Ecclesiastes 2:26
For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse reveals a surprising twist: the sinner's relentless toil to accumulate wealth ultimately serves those who please God. This highlights how even the seemingly disordered accumulation of riches is, in the end, part of God's providential plan, leading back to the righteous.
The Preacher has been exploring all the pursuits of life, from pleasure to work, and finding them ultimately unsatisfying, even vanity. In this verse, he reflects on God's sovereign distribution of gifts, observing that those who please God receive wisdom, knowledge, and joy, while sinners are given the toil of accumulating wealth only for it to eventually pass to the righteous. This realization about the divine ordering of things, even the seemingly unjust distribution of earthly goods, still feels like a striving after wind.
What does it truly mean to be 'good in God's sight'? This verse reveals that this isn't about perfection, but about a heart that God blesses with His best gifts.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 presents a clear contrast between two kinds of lives. For those who 'please him,' God gives a rich, threefold blessing:
Wisdom
This isn't just intelligence, but a God-given ability to discern right from wrong, to understand His ways, and to navigate life with His guidance. It's the insight needed to use what we have rightly, turning potential curses into blessings.
Knowledge
This refers to a deeper understanding of God Himself and His work in the world. It's an experiential knowledge, growing from walking with Him, allowing us to see His hand even in difficult circumstances.
Joy
This is more than fleeting happiness. It's a deep-seated contentment and thankfulness that comes from a right relationship with God. It’s a peace that transcends circumstances, a joy in the Holy Spirit.
These gifts are not earned by mere effort, but are freely given by God to those whose hearts are aligned with His.
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Ever feel like you're working so hard, accumulating things, only for it to feel… empty? This verse offers a stark perspective on the sinner's toil.
In contrast to the blessedness of pleasing God, the verse describes the 'sinner' as one given 'the business of gathering and collecting.' This points to a life characterized by:
Insatiable Desire
The sinner is driven by a relentless pursuit of more – wealth, possessions, status – but never finds true satisfaction. Their efforts are marked by wearisome labor, fueled by desires that can never be fully met.
Lack of True Enjoyment
Even when the sinner succeeds in accumulating riches, they cannot truly enjoy them. The ability to relish life's comforts, to find true joy and contentment, is withheld because their heart is not aligned with God.
Ultimately Passing It On
The ultimate irony is that all this striving is ultimately for naught in terms of personal fulfillment. The wealth and possessions gathered are destined to be passed on to others, particularly to those who 'please God,' highlighting the futility of the sinner's efforts for their own lasting good.
The Preacher concludes that both paths, the blessed and the striving, ultimately lead to 'vanity.' How can this be?
The verse culminates with the sobering assessment: 'This also is vanity and a striving after wind.' This phrase, 'vanity of vanities,' appears throughout Ecclesiastes, signaling ultimate meaninglessness when viewed apart from God.
Earthly Endeavors' Limits
Even the wisdom, knowledge, and joy God gives in this life are ultimately temporary. They are gifts for our pilgrimage, not eternal possessions. They don't grant permanence or ultimate fulfillment in themselves, which is why they too can be seen as 'vanity' when pursued as the final goal.
The Futility of Apart-from-God Striving
For the sinner, the 'gathering and collecting' is inherently vain because it's done without God's blessing and without the capacity to truly enjoy it. It's a futile chase, like trying to grasp the wind.
God's Sovereign Hand
Underlying it all is God's sovereign hand. He is the one who distributes these different outcomes. The entire system, when viewed from an earthly, God-less perspective, appears as a cycle of striving and temporary satisfaction, ultimately amounting to nothing enduring.
Understand the original words
tob · Hebrew Adjective
A person who finds favor in God's sight through faith, obedience, and living in accordance with His will, rather than by their own works. It signifies a relational status of being pleasing or acceptable to the Creator.
