lamsa Translation
What profit has a man of all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
Good News Translation
You spend your life working, laboring, and what do you have to show for it?
Lexham English Bible
What does a person gain in all his toil with which he toils under the sun?
Literal Translation
What is the profit to a man in all his labor which he labors under the sun?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For what els hath a ma, of all the labor yt he taketh vnder the Sonne?
American Standard Version
What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?
Bible in Basic English
What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
King James Version (1611)
What profite hath a man of all his labour which hee taketh vnder the Sunne?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What advantage is there to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?
English Revised Version
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
Update Bible Version
What profit has man of all his labor wherein he labors under the sun?
Webster's Bible Translation
What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun?
New English Translation
What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?
New King James Version
What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
New Living Translation
What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?
New Life Bible
What does a man get for all his work which he does under the sun?
New Revised Standard
What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
Douay-Rheims Bible
What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?
Revised Standard Version
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
Young's Literal Translation
What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?

Contextual Overview

1 The wordes of the preacher ye sonne of Dauid kyng of Hierusalem. 2 All is but most vayne vanitie saith the preacher, & all is most vayne [I say] and but playne vanitie. 3 For what els hath a man of all the labour that he taketh vnder the sunne?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

profit: Ecclesiastes 2:22, Ecclesiastes 3:9, Ecclesiastes 5:16, Proverbs 23:4, Proverbs 23:5, Isaiah 55:2, Habakkuk 2:13, Habakkuk 2:18, Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36, Mark 8:37, John 6:27

under: Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:19, Ecclesiastes 4:3, Ecclesiastes 4:7, Ecclesiastes 5:18, Ecclesiastes 6:12, Ecclesiastes 7:11, Ecclesiastes 8:15-17, Ecclesiastes 9:3, Ecclesiastes 9:6, Ecclesiastes 9:13

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - cursed Genesis 3:19 - In Psalms 119:96 - I have seen

Cross-References

Job 36:30
Behold, he doth stretch his light vpon it, and couereth the bottome of the sea.
Job 38:19
Then shewe me the way where light dwelleth, & where is the place of darkenesse?
Psalms 33:6
By the worde of God are the heauens made: and all the hoastes of them by the breath of his mouth.
Psalms 33:9
For he spake and it was: he commauded, and it was brought to passe.
Psalms 97:11
There is sowen a lyght for the ryghteous: and gladnesse for such as be vpryght of heart.
Psalms 104:2
Who is decked with light as it were with a garment: spreadyng out the heauens like a curtayne.
Psalms 118:27
It is the Lord God who hath geuen vs lyght: bynde a sacrifice with cordes vnto the hornes of the aulter.
Psalms 148:5
Euen they shoulde prayse the name of God: for he commaunded, and they were created.
Isaiah 45:7
It is I that created light and darknesse, I make peace and trouble: yea euen I the Lorde do all these thinges.
Isaiah 60:19
The sunne shall neuer be thy day light, and the light of the moone shall neuer shine vnto thee: but the Lorde him selfe shalbe thyne euerlasting light, and thy God shalbe thy glory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?] This is a general proof of the vanity of all things, since there is no profit arises to a man of all his labour; for, though it is put by way of question, it carries in it a strong negative. All things a man enjoys he gets by labour; for man, through sin, is doomed and born unto it, Job 5:7; he gets his bread by the sweat of his brow, which is a part of the curse for sin; and the wealth and riches got by a diligent hand, with a divine blessing, are got by labour; and so all knowledge of natural and civil things is acquired through much labour and weariness of the flesh; and these are things a man labours for "under the sun", which measures out the time of his labour: when the sun riseth, man goeth forth to his labour; and, by the light and comfortable warmth of it, he performs his work with more exactness and cheerfulness; in some climates, and in some seasons, its heat, especially at noon, makes labour burdensome, which is called, bearing "the heat and burden of the day", Matthew 20:12; and, when it sets, it closes the time of service and labour, and therefore the servant earnestly desires the evening shadow, Job 7:2. But now, of what profit and advantage is all this labour man takes under the sun, towards his happiness in the world above the sun? that glory and felicity, which lies in super celestial places in Christ Jesus? none at all. Or, "what remains of all his labour?" p as it may be rendered; that is, after death: so the Targum,

"what is there remains to a man after he is dead, of all his labour which he laboured under the sun in this world?''

nothing at all. He goes naked out of the world as he came into it; he can carry nothing away with him of all his wealth and substance he has acquired; nor any of his worldly glory, and grandeur, and titles of honour; these all die with him, his glory does not descend after him; wherefore it is a clear case that all these things are vanity of vanities; see Job 1:21. And, indeed, works of righteousness done by men, and trusted in, and by which they labour to establish a justifying righteousness, are of no profit and advantage to them in the business of justification and salvation; indeed, when these are done from right principles, and with right views, the labour in them shall not be in vain; God will not forget it; it shall have a reward of grace, though not of debt.

p מה יתדון בכל עמלו "quid habet amplius homo?" V. L. "quid residui?" Vatablus, Piscator, Mercerus, Gejerus, Rambachius; "quantum enim homini reliquum est, post omnem saum laborem?" Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What profit ... - The question often repeated is the great practical inquiry of the book; it receives its final answer in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. When this question was asked, the Lord had not yet spoken Matthew 11:28. The word “profit” (or pre-eminence) is opposed to “vanity.”

Hath a man - Rather, hath man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 1:3. What profit hath a man — What is the sum of the real good he has gained by all his toils in life? They, in themselves, have neither made him contented nor happy.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile