Ecclesiastes 2:20

Ecclesiastes 2:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
• New International Version (NIV)So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.

Context of Ecclesiastes 2:20

18I came to hate everything for which I had worked so hard under the sun, because I will have to leave it to the person who replaces me. 19Who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? He will still have control over everything under the sun for which I worked so hard and used my wisdom. Even this is pointless. Then I fell into despair over everything for which I had worked so hard under the sun. 21Here is someone who had worked hard with wisdom, knowledge, and skill. Yet, he must turn over his estate to someone else, who didn’t work for it. Even this is pointless and a terrible tragedy. 22What do people get from all of their hard work and struggles under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 2:20 word by word

וְסַבּ֥וֹתִֽי אֲנִ֖י לְיַאֵ֣שׁ אֶת־לִבִּ֑י עַ֚ל כָּל־הֶ֣עָמָ֔ל שֶׁעָמַ֖לְתִּי תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore I went aboutסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
• to causeיָאַשׁyâ'ash · to despairH2976
• my heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• of all the labourעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
• which I tookעָמַל‛âmal · to toilH5998
• under the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:20

• Genesis 43:14May God Almighty make him merciful to you so that he will send your other brother and Benjamin ⌞home⌟ with you. If I lose my children, I lose my children.”
• Job 17:11My days are passing by. My plans are broken. My dreams ⌞are shattered⌟.
• Psalms 39:6Each person who walks around is like a shadow. They are busy for no reason. They accumulate riches without knowing who will get them.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:19If Christ is our hope in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people.
• 2 Corinthians 1:8Brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be ignorant about the suffering we experienced in the province of Asia. It was so extreme that it was beyond our ability to endure. We even wondered if we could go on living.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:3so that these troubles don’t disturb any of you. You know that we’re destined to suffer persecution.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20I went about to cause my heart to despair - What makes all worse, there is no remedy. It is impossible in the present state of things to prevent these evils.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-26Verses 18-26 Our hearts are very loth to quit their expectations of great things from the creature; but Solomon came to this at length. The world is a vale of tears, even to those that have much of it. See what fools they are, who make themselves drudges to the world, which affords a man nothing better than subsistence for the body. And the utmost he can attain in this respect is to allow himself a sober, cheerful use thereof, according to his rank and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-20The Teacher began to dislike life because of its: Sorrows (Ecclesiastes 1:18) Hard work (Ecclesiastes 2:18) Seeming pointlessness (Ecclesiastes 2:19–20)Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. I gave up as desperate all hope of solid fruit from my labor.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 2:20

• Industry
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Gather
• Laughter
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings