Ecclesiastes 2:23

Ecclesiastes 2:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
• New International Version (NIV)All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

Context of Ecclesiastes 2:23

21For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. 24There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. 25For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

Ecclesiastes 2:23 word by word

כִּ֧י כָל־יָמָ֣יו מַכְאֹבִ֗ים וָכַ֙עַס֙ עִנְיָנ֔וֹ גַּם־בַּלַּ֖יְלָה לֹא־שָׁכַ֣ב לִבּ֑וֹ גַּם־זֶ֖ה הֶ֥בֶל הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

• For all his daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• sorrowsמַכְאוֹבmak'ôb mak'ôb mak'ôbâh · painH4341
• and his travailעִנְיָן‛inyân · taskH6045
• griefכַּ֫עַסka‛as ka‛aώ · vexationH3708
• yea, his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• taketh not restשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: sleepH7901
• in the nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• This is also vanityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:23

• Genesis 47:9And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
• Job 5:7Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
• Job 14:1Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
• Psalms 90:7For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
• Psalms 127:2It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
• Ecclesiastes 5:12The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
• Esther 6:1On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
• Job 7:13When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;
• Psalms 6:6I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
• Psalms 32:4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
• Psalms 77:2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
• Daniel 6:18Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
• Acts 14:22Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23His days are sorrows - What a picture of human life where the heart is not filled with the peace and love of God! All his days are sorrows; all his labors griefs; all his nights restless; for he has no portion but merely what earth can give; and that is embittered by the labor of acquisition, and the disappointment in the using. This is also vanity - Emptiness of good and substantial misery.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. 12-23The Teacher now examines the value of wisdom (Ecclesiastes 2:12–17) and hard work (2:18–23). These, too, are futile (Ecclesiastes 2:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. The only fruit he has is, not only sorrows in his days, but all his days are sorrows, and his travail (not only has griefs connected with it, but is itself), grief.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 2:23

• Afflictions and Adversities
• 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