Ecclesiastes 2:11
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The verse highlights that "striving after wind" isn't just about effort, but about the effort itself being the problem when disconnected from God. It emphasizes the emptiness isn't in the work, but in the human attempt to find ultimate meaning and satisfaction solely within our earthly accomplishments.
Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having explored wisdom, pleasure, and various grand projects, the author now turns to reflect on the results of his immense labor. He examines all the accomplishments and efforts he poured into his pursuits, only to conclude that they offered no lasting satisfaction. This critical review reveals that despite all his endeavors, the ultimate outcome was emptiness and a futile chase, leaving him with no true gain.
You pour your heart and soul into something – a project, a career, a relationship – and then you step back to look. What do you find? Solomon’s honest assessment is stark: it’s all ‘vanity.’
A Complete Disappointment
Solomon isn't just saying his efforts were mildly disappointing. The word 'vanity' here speaks to something utterly empty, like smoke or a breath that quickly disappears. When he 'looked on all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended,' he expected satisfaction, a lasting sense of accomplishment.
Instead, he found:
Imagine trying to catch the wind. You can feel it, but you can never grasp it. That’s Solomon’s picture of human effort disconnected from God.
The Elusive Goal
Solomon uses a powerful metaphor: "striving after wind." This captures the essence of chasing something intangible and ultimately uncatchable. When we pursue success, pleasure, or meaning solely within the confines of the material world ('under the sun'), we are engaging in a fundamentally futile endeavor.
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This "striving" implies:
Understand the original words
hebel · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew term meaning 'vapor' or 'breath,' used frequently in Ecclesiastes to describe the transient, elusive, or enigmatic nature of human life and accomplishments apart from God.
amal · Hebrew Noun
The act of working hard or laboring, often implying weariness, pain, or frustration associated with human exertion in a fallen world.
tachat ha-shemesh · Hebrew Prepositional Phrase
A metaphor for life on earth as experienced by humanity, emphasizing the limitations of earthly perspective and the temporal nature of existence outside of eternal, divine perspective.
This passage echoes the ultimate emptiness of worldly gain by asking what profit there is in winning the whole world if it means losing one's soul, directly paralleling the vanity Solomon found in his pursuits.
1 Timothy 6:10It highlights that the 'love of money' is a root of all kinds of evil, suggesting that the relentless pursuit of material things, like Solomon's endeavors, can lead to dissatisfaction and spiritual loss.
Psalm 39:6This Psalm speaks to the same futility, stating that 'man trots about as a phantom; he makes a great commotion for nothing; he heaps up riches but does not know who will gather them,' mirroring Solomon's 'striving after wind.'
Galatians 5:26This verse warns against conceit and provoking one another, reflecting the 'vexation of spirit' that comes from pride and competition in earthly achievements, which Solomon ultimately found empty.
pooleEcclesiastes 2:11: "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."
I made a serious review of my former works and labours, and considered whether I had obtained that satisfaction in them which I designed and expected; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit; I found myself suddenly disappointed and wholly dissatisfied in this course. Ther…
wesleyEcclesiastes 2:11: "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."
2:11 Vexation - I found myself wholly dissatisfied. No profit - The pleasure was past, and I was never the better for it, but as empty as before.
The verse highlights that "striving after wind" isn't just about effort, but about the effort itself being the problem when disconnected from God. It emphasizes the emptiness isn't in the work, but in the human attempt to find ultimate meaning and satisfaction solely within our earthly accomplishments.
Having explored wisdom, pleasure, and various grand projects, the author now turns to reflect on the results of his immense labor. He examines all the accomplishments and efforts he poured into his pursuits, only to conclude that they offered no lasting satisfaction. This critical review reveals that despite all his endeavors, the ultimate outcome was emptiness and a futile chase, leaving him with no true gain.
Having explored wisdom, pleasure, and various grand projects, the author now turns to reflect on the results of his immense labor. He examines all the accomplishments and efforts he poured into his pursuits, only to conclude that they offered no lasting satisfaction. This critical review reveals that despite all his endeavors, the ultimate outcome was emptiness and a futile chase, leaving him with no true gain.
"Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." — The verse highlights that "striving after wind" isn't just about effort, but about the effort itself being the problem when disconnected from God. It emphasizes the emptiness isn't in the work, but…
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Last reviewed October 2026
