Ecclesiastes 2:23 - For all his days are sorrows and

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Ecclesiastes 2:23.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

ASV

For all his days are but'sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

DRA

All his days axe full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity?

DBY

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

ERV

For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

WBT

For all his days are sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

YLT

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also is vanity.

AKJV

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yes, his heart takes not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

BBE

All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.

JPS

For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.

CPDV

All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.

Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Albert Barnes' Notes (1834)

Are sorrows grief - Rather, sorrows and grief are his toil. See Ecclesiastes 1:13.

Adam Clarke's Commentary (1831)

His days are sorrows - What a picture of human life where the heart is not filled with the peace and love of God! All his days are sorrows; all his labors griefs; all his nights restless; for he has no portion but merely what earth can give; and that is embittered by the labor of acquisition, and the disappointment in the using.
This is also vanity - Emptiness of good and substantial misery.

John Gill's Exposition (1746-63)

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief,.... All his days are full of sorrows, of a variety of them; and all his affairs and transactions of life are attended with grief and trouble; not only the days of old age are evil ones, in which he can take no pleasure; or those times which exceed the common age of man, when he is got to fourscore years or more, and when his strength is labour and sorrow; but even all his days, be they fewer or more, from his youth upward, are all evil and full of trouble, Genesis 47:9;
yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night; which is appointed for rest and ease; and when laid down on his bed for it, as the word signifies; yet, either through an eager desire of getting wealth, or through anxious and distressing cares for the keeping it when gotten, he cannot sleep quietly and comfortably, his carking cares and anxious thoughts keep him waking; or, if he sleeps, his mind is distressed with dreams and frightful apprehensions of things, so that his sleep is not sweet and refreshing to him.
This is also vanity; or one of the vanities which belong to human life.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's Comm. (1882)

The only fruit he has is, not only sorrows in his days, but all his days are sorrows, and his travail (not only has griefs connected with it, but is itself), grief.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes (1754-65)

Sorrows - Full of sorrows. Tho' he took great and unwearied pains all his days, yet the toils of his body were accompanied with vexation of mind. His heart - Because his sleep was broken with perplexing cares.

*More commentary available at chapter level.