Ecclesiastes 1:13

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

And I gave {H5414} my heart {H3820} to seek {H1875} and search out {H8446} by wisdom {H2451} concerning all things that are done {H6213} under heaven {H8064}: this sore {H7451} travail {H6045} hath God {H430} given {H5414} to the sons {H1121} of man {H120} to be exercised {H6031} therewith.

I wisely applied myself to seek out and investigate everything done under heaven. What a bothersome task God has given humanity to keep us occupied!

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!

And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 introduces the Preacher's (traditionally King Solomon's) ambitious intellectual pursuit to understand all that happens "under heaven" through human wisdom. This verse sets the stage for the book's profound exploration into the meaning and purpose of life from a human perspective, often concluding in what he terms "vanity" or futility.

Context

This verse follows the Preacher's initial declaration of all things being "vanity of vanities" (Ecclesiastes 1:2) and his observations about the cyclical, seemingly meaningless patterns of life "under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Here, he explains his methodology: a dedicated effort to seek answers through careful observation and intellectual inquiry. The phrase "under heaven" is a recurring motif in Ecclesiastes, emphasizing the limitations of human understanding when confined to earthly experiences without a transcendent perspective.

Key Themes

  • The Pursuit of Wisdom: The Preacher commits himself wholeheartedly ("gave my heart") to an exhaustive search for knowledge and understanding, believing wisdom (*chokmah*) could unlock life's mysteries. This reflects a universal human desire to comprehend existence.
  • The Burden of Human Inquiry: The search, however, is described as "sore travail." This highlights the inherent difficulty and often unrewarding nature of seeking ultimate truth solely through human intellect and observation. It's a heavy burden, a taxing occupation.
  • God's Sovereignty in Human Experience: Crucially, the verse states this "sore travail hath God given to the sons of man." This implies that the struggle, the intellectual wrestling with life's profound questions, is not accidental but divinely appointed. It's a task humanity is meant to be "exercised therewith," perhaps to humble us and point us beyond ourselves.
  • Limitations of Earthly Wisdom: While valuing wisdom, the Preacher ultimately finds that human wisdom alone cannot provide lasting satisfaction or comprehensive answers to the deepest questions of life, especially concerning ultimate meaning and purpose. This theme is further explored throughout the book, leading to the conclusion found in Ecclesiastes 12:13.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "wisdom" is chokmah (חָכְמָה), which refers not just to intellectual knowledge but also practical skill, insight, and understanding. The phrase "sore travail" translates the Hebrew 'inyan ra' (עִנְיָן רָע), which conveys a burdensome, vexing, or difficult task or occupation. It underscores the weariness and frustration that can accompany the relentless pursuit of understanding life's complexities without a spiritual anchor.

Practical Application

Ecclesiastes 1:13 offers a timeless insight: while the pursuit of knowledge and understanding is noble, relying solely on human wisdom for life's ultimate meaning can lead to weariness and dissatisfaction. It reminds us that God has designed humanity with an innate desire to understand, but also with limitations. True wisdom and lasting peace often come not just from intellectual searching but from acknowledging God's sovereignty and seeking His divine perspective. This verse encourages us to pursue wisdom, but always with the understanding that ultimate meaning transcends mere earthly observation and human intellect, pointing us towards the Creator Himself, as reinforced by Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge."

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:10

    I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

  • Genesis 3:19

    In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.

  • Ecclesiastes 1:17

    And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

  • Ecclesiastes 8:16

    When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also [there is that] neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

  • Ecclesiastes 8:17

    Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek [it] out, yet he shall not find [it]; yea further; though a wise [man] think to know [it], yet shall he not be able to find [it].

  • 1 Timothy 4:15

    Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:25

    I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness:

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