TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ecclesiastes 1:1–3. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. An account of the penman of this book; it was Solomon, for no other son of David was king of Jerusalem; but he conceals his name Solomon, peaceable, because by his sin he had brought trouble upon himself and his kingdom, had broken his peace with God and lost the peace of his conscience, and therefore was no more worthy of that name. Call me not Solomon, call me Marah, for, behold, for peace I had great bitterness. But he calls himself,
1.The preacher, which intimates his present character. He is Koheleth, which comes from a word which signifies to gather; but it is of a feminine termination, by which perhaps Solomon intends to upbraid himself with his effeminacy, which contributed more than any thing to his apostasy; for it was to please his wives that he set up idols, Neh 13:26. Or the word soul must be understood, and so Koheleth is,
(1.)A penitent soul, or one gathered, one that had rambled and gone astray like a lost sheep, but was now reduced, gathered in from his wanderings, gathered home to his duty, and come at length to himself. The spirit that was dissipated after a thousand vanities is now collected and made to centre in God. Divine grace can make great sinners great converts, and renew even those to repentance who, after they had known the way of righteousness, turned aside from it, and heal their backslidings, though it is a difficult case. It is only the penitent soul that God will accept, the heart that is broken, not the head that is bowed down like a bulrush only for a day, David's repentance, not Ahab's. And it is only the gathered soul that is the penitent soul, that comes back from its by-paths, that no longer scatters its way to the strangers (Jer 3:13), but is united to fear God's name. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak, and therefore we have here the words of the penitent, and those published. If eminent professors of religion fall into gross sin, they are concerned, for the honour of God and the repairing of the damage they have done to his kingdom, openly to testify their repentance, that the antidote may be administered as extensively as the poison.
(2.)A preaching soul, or one gathering. Being himself gathered to the congregation of saints, out of which he had by his sin thrown himself, and being reconciled to the church, he endeavours to gather others to it that had gone astray like him, and perhaps were led astray by his example. He that has done any thing to seduce his brother ought to do all he can to restore him. Perhaps Solomon called together a congregation of his people, as he had done at the dedication of the temple (Kg1 8:2), so now at the rededicating of himself. In that assembly he presided as the people's mouth to God in prayer (Ecc 1:12); in this as God's mouth to them in preaching. God by his Spirit made him a preacher, in token of his being reconciled to him; a commission is a tacit pardon. Christ sufficiently testifies his forgiving Peter by committing his lambs and sheep to his trust. Observe, Penitents should be preachers; those that have taken warning themselves to turn and live should give warning to others not to go on and die. When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren. Preachers must be preaching souls, for that only is likely to reach to the heart that comes from the heart. Paul served God with his spirit in the gospel of his Son, Rom 1:9.
2.The son of David. His taking this title intimates,
(1.)That he looked upon it as a great honour to be the son of so good a man, and valued himself very much upon it.
(2.)That he also looked upon it as a great aggravation of his sin that he had such a father, who had given him a good education and put up many a good prayer for him; it cuts him to the heart to think that he should be a blemish and disgrace to the name and family of such a one as David. It aggravated the sin of Jehoiakim that he was the son of Josiah, Jer 22:15-17.
(3.)That his being the son of David encouraged him to repent and hope for mercy, for David had fallen into sin, by which he should have been warned not to sin, but was not; but David repented, and therein he took example from him and found mercy as he did. Yet this was not all; he was that son of David concerning whom God had said that though he would chasten his transgression with the rod, yet he would not break his covenant with him, Psa 89:34. Christ, the great preacher, was the Son of David.
3.King of Jerusalem. This he mentions,
(1.)As that which was a very great aggravation of his sin. He was a king. God had done much for him, in raising him to the throne, and yet he had so ill requited him; his dignity made the bad example and influence of his sin the more dangerous, and many would follow his pernicious ways; especially as he was king of Jerusalem, the holy city, where God's temple was, and of his own building too, where the priests, the Lord's ministers, were, and his prophets who had taught him better things.
(2.)As that which might give some advantage to what he wrote, for where the word of a king is there is power. He thought it no disparagement to him, as a king, to be a preacher; but the people would regard him the more as a preacher because he was a king. If men of honour would lay out themselves to do good, what a great deal of good might they do! Solomon looked as great in the pulpit, preaching the vanity of the world, as in his throne of ivory, judging.
The Chaldee-paraphrase (which, in this book, makes very large additions to the text, or comments upon it, all along) gives this account of Solomon's writing this book, That by the spirit of prophecy he foresaw the revolt of the ten tribes from his son, and, in process of time, the destruction of Jerusalem and the house of the sanctuary, and the captivity of the people, in the foresight of which he said, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity; and to that he applies many passages in this book.
