Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Ecclesiastes 2:21

Wisdom — Who uses great industry, and prudence, and justice too, in the use and management of his affairs. To a man — Who has spent his days in sloth and folly. A great evil — A great disorder in itself, and a great torment to a considering mind.

Continues after advertising

See also Ecclesiastes 2:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 21. _FOR THERE IS A MAN_] Does he not allude to himself? As if he had said, "I have laboured to cultivate my mind in wisdom and in science, in knowledge of men and things, and have endeavoured t...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Solomon having found that wisdom and folly agree in being subject to vanity, now contrasts one with the other Ecclesiastes 2:13. Both are brought under vanity by events Ecclesiastes 2:14 which come on...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 2THE RESULTS OF THE SEARCH AND DIFFERENT VANITIES _ 1. His personal experience (Ecclesiastes 2:1)_ 2. Various vanities and a conclusion (Ecclesiastes 2:12) Ecclesiastes 2:1

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Even if one has amassed wealth there is the bitterness of not knowing who will inherit it or how the heir will use it. Everything has to be left behind to an uncertain fate, for there is no guarantee...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 1:12 TO ECCLESIASTES 2:26. QOHELETH'S INVESTIGATIONS. Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom (Ecclesiastes...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THERE. here. LEAVE IT. "leave it [to another]". EVIL. calamity. Hebrew. _ra'a'._ App-44....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _For there is a man_ It is characteristic of the DEBATER that he broods over the same thought, and contemplates it as in a variety of aspects. It is not merely, as in Ecclesiastes 2:19, that another p...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _THE VANITY OF TOIL -- ECCLESIASTES 2:18-23:_ When Solomon stopped to consider his life he hated what he had done. He had spent his life collecting stuff to leave to someone else. He realized that the...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THEREFORE I WENT ABOUT TO CAUSE MY HEART TO DESPAIR, &C.— _And I considered every way, so that my heart despaired of ever gaining any sort of advantage from all the trouble that I took under the sun;_...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    b. The legacy of one's labor is often lost to fools when one dies. Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 TEXT 2:18-23 18 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leav...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil....

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    2:21 skill, (d-17) Or 'equity,' 'success,' ch. 4.4, 'profit,' ch. 5.11....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    EQUITY] RV 'skilfulness.' HATH NOT LABOURED] The heir acquires good things without earning them. This too shows the dismal tangle of human affairs....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    EPICUREANISM AND WISDOM ALIKE PROFITLESS 1-3. The writer makes enjoyment his quest, while aware that it is folly, and avoiding excess in a philosophic spirit....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 2 THE TEST TO DISCOVER WHAT MAKES A PERSON HAPPY – ECCLESIASTES 2:1-11...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    EQUITY. — Rather, _skill, success_ (Ecclesiastes 4:4; Ecclesiastes 5:7). The noun is peculiar to this book. The corresponding verb occurs in Ecclesiastes 10:10;...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּי ־יֵ֣שׁ אָדָ֗ם שֶׁ עֲמָלֹ֛ו בְּ חָכְמָ֥ה

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Turning from the pursuit of knowledge to the pathway of pleasure, the king had given himself up to mirth, seeking the false stimulus of wine. In this also he had been disappointed, finding that mirth...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured in it shall he (o) leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great ev...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Wisdom. The writings of the wise are often perverted by perverse heretics. (St. Jerome) --- Idle heirs dissipate the possessions, which had been accumulated with such industry. (Calmet) --- Riches te...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. (17) Therefore I ha...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR THERE IS A MAN WHOSE LABOUR [IS] IN WISDOM, AND IN KNOWLEDGE, AND IN EQUITY,.... Who does all he does, in natural, civil, and religious things, in the state, in his family, and the world, and what...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _I went to cause my heart to despair_ I gave myself up to despair of ever reaping that satisfaction which I promised to myself. _For there is a man whose labour_, &c. Who uses great industry, and prud...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, who possesses wisdom, applies it to the circumstances of every-day life, and uses the proper ability in so doing; YET TO A...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE VANITY OF LABOR IN ITSELF...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    LEAVE: _ Heb._ give...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "WHEN THERE IS. MAN WHO HAS LABORED WITH WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL, THEN HE GIVES HIS LEGACY TO ONE WHO HAS NOT LABORED WITH THEM. THIS TOO IS VANITY AND. GREAT EVIL."WHEN THERE IS. MAN" -This verse...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    18-26 Our hearts are very loth to quit their expectations of great things from the creature; but Solomon came to this at length. The world is a vale of tears, even to those that have much of it. See...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    WHOSE LABOUR IS IN WISDOM, and in knowledge, and in equity; who useth great industry, and prudence, and justice too, in the management of his affairs, and therefore might as confidently expect God's b...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 2:21 is H3426 man H120 labor H5999 wisdom H2451 knowledge H1847 skill H3788 leave H5414 (H8799

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    WHAT USE OUR EFFORTS WHEN WE MUST LEAVE ALL BEHIND TO THOSE WHO WILL MISUSE IT? (ECCLESIASTES 2:18). Ecclesiastes 2:18 ‘And I hated all my effort with which I exerted myself under the sun, seeing tha...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 2:16 I. The noblest renown is posthumous fame, and the most refined ambition is the desire for such fame. And of this more exalted ambition it would appear that Solomon had felt the stirr...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 1:12-2 I. As was natural in so wise a man, the Preacher turns first to wisdom. It is the wisdom that is born of wide and varied experience, not of abstract study. He acquaints himself wit...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Solomon shows that there is no true happiness and satisfaction to be had in mirth, pleasure and the delights of sense. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: True and lasting happiness and...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 2:1. _Enjoy pleasure._ The first doctrine of Epicurus, whose system is here rebutted. Acts 17:18. Ecclesiastes 2:2. _I said of laughter,_ of all forced and frantic joy, _it is mad._ Chald...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth._ THE THREEFOLD VIEW OF HUMAN LIFE Three views of human life are given in this remarkable chapter. I. The theatrical view of life (Ecclesiastes 2:1). The wri...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Ecclesiastes 2:17_ THE CONFESSIONS OF A PLEASURE-SEEKER I. THAT HIS LIFE’S PROMISE HAS FAILED. The pleasure-seeker begins life with high hopes. The intoxication of...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 2:1 Section 2. _Vanity of striving after pleasure and wealth._ ECCLESIASTES 2:1 Dissatisfied with the result of the pursuit of wisdom, Koheleth embarks on a course of sensua...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So I said in my heart, Go to now, I'm going to prove thee with [pleasure,] with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: but, behold, this was vanity (Ecclesiastes 2:1). So we read in the New Testament the ep...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Chronicles 31:20; 2 Chronicles 31:21; 2 Chronicles 33:2; 2 Chronicles 34:2;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    VANITY AND VEXATION UNDER THE SUN Ecclesiastes 2:11 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We shall introduce our study with quotations from our booklet on Ecclesiastes. Solomon had tried everything which his heart co...

Continues after advertising