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 with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; 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 a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun? For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity. 24There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God. 25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, 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

• allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• sorrowsמַכְאוֹבmak'ôb mak'ôb mak'ôbâh · painH4341
• yeaכִּיkîy · forH3588
• evenגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• restשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: sleepH7901
• 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 been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
• Job 5:7But 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 in thine anger, and in thy wrath are we troubled.
• Psalms 127:2It is vain for you that ye rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of toil: for so he giveth unto his beloved sleep.
• Ecclesiastes 5:12The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness 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; every 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 was changed as with the drought of summer. Selah
• Psalms 77:2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my hand was stretched out in the night, and slacked 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 music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him.
• Acts 14:22confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must 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