II.The general scope and design of the book.
What is it that this royal preacher has to say? That which he aims at is, for the making of us truly religious, to take down our esteem of and expectation from the things of this world. In order to this, he shows,
1.That they are all vanity, Ecc 1:2. This is the proposition he lays down and undertakes to prove: Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. It was no new text; his father David had more than once spoken to the same purport. The truth itself here asserted is, that all is vanity, all besides God and considered as abstract from him, the all of this world, all worldly employments and enjoyments, the all that is in the world (Jo1 2:16), all that which is agreeable to our senses and to our fancies in this present state, which gains pleasure to ourselves or reputation with others. It is all vanity, not only in the abuse of it, when it is perverted by the sin of man, but even in the use of it. Man, considered with reference to these things, is vanity (Psa 39:5, Psa 39:6), and, if there were not another life after this, were made in vain (Psa 89:47); and those things, considered in reference to man (whatever they are in themselves), are vanity. They are impertinent to the soul, foreign, and add nothing to it; they do not answer the end, nor yield any true satisfaction; they are uncertain in their continuance, are fading, and perishing, and passing away, and will certainly deceive and disappoint those that put a confidence in them. Let us not therefore love vanity (Psa 4:2), nor lift up our souls to it (Psa 24:4), for we shall but weary ourselves for it, Heb 2:13. It is expressed here very emphatically; not only, All is vain, but in the abstract, All is vanity; as if vanity were the proprium quarto modo - property in the fourth mode, of the things of this world, that which enters into the nature of them. The are not only vanity, but vanity of vanities, the vainest vanity, vanity in the highest degree, nothing but vanity, such a vanity as is the cause of a great deal of vanity. And this is redoubled, because the thing is certain and past dispute, it is vanity of vanities. This intimates that the wise man had his own heart fully convinced of and much affected with this truth, and that he was very desirous that others should be convinced of it and affected with it, as he was, but that he found the generality of men very loth to believe it and consider it (Job 33:14); it intimates likewise that we cannot comprehend and express the vanity of this world. But who is it that speaks thus slightly of the world? Is it one that will stand to what he says? Yes, he puts his name to it - saith the preacher. Is it one that was a competent judge? Yes, as much as ever any man was. Many speak contemptuously of the world because they are hermits, and know it not, or beggars, and have it not; but Solomon knew it. He had dived into nature's depths (Kg1 4:33), and he had it, more of it perhaps than ever any man had, his head filled with its notions and his belly with its hidden treasures (Psa 17:14), and he passes this judgment on it. But did he speak as one having authority? Yes, not only that of a king, but that of a prophet, a preacher; he spoke in God's name, and was divinely inspired to say it. But did he not say it in his haste, or in a passion, upon occasion of some particular disappointment? No; he said it deliberately, said it and proved it, laid it down as a fundamental principle, on which he grounded the necessity of being religious. And, as some think, one main thing he designed was to show that the everlasting throne and kingdom which God had by Nathan promised to David and his seed must be of another world; for all things in this world are subject to vanity, and therefore have not in them sufficient to answer the extent of that promise. If Solomon find all to be vanity, then the kingdom of the Messiah must come, in which we shall inherit substance.
2.That they are insufficient to make us happy. And for this he appeals to men's consciences: What profit has a man of all the pains he takes? Ecc 1:3. Observe here,
(1.)The business of this world described. It is labour; the word signifies both care and toil. It is work that wearies men. There is a constant fatigue in worldly business. It is labour under the sun; that is a phrase peculiar to this book, where we meet with it twenty-eight times. There is a world above the sun, a world which needs not the sun, for the glory of God is its light, where there is work without labour and with great profit, the work of angels; but he speaks of the work under the sun, the pains of which are great and the gains little. It is under the sun, under the influence of the sun, by its light and in its heat; as we have the benefit of the light of the day, so we have sometimes the burden and heat of the day (Mat 20:12), and therefore in the sweat of our face we eat bread. In the dark and cold grave the weary are at rest.
(2.)The benefit of that business enquired into: What profit has a man of all that labour? Solomon says (Pro 14:23), In all labour there is profit; and yet here he denies that there is any profit. As to our present condition in the world, it is true that by labour we get that which we call profit; we eat the labour of our hands; but as the wealth of the world is commonly called substance, and yet it is that which is not (Pro 22:5), so it is called profit, but the question is whether it be really so or no. And here he determines that it is not, that it is not a real benefit, that it is not a remaining benefit. In short, the wealth and pleasure of this world, if we had ever so much of them, are not sufficient to make us happy, nor will they be a portion for us.
