Ecclesiastes 1 · Verse 2

Ecclesiastes 1:2

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 1:2, King James Version

Ecclesiastes 1:2 in other translations

BSB“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
WEB“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
ASVVanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
YLTVanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole is vanity.
DARBYVanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
BBEAll is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
WebsterVanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

What does Ecclesiastes 1:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. The theme proposed of the first part of his discourse. Vanity of vanities--Hebraism for the most utter vanity. So "holy of holies" (Ex 26:33); "servant of servants" (Ge 9:25). The repetition increases the force. all--Hebrew, "the all"; all without exception, namely, earthly things. vanity--not in themselves, for God maketh nothing in vain (1Ti 4:4, 5), but vain when put in the place of God and made the end, instead of the means (Psa 39:5, 6; 62:9; Mt 6:33); vain, also, because of the "vanity" to which they are "subjected" by the fall (Ro 8:20).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Vanity of vanities - As the words are an exclamation, it would be better to translate, O vanity of vanities! Emptiness of emptinesses. True, substantial good is not to be found in any thing liable to change and corruption. The author referred to in the introduction begins his paraphrase thus: - "O vain deluding world! whose largest gifts Thine emptiness betray, like painted clouds, Or watery bubbles: as the vapor flies, Dispersed by lightest blast, so fleet thy joys, And leave no trace behind. This serious truth The royal preacher loud proclaims, convinced By sad experience; with a sigh repeats The mournful theme, that nothing here below Can solid comfort yield: 'tis all a scene. Of vanity, beyond the power of words To express, or thought conceive. Let every man Survey himself, then ask, what fruit remains Of all his fond pursuits? What has he gain'd, By toiling thus for more than nature's wants Require? Why thus with endlness projects rack'd His heated brain, and to the laboring mind, Repose denied? Why such expense of time, That steals away so fast, and ne'er looks back?Could man his wish obtain, how short the space For his enjoyment! No less transient here The time of his duration, than the things Thus anxiously pursued. For, as the mind, In search of bliss, fix'd on no solid point, For ever fluctuates; so our little frames, In which we glory, haste to their decline, Nor permanence can find. The human race Drop like autumnal leaves, by spring revived: One generation from the stage of life Withdraws, another comes, and thus makes room For that which follows. Mightiest realms decay, Sink by degrees; and lo! new form'd estates Rise from their ruins. Even the earth itself, Sole object of our hopes and fears, Shall have its period, though to man unknown."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:1-3

Solomon shows that all human things are vain. (Eccl. 1:1-3) Man's toil and want of satisfaction. (Eccl. 1:4-8) There is nothing new. (Eccl. 1:9-11) The vexation in pursuit of knowledge. (Eccl. 1:12-18) Verses 1-3 Much is to be learned by comparing one part of Scripture with another. We here behold Solomon returning from the broken and empty cisterns of the world, to the Fountain of living water; recording his own…

Read the full comment on Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 →

Ecclesiastes 1:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הֲבֵ֤לha.Velfutility ofH1892
הֲבָלִים֙ha.va.LimfutilitiesH1892
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saidH559
קֹהֶ֔לֶתko.He.letTeacherH6953
הֲבֵ֥לha.Velfutility ofH1892
הֲבָלִ֖יםha.va.LimfutilitiesH1892
הַכֹּ֥לha.Kol<the> everythingH3605
הָֽבֶל\׃Ha.vel[is] futilityH1892

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ecclesiastes 1:2

  • Psalms 144:4

    Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

  • Romans 8:20

    For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

  • Ecclesiastes 5:10

    He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

  • Psalms 39:5-6

    Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

  • Ecclesiastes 12:8

    Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

  • Ecclesiastes 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.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:17

    Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:11

    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.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:19

    And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

  • 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.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:15

    Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:19

    For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2:11,15,17,19,21,23,26; 3:19; 4:4,8,16; 5:10; 6:11; 11:8,10; 12:8
Ps 39:5,6; 62:9,10; 144:4; Ro 8:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ecclesiastes 1:1

    The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

  • Ecclesiastes 1:2

    Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

  • Ecclesiastes 1:3

    What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

Read all of Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 1:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Vanidad de vanidades, dijo el Predicador; vanidad de vanidades, todo vanidad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Vanité des vanités, dit le prédicateur; vanité des vanités! Tout est vanité.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Eitelkeit der Eitelkeiten! spricht der Prediger; Eitelkeit der Eitelkeiten! Alles ist Eitelkeit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes; vanitas vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.