the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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World English Bible
Ecclesiastes 1:14
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I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.
Thus haue I considered all these thynges that come to passe vnder the sunne: and lo, they are all but vanitie and vexation of mynde.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and striving after wind!
I looked at everything done on earth, and I saw that it is all a waste of time. It is like trying to catch the wind.
I haue seene all the workes that are done vnder the Sunne, and behold, all is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Thus I haue considered all the thinges that come to passe vnder the Sone, & lo, they are all but vanite & vexacion of mynde.
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, look, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile—like chasing the wind!
I have seen it all, and everything is just as senseless as chasing the wind.
I have seen all the activities that are done under the sun, and it's all pointless, feeding on wind.
I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the sunne, and beholde, all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun. And see, it is all for nothing. It is like trying to catch the wind.
I beheld all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, beheld, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
I saw all the works which were done under the sun, - and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
I saw all the works that are done under the sun. Look! Everything is vanity and chasing wind.
I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind.
I looked at everything done on earth and saw that it is all useless, like chasing the wind.
I have seen everything done in this world, and I tell you, it is all useless. It is like chasing the wind.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
I siy alle thingis that ben maad vndur the sunne, and lo! alle thingis ben vanyte and turment of spirit.
I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit!
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Ecclesiastes 1:17, Ecclesiastes 1:18, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:17, Ecclesiastes 2:26, 1 Kings 4:30-32, Psalms 39:5, Psalms 39:6
Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - cursed Genesis 42:38 - bring Esther 5:13 - Yet all this Job 7:3 - months of Psalms 78:33 - years Psalms 127:2 - vain Psalms 144:4 - Man Ecclesiastes 2:15 - Then I Ecclesiastes 3:10 - General Ecclesiastes 4:3 - who Ecclesiastes 4:4 - This is Ecclesiastes 4:16 - this Ecclesiastes 6:9 - this Ecclesiastes 8:9 - this Ecclesiastes 11:10 - for Ecclesiastes 12:8 - General Jeremiah 2:13 - broken cisterns Matthew 11:28 - all
Cross-References
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse, and it was so.
God called the expanse sky. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.
God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear," and it was so.
The earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun,.... All things done by the Lord, that were on the earth, and in it, and in the sea; he considered them, and endeavoured to search into the nature of them; and did attain to a very great knowledge of them, so that he could speak of them to the instruction of others; see 1 Kings 4:33; and all that were done by men, by their head, or by their hands; all that were written or wrought by them; all their philosophical works and experiments, and all their mechanic operations; as well as all their good and bad works, in a moral sense; so the Targum,
"I saw all the deeds of the children of men, which are done under the sun in this world;''
and, behold, all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit; not only the things known, but the knowledge of them; it is mere vanity, there is nothing solid and substantial in it, or that can make a man happy; yea, on the contrary, it is vexatious and distressing; it is not only a weariness to the flesh to obtain it, but, in the reflection of it, gives pain and uneasiness to the mind: it is a "breaking of the spirit" n of the man, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Alshech, interpret the phrase; it wastes and consumes his spirit, as well as his time, and all to no purpose; it is, as some ancient Greek versions and others render it, and not amiss, a "feeding on wind" o; what is useless and unprofitable, and like labouring for that; see Hosea 12:1 Ecclesiastes 5:16; and so Aben Ezra.
n רעות רוח "affiictio spiritus", V. L. Junius Tremellius "contritio spiritus", so some in Vatablus. o νομη ανεμου, Aquila; "pastio venti", Mercerus, Piscator, Gejerus, Amama.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Vexation of spirit - A phrase which occurs 7 times, and may be otherwise translated, “feeding on wind.” Modern Hebrew grammarians assert that the word rendered “vexation” must be derived from a root signifying “to feed,” “follow,” “strive after.” This being admitted, it remains to choose between two translations:
(1) “striving after wind,” or “windy effort;” adopted by the Septuagint and the majority of modern interpreters; or
(2) feeding on wind. Compare Hosea 12:1 : and similar phrases in Proverbs 15:14; Isaiah 44:20; Psalms 37:3.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. Behold, all is vanity — After all these discussions and experiments, when even the results have been the most successful, I have found only rational satisfaction; but not that supreme good by which alone the soul can be made happy.
O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane!
"How anxious are our cares, and yet how vain
The bent of our desires!"
PERS. Sat. i., v. 1.