[1.]As to the body, and the life that now is, What profit has a man of all his labour? A man's life consists not in an abundance, Luk 12:15. As goods are increased care about them is increased, and those are increased that eat of them, and a little thing will embitter all the comfort of them; and then what profit has a man of all his labour? Early up, and never the nearer.
[2.]As to the soul, and the life that is to come, we may much more truly say, What profit has a man of all his labour? All he gets by it will not supply the wants of the soul, nor satisfy its desires, will not atone for the sin of the soul, nor cure its diseases, nor contervail the loss of it; what profit will they be of to the soul in death, in judgment, or in the everlasting state? The fruit of our labour in heavenly things is meat that endures to eternal life, but the fruit of our labour for the world is only meat that perishes.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Those who are rich in things that are valued in the realm of the natural do not gain anything. They do not gain longevity. Rich and poor are in the same situation: they go through life quickly and do not stay for a long time. Thus “from all the toil at which they toil under the sun” one does not gain anything, no increase in natural qualities. But the one who toils and strives for things that lead to the eternal and to the invisible gains something: A human being becomes a god, an uncertain human being becomes a strong one, a coward becomes courageous.
"What
profit is there for a man in exchange for all his toil, which he toils under
the sun?" After the general opinion that all things are
vain Solomon begins to explain with regard to mankind: because men exert
themselves in vain in the toil of the world, amassing wealth, teaching
children, working their way towards glory, constructing buildings, and then are
taken away in the midst of their work by sudden death, they hear the words:
"Thou fool, this night your soul shall be required of you, then whose will
be those things that you have amassed?" [Luc. 12, 20.] Just as they make nothing for themselves in
exchange for all this toil, so they return naked to the earth from whence they
were taken.
If it is a vain thing to do good works for the sake of human praise, how much more vain for the sake of getting money, or increasing it, or retaining it, and any other temporal advantage, which comes unto us from without? Since “all things are vanity: what is man’s abundance, with all his toil, wherein he labors under the sun?” For our temporal welfare itself finally we ought not to do our good works but rather for the sake of that everlasting welfare which we hope for, where we may enjoy an unchangeable good, which we shall have from God, nay, what God himself is unto us. For if God’s saints were to do good works for the sake of this temporal welfare, never would the martyrs of Christ achieve a good work.
So this is what the rich should do: not be haughty in their ideas, nor set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who bestows all things on us abundantly for our enjoyment; that is what they must do. But what are they to do with what they have? Let me tell you what: “Let them be rich in good works, let them be easy givers.” After all, they have the wherewithal. Poverty is difficult and grim. “Let them be easy givers”; they have the wherewithal. Let them share, that is, take some notice of their fellow mortals. “Let them share, let them store up for themselves a good foundation for the future.” “You see,” he says, “just because I say ‘Let them be easy givers, let them share,’ it doesn’t mean I want them looted, want them stripped naked, want them left empty. I am teaching them how to make a profit, when I point out, ‘Let them store up for themselves.’ I’m not telling them to do this so that they can lose it; I’m showing them where to transfer the account. ‘Let them store up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they lay hold of true life.’ ” So this one is a false life; let them lay hold of true life. After all, “Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity. What is this great abundance for man in all his toil, at which he toils under the sun?” So true life is to be laid hold of, our investments are to be transferred to the place of true life, so that we may find there what we give here. The one who transforms us also transforms those investments.
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Summary
Ecclesiastes 1:3 presents the foundational and probing question that undergirds the Preacher's entire inquiry: "What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?" This verse encapsulates a profound existential and theological dilemma, challenging the inherent human assumption that striving and toil in the earthly realm yield any ultimate, lasting value or enduring benefit. It serves as the thesis statement for Qoheleth's comprehensive empirical investigation into the meaning and purpose of human existence when viewed solely from a temporal perspective, devoid of an explicit eternal dimension.
Context
Literary Context
Ecclesiastes 1:3 immediately follows the Preacher's stark and iconic declaration in Ecclesiastes 1:2 that "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." This opening pronouncement establishes the book's initial tone of skepticism and sets the stage for a rigorous examination of life's pursuits. Verse 3 then operationalizes this declaration by posing a practical, yet deeply philosophical, question about the tangible and lasting outcome of human effort. It functions as the central inquiry that Qoheleth meticulously explores in the subsequent chapters, where he systematically tests various human endeavors—including the pursuit of wisdom, pleasure, wealth, and diligent work—to ascertain their capacity to provide ultimate satisfaction or enduring "profit." The pervasive themes of "under the sun" and "vanity" throughout the book of Ecclesiastes continually reinforce the gravity of this initial question.
