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.
Then I looked at everything I had accomplished with my own hands and all the hard work I had done. And I realized that it was all meaningless and frustrating, like chasing after the wind. There was no lasting benefit in any of it in this earthly life.
The writer is reflecting on how all his achievements and hard work ultimately felt empty and pointless when he really examined them.
📚 Historical Context
Ecclesiastes is a book in the Old Testament attributed to King Solomon, who ruled Israel around 970-931 BC and was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. In this verse, Solomon reflects on his personal experiments with hard work and accomplishments, such as building projects and accumulating riches, only to conclude that they were ultimately meaningless without a higher purpose. This fits into the book's broader theme of exploring the futility of life under the sun, emphasizing the need for a divine perspective amid human endeavors.
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