What does Ecclesiastes 2:20 mean?
"Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun." - Ecclesiastes 2:20
Ecclesiastes 2:20 from the King James Version of the Bible reads, "Therefore I went about to cause mine heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun."
This verse is situated in the book of Ecclesiastes, which is traditionally attributed to King Solomon, and it is a reflection on the human experience and the meaning of life. The author of Ecclesiastes is often referred to as the Preacher, who seeks to find meaning and purpose in life amidst the struggle and toil that are all too common. The verse reflects a moment of despair and hopelessness, where the Preacher speaks of the futility of his labor and the despair that comes with it.
The verse is part of a larger passage in which the Preacher reflects on the vanity and emptiness of human labor and the striving after material wealth and success. He goes on to say, "For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil." (Ecclesiastes 2:21). Here, the Preacher laments the fact that the fruits of one's labor can often be enjoyed by others who did not toil for them, further reinforcing the sense of futility and despair.
The verse can be seen as a meditation on the existential crisis that comes with the realization of life's fleeting nature and the ultimate insignificance of human efforts in the grand scheme of things. The Preacher grapples with the feeling of despair that arises from the realization that all our toil and labor under the sun may be in vain, as it is subject to the whims of fate and ultimately comes to nothing.
One of the key themes in this verse is the transient nature of human existence and the fleetingness of worldly accomplishments. The Preacher's despair comes from the recognition that everything he has worked for, all his efforts and toil, will ultimately come to naught. It reflects a profound sense of disillusionment and a questioning of the value of worldly pursuits.
The context of this verse is important in understanding its meaning. The larger passage in which it is situated is a reflection on the various ways in which the Preacher sought to find fulfillment and purpose in life. He recounts his pursuit of wisdom, pleasure, and material wealth, only to find that they all ultimately lead to emptiness and despair. The verse is a culmination of this reflection, where the Preacher comes to terms with the futility of his labor and the sense of hopelessness that comes with it.
In terms of symbolism, the verse can be seen as a representation of the human condition and the universal struggle to find meaning and purpose in life. The "labour under the sun" can be interpreted as the toil and effort that characterize human existence, while the sense of despair represents the existential crisis that comes from the realization of life's fleeting nature.
Overall, Ecclesiastes 2:20 is a powerful meditation on the futility of human labor and the despair that comes from the recognition of life's transience and the ultimately empty nature of worldly pursuits. It offers a profound reflection on the human experience and the universal struggle to find meaning and fulfillment in the face of life's inherent challenges and uncertainties.
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Ecclesiastes 2:20 - "Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun."
"Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun." - Ecclesiastes 2:20
Ecclesiastes 7:20 - "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."
Ecclesiastes 3:20 - "All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again."
Ecclesiastes 5:20 - "For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart."
Ecclesiastes 2:2 - "I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?"
ecclesiastes 12:2-6
"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." - Ecclesiastes 7:20
Ecclesiastes 10:20 - "¶ Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter."
Ecclesiastes 1:2 - "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity."
Ecclesiastes 2:13 - "Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness."
Ecclesiastes 8:2 - "I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God."
"All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again." - Ecclesiastes 3:20
Ecclesiastes 3:2 - "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;"
Ecclesiastes 2:25 - "For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?"
Ecclesiastes 10:2 - "A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left."
"I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?" - Ecclesiastes 2:2
Ecclesiastes 2:5 - "I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:"
Ecclesiastes 2:6 - "I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:"
"While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:" - Ecclesiastes 12:2
Ecclesiastes 12:2 - "While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:"
Ecclesiastes 2:4 - "I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:"
Ecclesiastes 4:2 - "Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive."
Ecclesiastes 11:2 - "Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth."
Ecclesiastes 2:22 - "For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?"
Ecclesiastes 2:1 - "I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity."
Ecclesiastes 7:2 - "¶ It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart."
Ecclesiastes 2:23 - "For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity."
"For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart." - Ecclesiastes 5:20
Ecclesiastes 2:14 - "The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all."