Historical & Cultural Context
The book of Ecclesiastes is traditionally ascribed to King Solomon, who writes from the unique vantage point of immense wisdom, wealth, and power. This attribution is crucial, as it grounds the Preacher's observations in a position that allowed him to explore every conceivable avenue of human achievement and pleasure without practical limitation. In the ancient Near Eastern world, as in any society, hard work, the accumulation of resources, and the pursuit of wisdom were generally esteemed and believed to lead to a good life. However, the Preacher's radical inquiry in Ecclesiastes 1:3 challenges this conventional wisdom, questioning whether these pursuits inherently lead to lasting happiness, significance, or an eternal legacy. The recurring phrase "under the sun" reflects an empirical, observational approach to life, characteristic of wisdom literature, but here it specifically delimits the scope of the inquiry to what is perceivable and achievable within the confines of earthly existence, initially without explicit reference to a transcendent God until the book's concluding chapters.
Key Themes
This pivotal verse introduces several central themes that permeate the entire book of Ecclesiastes. Firstly, it raises the profound question of ultimate gain or lasting benefit, challenging the widespread assumption that human effort inherently yields enduring satisfaction. The concept of "profit" (Hebrew: yithron) is paramount, signifying a search for something that truly adds value beyond the immediate and transient. Secondly, it highlights the perceived futility of earthly labor when viewed from a limited, "under the sun" perspective. The Preacher suggests that much of human striving and toil may ultimately yield no permanent advantage, emphasizing the inherent transience of life and the limitations of human achievement (compare Ecclesiastes 2:11). Thirdly, it speaks to the universal human condition of labor and striving, prompting a deep introspection into what truly remains after a lifetime of dedicated effort. This sets the stage for the Preacher's exhaustive exploration of various human pursuits—wisdom, pleasure, wealth, and work—to test their ability to provide lasting fulfillment, ultimately leading to the profound conclusion found in Ecclesiastes 12:13.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Derived from a root meaning "to be preeminent" or "to gain," this term carries a commercial connotation, referring to an advantage, surplus, or net gain. In Ecclesiastes 1:3, the Preacher is asking: "What is the lasting benefit, the ultimate return, the enduring advantage after all the expenditure of effort and life?" He seeks something that truly endures and provides ultimate value beyond fleeting moments or material accumulation.
This word refers to a human being, an individual, or humanity as a species. Its use here underscores the universality of the question posed: it is not merely about a specific person, but about the inherent experience of all humankind. It emphasizes the commonality of human labor and the shared existential dilemma of finding meaning and ultimate purpose in life.
This noun signifies toil, wearing effort, worry, or even grievousness. It denotes work that is burdensome, painful, or leads to weariness, whether of body or mind. The question in Ecclesiastes 1:3 is not just about work in general, but specifically about the arduous, often frustrating, and seemingly endless striving that characterizes much of human existence "under the sun."
Verse Breakdown
"What profit hath a man"
This opening phrase immediately establishes the central inquiry of the book. It is a rhetorical question, not necessarily expecting a simple, direct answer, but rather initiating a deep philosophical and theological investigation into the ultimate value of human life and effort. The "profit" (Hebrew: yithron) sought is not merely financial gain, but an ultimate, enduring benefit or advantage that transcends the temporal and material. It challenges the inherent human assumption that effort automatically leads to meaningful, lasting reward.
"of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?"
This clause precisely defines the scope and context of the "profit" being questioned. "Labour" (Hebrew: ʻâmâl) refers to the strenuous, often burdensome, toil and effort that characterizes human existence. The crucial phrase "under the sun" is a hallmark of Ecclesiastes, appearing almost 30 times. It signifies the Preacher's observational perspective—life as it is lived and perceived purely from an earthly, human-centric viewpoint, without explicit consideration of a divine, eternal dimension. This limitation underscores the perceived futility and transience of human endeavors when detached from a transcendent purpose.
