the Third Week after Easter
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Ecclesiastes 2:17
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Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
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.
So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
So I hated life. It made me sad to think that everything here on earth is useless, like chasing the wind.
So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun caused me only great sorrow; because all is futility and chasing after the wind.
So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Therefore I hated life: for the worke that is wrought vnder the sunne is grieuous vnto me: for all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.
So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is vanity and striving after wind.
So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
This made me hate life. Everything we do is painful; it's just as senseless as chasing the wind.
So I came to hate life, because the activities done under the sun were loathesome to me, since everything is meaningless and feeding on wind.
And 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.
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous to me; for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
So life came to mean nothing to me, because everything in it had brought me nothing but trouble. It had all been useless; I had been chasing the wind.
So I hated life because the work done under the sun is grievous to me. For everything is vanity and chasing wind!
So then I hated life; because the work that is done under the sun is evil to me; for all is vanity and striving after wind.
Thus begane I to be weery of my life, in so moch that I coude awaye with nothinge that is done vnder the Sonne, for all was but vanite & vexacion of mynde:
So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Therefore I hated life, because the worke that is wrought vnder the Sunne is grieuous vnto mee: for all is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
Thus began I to be weery of my life, insomuch that I coulde away with nothyng that is done vnder the sunne: for all was but vanitie and vexation of mynde.
So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me: for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
And therfor it anoiede me of my lijf, seynge that alle thingis vndur sunne ben yuele, and that alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of the spirit.
So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous to me: for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
So I loathed life because what happens on earth seems awful to me; for all the benefits of wisdom are futile—like chasing the wind.
Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
So I hated life. For the work which had been done under the sun brought sorrow to me. Because everything is for nothing and is like trying to catch the wind.
So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Therefore I hated life, for, a vexation unto me, was the work which was done under the sun, - for, all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
And therefore I was weary of my life, when I saw that all things under the sun are evil, and all vanity and vexation of spirit.
So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
And I have hated life, for sad to me [is] the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It's smoke—and spitting into the wind.
So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
I hated: Numbers 11:15, 1 Kings 19:4, Job 3:20-22, Job 7:15, Job 7:16, Job 14:13, Jeremiah 20:14-18, Jonah 4:3, Jonah 4:8, Philippians 1:23-25
work: Ecclesiastes 1:14, Ecclesiastes 3:16, Ezekiel 3:14, Habakkuk 1:3
for: Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:22, Ecclesiastes 6:9, Psalms 89:47
Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - cursed Psalms 39:6 - surely Ecclesiastes 1:2 - General Ecclesiastes 2:21 - whose Ecclesiastes 4:2 - General Ecclesiastes 4:3 - who Ecclesiastes 4:16 - this Ecclesiastes 5:10 - this Ecclesiastes 11:8 - All that Ecclesiastes 12:8 - General Luke 14:26 - hate John 12:25 - hateth
Cross-References
So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished.
This is the story about the creation of the sky and the earth. This is what happened when the Lord God made the earth and the sky.
So water came up from the earth and spread over the ground.
Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.
A river flowed from Eden and watered the garden. The river then separated and became four smaller rivers.
(There is gold in that country, and that gold is pure. A kind of expensive perfume and onyx are also found there.)
The name of the second river was Gihon. This river flowed around the whole land of Cush.
Then the Lord God said, "I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him."
The man gave names to all the tame animals, to all the birds in the air, and to all the wild animals. He saw many animals and birds, but he could not find a companion that was right for him.