Elohim · Hebrew Noun
The God of Israel, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. In this context, it emphasizes His role as the sovereign Giver and Judge who distributes gifts and determines the outcomes of human labor.
chokmah · Hebrew Noun
Biblical wisdom (chokmah) is the practical application of the knowledge of God to daily life. It involves moral discernment, godly living, and the skill of navigating life in submission to God’s laws and character.
da'ath · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical sense, knowledge (da'ath) is not merely intellectual information, but an intimate, relational awareness of God and His truth. It implies a deep, experiential understanding that shapes one's character and choices.
simchah · Hebrew Noun
Biblical joy (simchah) is a deep, gladness of heart that is independent of outward circumstances. It is a gift from God that springs from a right relationship with Him and confidence in His sovereignty.
chote · Hebrew Noun
One who misses the mark of God's holy standard. Biblically, this identifies an individual whose life is characterized by rebellion or living independent of God's ways, regardless of their outward religious appearance.
hebel · Hebrew Noun
A term often signifying emptiness, vapor, or that which is fleeting/incomprehensible. It suggests that life’s endeavors, when disconnected from God’s eternal perspective, lack lasting substance or ultimate meaning.
re'ut ruach · Hebrew Phrase (Noun/Noun)
Often translated as "chasing after wind," this phrase depicts the human futility of seeking lasting satisfaction in earthly pursuits. It highlights the frustration and restlessness of attempting to gain fulfillment through temporal accomplishments.
This passage echoes the idea that the wealth accumulated by the wicked is ultimately passed on to the righteous, highlighting a divine redistribution that is also described in Ecclesiastes 2:26.
Romans 14:17The verse speaks of the Kingdom of God being righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, which parallels the 'wisdom, knowledge, and joy' given to those who please God in Ecclesiastes 2:26, pointing to a divine contentment beyond material gain.
Job 27:16-17Similar to Ecclesiastes 2:26, this passage describes the accumulation of wealth by the wicked, only for it to be taken by the just, reinforcing the theme of vanity in hoarding riches.
1 Timothy 6:10This verse directly states that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil and speaks to the 'travail' of those seeking riches, contrasting with the 'joy' found by those pleasing God.
Matthew 6:33This verse offers a profound contrast to the 'striving after wind' described in Ecclesiastes 2:26, urging believers to seek God's kingdom first, implying that God will provide what is truly needed for those who please Him.
pooleEcclesiastes 2:26: "For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit."
That is good in his sight; who not only seems to be good to men, as many bad men do, but is really and sincerely good. Or, who pleaseth him , as this phrase is rendered, Ecclesiastes 7:26 , and oft elsewhere; whereby he seems to intimate th…
wesleyEcclesiastes 2:26: "For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit."
2:26 Wisdom - To direct him how to use his comforts aright; that so they may be blessings, and not curses to him. Joy - A thankful contented mind. To heap up - He giveth him up to insatiable desires, and wearisome labours, that he may leave…
The verse reveals a surprising twist: the sinner's relentless toil to accumulate wealth ultimately serves those who please God. This highlights how even the seemingly disordered accumulation of riches is, in the end, part of God's providential plan, leading back to the righteous.
The Preacher has been exploring all the pursuits of life, from pleasure to work, and finding them ultimately unsatisfying, even vanity. In this verse, he reflects on God's sovereign distribution of gifts, observing that those who please God receive wisdom, knowledge, and joy, while sinners are given the toil of accumulating wealth only for it to eventually pass to the righteous. This realization about the divine ordering of things, even the seemingly unjust distribution of earthly goods, still feels like a striving after wind.
The Preacher has been exploring all the pursuits of life, from pleasure to work, and finding them ultimately unsatisfying, even vanity. In this verse, he reflects on God's sovereign distribution of gifts, observing that those who please God receive wisdom, knowledge, and joy, while sinners are given the toil of accumulating wealth only for it to eventually pass to the righteous. This realization about the divine ordering of things, even the seemingly unjust distribution of earthly goods, still feels like a striving after wind.
"For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind." — The verse reveals a surprising twist: the sinner's relentless toil to accumulate wealth ultimately serves those who please God. This highlights how even the seemingly disordered accumulation of riche…
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