Literary Devices
Ecclesiastes 1:3 masterfully employs several powerful literary devices to set the tone and theme for the entire book. The primary device is a Rhetorical Question, "What profit hath a man...?", which serves not to elicit a direct answer but to provoke deep thought, engage the reader immediately in the Preacher's existential dilemma, and establish the central inquiry that the rest of the book will explore. Repetition is subtly present through the implied connection to "vanity" from the preceding verse (Ecclesiastes 1:2), creating a thematic echo that reinforces the initial sense of futility and the transient nature of earthly pursuits. The phrase "under the sun" functions as a recurring Motif throughout Ecclesiastes, appearing almost thirty times. This motif acts as a constant reminder of the limited, earthly perspective from which the Preacher's observations are made, delimiting the scope of his inquiry to the observable, temporal world. This phrase also serves as a form of Synecdoche, where "the sun" represents the entire observable, material world and human experience within it, emphasizing the temporal and finite nature of human existence apart from God.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ecclesiastes 1:3 lays the essential groundwork for the book's profound theological exploration of human purpose and the nature of true blessedness. It challenges the common human tendency to seek ultimate fulfillment and meaning in earthly pursuits—such as wealth, wisdom, pleasure, and diligently applied work—and suggests that these, when pursued in isolation from God, ultimately yield no lasting "profit" or genuine satisfaction. This verse implicitly points to the inherent limitations of human wisdom and effort to provide ultimate meaning, thus underscoring humanity's dependence on a divine framework for true purpose and contentment. The Preacher's initial question ultimately directs the reader toward a transcendent perspective, which he eventually arrives at in the book's concluding chapters, revealing that true profit is found in a right relationship with God.
Reflection and Application
Ecclesiastes 1:3 serves as a profound mirror, prompting us to critically examine the ultimate purpose and lasting value of our own labors and ambitions in contemporary life. In a world that often measures success by accumulation, achievement, and visible "profit," this verse challenges us to ask: What truly endures beyond the fleeting moments of earthly gain? Are we investing our precious time, energy, and resources into things that will yield eternal "profit," or merely into transient earthly gains that offer no lasting satisfaction or ultimate significance? This verse encourages believers to cultivate an eternal perspective, understanding that true fulfillment and ultimate "profit" are not found in accumulating wealth or achievements "under the sun," but in aligning our lives with God's will, seeking His glory, and recognizing that our labor for the Lord, unlike the Preacher's initial observation, is never in vain. It calls us to re-evaluate our priorities, ensuring that our striving is rooted in a purpose that transcends the temporal and points to the eternal, finding our deepest satisfaction in Christ alone.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "under the sun" mean in Ecclesiastes?
The phrase "under the sun" is a recurring and defining motif in Ecclesiastes, appearing almost 30 times. It signifies the Preacher's observational perspective, limiting his inquiry to life as it is lived and perceived purely from an earthly, human-centric viewpoint. It refers to everything that occurs within the temporal, material world, without explicit consideration of a divine, eternal dimension. This perspective often highlights the limitations, frustrations, and perceived futility of human endeavors when detached from God's ultimate purpose, as seen in verses like Ecclesiastes 1:9 and Ecclesiastes 3:16. It's the lens through which Qoheleth initially examines life's meaning.
Is Ecclesiastes a pessimistic book?
While Ecclesiastes certainly presents a stark and often seemingly pessimistic view of life "under the sun," it is more accurately described as a profoundly realistic and ultimately redemptive book. The Preacher meticulously explores the futility of various human pursuits (wisdom, pleasure, wealth, labor) from a purely earthly perspective to demonstrate their inherent inability to provide lasting meaning or satisfaction. This seemingly bleak outlook serves as a necessary literary and theological device, highlighting the emptiness of life apart from God, and thus setting the stage for the book's ultimate, hopeful conclusion. The book's "pessimism" is a strategic rhetorical tool used to underscore the absolute necessity of a transcendent, God-centered worldview, culminating in the instruction to "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ecclesiastes 1:3, with its probing question about the ultimate profit of human labor "under the sun," finds its profound and complete Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Preacher's earnest search for enduring value—a "profit" that transcends the vanity and transience of earthly endeavors—is ultimately and perfectly answered in the eternal life and divine purpose offered exclusively through Christ. While human labor "under the sun" may yield no lasting profit in itself, Jesus himself poses a similar, yet infinitely more significant, question: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). This echoes the Preacher's deep concern but elevates the discussion to the eternal destiny of the soul as the ultimate measure of "profit." Our labor, when done in Christ and for His glory, is transformed from transient toil into meaningful, eternally significant service. The Apostle Paul powerfully affirms this truth, declaring that our "labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58), directly contrasting the Preacher's initial observations. Jesus himself is the ultimate "profit" and "wisdom from God" (1 Corinthians 1:30), providing the lasting meaning, satisfaction, and eternal inheritance that the Preacher sought but could not find apart from divine revelation. In Christ, our lives and labors are redeemed from vanity and imbued with eternal purpose, culminating not in earthly gain, but in the "unfading crown of glory" (1 Peter 5:4) and an "inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading" (1 Peter 1:4), a true and eternal profit beyond anything achievable "under the sun."