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Wednesday, October 9th, 2024
the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Read the Bible

Updated Bible Version

Ecclesiastes 1:3

What profit has man of all his labor wherein he labors under the sun?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Covetousness;   Industry;   Thompson Chain Reference - Business Life;   Capital and Labour;   Fruitless Labour;   Labour;   Toil;   Worldly;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wisdom literature;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Poetry;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Canon of the Old Testament;   Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Labor;   Pain;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Deism;   Ḳohelet (Ecclesiastes) Rabbah;   Sun;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 4;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
What advantage does man have in all his laborIn which he labors under the sun?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For what els hath a man of all the labour that he taketh vnder the sunne?
Darby Translation
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
New King James Version
What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
Literal Translation
What is the profit to a man in all his labor which he labors under the sun?
Easy-to-Read Version
Do people really gain anything from all the hard work they do in this life?
World English Bible
What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
King James Version (1611)
What profite hath a man of all his labour which hee taketh vnder the Sunne?
King James Version
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For what els hath a ma, of all the labor yt he taketh vnder the Sonne?
Amplified Bible
What advantage does man have from all his work Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?
American Standard Version
What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?
Bible in Basic English
What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?
Webster's Bible Translation
What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun?
New English Translation
What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?
Contemporary English Version
What is there to show for all of our hard work here on this earth?
Complete Jewish Bible
What does a person gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
Geneva Bible (1587)
What remaineth vnto man in all his trauaile, which he suffereth vnder ye sunne?
George Lamsa Translation
What profit has a man of all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
Hebrew Names Version
What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
New Living Translation
What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?
New Life Bible
What does a man get for all his work which he does under the sun?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What advantage is there to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?
English Revised Version
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?
Berean Standard Bible
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
New Revised Standard
What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
Douay-Rheims Bible
What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?
Lexham English Bible
What does a person gain in all his toil with which he toils under the sun?
English Standard Version
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
New American Standard Bible
What advantage does a person have in all his work Which he does under the sun?
New Century Version
What do people really gain from all the hard work they do here on earth?
Good News Translation
You spend your life working, laboring, and what do you have to show for it?
Christian Standard Bible®
What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What hath a man more of alle his trauel, bi which he traueilith vndur the sunne?
Revised Standard Version
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
Young's Literal Translation
What advantage [is] to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?

Contextual Overview

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity. 3 What profit has man of all his labor wherein he labors under the sun?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

profit: Ecclesiastes 2:22, Ecclesiastes 3:9, Ecclesiastes 5:16, Proverbs 23:4, Proverbs 23:5, Isaiah 55:2, Habakkuk 2:13, Habakkuk 2:18, Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36, Mark 8:37, John 6:27

under: Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:19, Ecclesiastes 4:3, Ecclesiastes 4:7, Ecclesiastes 5:18, Ecclesiastes 6:12, Ecclesiastes 7:11, Ecclesiastes 8:15-17, Ecclesiastes 9:3, Ecclesiastes 9:6, Ecclesiastes 9:13

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - cursed Genesis 3:19 - In Psalms 119:96 - I have seen

Cross-References

Job 36:30
Look, he spreads his light around him; And he covers the bottom of the sea.
Job 38:19
Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
Psalms 33:6
By the word of Yahweh were the heavens made, And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Psalms 33:9
For he spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Psalms 97:11
Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart.
Psalms 104:2
Who cover yourself with light as with a garment; Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain;
Psalms 118:27
Yahweh is God, and he has given us light: Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.
Psalms 148:5
Let them praise the name of Yahweh; For he commanded, and they were created.
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Yahweh, that does all these things.
Isaiah 60:19
The sun shall no more be your light by day; neither shall the moon give light to you for brightness: but Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?] This is a general proof of the vanity of all things, since there is no profit arises to a man of all his labour; for, though it is put by way of question, it carries in it a strong negative. All things a man enjoys he gets by labour; for man, through sin, is doomed and born unto it, Job 5:7; he gets his bread by the sweat of his brow, which is a part of the curse for sin; and the wealth and riches got by a diligent hand, with a divine blessing, are got by labour; and so all knowledge of natural and civil things is acquired through much labour and weariness of the flesh; and these are things a man labours for "under the sun", which measures out the time of his labour: when the sun riseth, man goeth forth to his labour; and, by the light and comfortable warmth of it, he performs his work with more exactness and cheerfulness; in some climates, and in some seasons, its heat, especially at noon, makes labour burdensome, which is called, bearing "the heat and burden of the day", Matthew 20:12; and, when it sets, it closes the time of service and labour, and therefore the servant earnestly desires the evening shadow, Job 7:2. But now, of what profit and advantage is all this labour man takes under the sun, towards his happiness in the world above the sun? that glory and felicity, which lies in super celestial places in Christ Jesus? none at all. Or, "what remains of all his labour?" p as it may be rendered; that is, after death: so the Targum,

"what is there remains to a man after he is dead, of all his labour which he laboured under the sun in this world?''

nothing at all. He goes naked out of the world as he came into it; he can carry nothing away with him of all his wealth and substance he has acquired; nor any of his worldly glory, and grandeur, and titles of honour; these all die with him, his glory does not descend after him; wherefore it is a clear case that all these things are vanity of vanities; see Job 1:21. And, indeed, works of righteousness done by men, and trusted in, and by which they labour to establish a justifying righteousness, are of no profit and advantage to them in the business of justification and salvation; indeed, when these are done from right principles, and with right views, the labour in them shall not be in vain; God will not forget it; it shall have a reward of grace, though not of debt.

p מה יתדון בכל עמלו "quid habet amplius homo?" V. L. "quid residui?" Vatablus, Piscator, Mercerus, Gejerus, Rambachius; "quantum enim homini reliquum est, post omnem saum laborem?" Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What profit ... - The question often repeated is the great practical inquiry of the book; it receives its final answer in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. When this question was asked, the Lord had not yet spoken Matthew 11:28. The word “profit” (or pre-eminence) is opposed to “vanity.”

Hath a man - Rather, hath man.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 1:3. What profit hath a man — What is the sum of the real good he has gained by all his toils in life? They, in themselves, have neither made him contented nor happy.


 
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