Ecclesiastes 2:22-23
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse isn't just asking about the results of hard work, but points to the deep, "corroding care" that accompanies it. The Hebrew word used here describes a constant, gnawing anxiety, suggesting that even our striving for success is riddled with an inner turmoil that offers no lasting peace. It’s a reminder that our intense effort often comes with a hidden, emotional cost that’s easily overlooked in the pursuit of more.
What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Solomon has just detailed his exhaustive pursuits – building, acquiring possessions, seeking pleasure, and amassing wisdom – all "under the sun." He's explored every avenue of earthly achievement and enjoyment, only to find it ultimately empty. This verse, then, is a direct, almost exasperated question arising from that deep disillusionment: what real, lasting gain does anyone truly get from all the constant toil and anxious effort they pour into life?
You pour your energy into your work, your goals, your dreams. But have you ever paused to ask: what is it all truly for?
Solomon, the wisest of kings, looks at a life spent toiling 'beneath the sun' – meaning, within the limits of this earthly existence – and asks a profound question. He's not just talking about physical labor, but also the 'vexation of heart.' This is the restless striving, the anxious planning, the mental energy poured into achieving and accumulating.
What does it all amount to in the end? The answer, Solomon suggests, is 'nothing.' It's not that work itself is bad, but that an obsessive focus on it, detached from an eternal perspective, leads to a hollow existence. All the effort, the worry, the 'corroding care,' leaves us with empty hands when the sun finally sets on our days.
It's not just the sweat on your brow, but the constant churn in your mind that defines modern labor. What is this 'vexation of heart' Solomon speaks of?
Solomon uses the phrase 'vexation of heart' to describe a deep, inner turmoil accompanying human effort. It's more than just hard work; it's the mental anguish, the 'corroding care,' and the anxiety that gnaws at us as we strive. This can manifest as:
Ask a follow-up
This internal struggle, coupled with external toil, leaves us questioning the ultimate benefit of all we do 'beneath the sun.' It's the feeling that no matter how hard we try, something essential is missing.
If all our earthly efforts eventually yield 'nothing,' then where do we find lasting value and comfort?
Solomon's question in Ecclesiastes 2:22 isn't meant to lead to despair, but to redirect our search for meaning. He's highlighting that the fruits of labor, enjoyed only within the confines of this life, are ultimately unsatisfying and fleeting. The problem isn't labor itself, but finding its ultimate purpose and benefit solely within the earthly realm.
Understand the original words
tachat hashemesh · Hebrew Phrase
A common phrase in Ecclesiastes referring to life on earth, characterized by its temporal nature and human limitation, viewed from a perspective that often excludes immediate divine revelation.
mak'ob · Hebrew Noun
Emotional pain, anguish, or grief. It often refers to the internal discomfort or misery experienced by humans as a result of the fallen condition of the world.
ka'as · Hebrew Noun
A state of internal conflict, frustration, or agitation. It describes the restless, irritated state of a heart that is dissatisfied or troubled.
Jesus echoes this sentiment, warning against greed and the futility of accumulating wealth when life is fleeting and uncertain.
Job 14:1This passage highlights the inherent transience and trouble of human life, resonating with the idea that our earthly toil yields little lasting comfort.
Matthew 6:19-20Jesus contrasts earthly treasures, which are subject to decay and loss, with heavenly treasures, directly addressing the vanity of laboring solely for what is temporary.
Psalm 39:6This psalm reflects on the vanity of human striving, stating that people 'heap up wealth but do not know who will gather it,' aligning with the emptiness described in Ecclesiastes.
1 Corinthians 15:19Paul speaks of the Christian hope being entirely dependent on the present life if Christ has not been raised, underscoring the ultimate futility of our earthly endeavors without an eternal perspective.
clarkeEcclesiastes 2:22: "For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?"
For what hath man of all his laborer - Labour of body, disappointment of hope, and vexation of heart, have been all my portion.
pooleEcclesiastes 2:22: "For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?"
What comfort or benefit remains to any man after this short and frail life is once ended? or, what advantage hath he by all his labours above him who never laboured, and yet enjoyeth all the fruits of his labours?
This verse isn't just asking about the results of hard work, but points to the deep, "corroding care" that accompanies it. The Hebrew word used here describes a constant, gnawing anxiety, suggesting that even our striving for success is riddled with an inner turmoil that offers no lasting peace. It’s a reminder that our intense effort often comes with a hidden, emotional cost that’s easily overlooked in the pursuit of more.
Solomon has just detailed his exhaustive pursuits – building, acquiring possessions, seeking pleasure, and amassing wisdom – all "under the sun." He's explored every avenue of earthly achievement and enjoyment, only to find it ultimately empty. This verse, then, is a direct, almost exasperated question arising from that deep disillusionment: what real, lasting gain does anyone truly get from all the constant toil and anxious effort they pour into life?
Solomon has just detailed his exhaustive pursuits – building, acquiring possessions, seeking pleasure, and amassing wisdom – all "under the sun." He's explored every avenue of earthly achievement and enjoyment, only to find it ultimately empty. This verse, then, is a direct, almost exasperated question arising from that deep disillusionment: what real, lasting gain does anyone truly get from all the constant toil and anxious effort they pour into life?
"What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity." — This verse isn't just asking about the results of hard work, but points to the deep, "corroding care" that accompanies it. The Hebrew word used here describes a constant, gnawing anxiety, suggesting…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
