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 all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. 19And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world. 21Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. 22So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety?

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 give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it.”
• Job 17:11My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart’s desires are broken.
• Psalms 39:6We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.
• 1 Corinthians 15:19And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
• 2 Corinthians 1:8We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:3and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles.

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