So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply. While he was asleep, God took one of the ribs from the man's body. Then he closed the man's skin where the rib had been.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Therefore I hated life,.... Not strictly and simply understood, since life is the gift of God; and a great blessing it is, more than raiment, and so dear to a man, that he will give all he has for it: but comparatively, in comparison of the lovingkindness of God, which is better than life; or in comparison of eternal life, which a good man desires to depart from this world, for the sake of enjoying it. The sense seems to be this, that since the case of wise men and fools was equal, he had the less love for life, the less regard to it, the less desire to continue in it; no solid happiness being to be enjoyed in anything under the sun: though some think that he was even weary of life, impatient of it, as Job, Jonah, and others have been. The Targum is,
"I hate all evil life:''
Alshech interprets it of the good things of this world, which were the cause of hurt unto him; and Aben Ezra understands, by life, living persons;
because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous unto me; which was either wrought by himself; particularly his hard studies, and eager pursuits after knowledge and wisdom, which were a weariness to his flesh; or which were done by others, especially evil ones: so the Targum,
"for evil to me is an evil work, which is done by the children of men under the sun in this world;''
for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit; :-.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Solomon having found that wisdom and folly agree in being subject to vanity, now contrasts one with the other Ecclesiastes 2:13. Both are brought under vanity by events Ecclesiastes 2:14 which come on the wise man and the feel alike from without - death and oblivion Ecclesiastes 2:16, uncertainty Ecclesiastes 2:19, disappointment Ecclesiastes 2:21 - all happening by an external law beyond human control. Amidst this vanity, the good (see Ecclesiastes 2:10 note) that accrues to man, is the pleasure felt Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 in receiving God’s gifts, and in working with and for them.
Ecclesiastes 2:12
What can the man do ... - i. e., “What is any man - in this study of wisdom and folly - after one like me, who, from my position, have had such special advantages (see Ecclesiastes 1:16, and compare Ecclesiastes 2:25) for carrying it on? That which man did of old he can but do again: he is not likely to add to the result of my researches, nor even to equal them.” Some hold that the “man” is a reference to Solomon’s successor - not in his inquiries, but in his kingdom, i. e., Jeroboam.
Ecclesiastes 2:14
Event - Or, “hap” Ruth 2:3. The verb from which it is derived seems in this book to refer especially to death. The word does not mean chance (compare Ecclesiastes 9:1-2), independent of the ordering of Divine Providence: the Gentile notion of “mere chance,” or “blind fate,” is never once contemplated by the writer of this book, and it would be inconsistent with his tenets of the unlimited power and activity of God.
Ecclesiastes 2:16
Seeing that ... - Compare Ecclesiastes 1:11. Some render, “as in time past, so in days to come, all will be forgotten;” others, “because in the days to come all will have been long before forgotten.”
Ecclesiastes 2:17
I hated life - Compare this expression, extorted from Solomon by the perception of the vanity of his wisdom and greatness, with Romans 8:22-23. The words of Moses Numbers 11:15, and of Job Job 3:21; Job 6:9, are scarcely less forcible. With some people, this feeling is a powerful motive to conversion Luke 14:26.
Ecclesiastes 2:19
Labour - Compare Ecclesiastes 2:4-8.
Ecclesiastes 2:20
I went about - i. e., I turned from one course of action to another.
Ecclesiastes 2:23
Are sorrows ... grief - Rather, sorrows and grief are his toil. See Ecclesiastes 1:13.
Ecclesiastes 2:24
Nothing better for a man, than that ... - literally, no good in man that etc. The one joy of working or receiving, which, though it be transitory, a man recognizes as a real good, even that is not in the power of man to secure for himself: that good is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 2:26
The doctrine of retribution, or, the revealed fact that God is the moral Governor of the world, is here stated for the first time (compare Ecclesiastes 3:15, Ecclesiastes 3:17 ff) in this book.
This also is vanity - Not only the travail of the sinner. Even the best gifts of God, wisdom, knowledge, and joy, so far as they are given in this life, are not permanent, and are not always (see Ecclesiastes 9:11) efficacious for the purpose for which they appear to be given.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. Therefore I hated life — את החיים et hachaiyim, the lives, both of the wise, the madman, and the fool. Also all the stages of life, the child, the man, and the sage. There was nothing in it worth pursuing, no period worth re-living and no hope that if this were possible I could again be more successful.
