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 2:19 in other translations
| BSB | And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. |
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| WEB | Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. |
| ASV | And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. |
| YLT | And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also is vanity. |
| DARBY | And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity. |
| BBE | And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose. |
| Webster | And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. |
What does Ecclesiastes 2:19 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 2:18-19
18-19. One hope alone was left to the disappointed worldling, the perpetuation of his name and riches, laboriously gathered, through his successor. For selfishness is mostly at the root of worldly parents' alleged providence for their children. But now the remembrance of how he himself, the piously reared child of David, had disregarded his father's dying charge (1Ch 28:9), suggested the sad misgivings as to what…
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ecclesiastes 2:18-26
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 what fools they are, who make themselves drudges to the world, which affords a man nothing better than subsistence for the body. And the utmost he can attain in this respect is to allow himself a sober, cheerful use thereof…
Ecclesiastes 2:19 in the original Hebrew
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Cross references for Ecclesiastes 2:19
- Ecclesiastes 3:22
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
- James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- 1 Kings 14:25-28
And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house. And it was so, when the king went into the house of the Lord, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.
- Ecclesiastes 9:13
This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
- James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
- 2 Chronicles 12:9-10
So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.
- Luke 16:8
And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
- 2 Chronicles 10:13-16
And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.
- 1 Kings 12:14-20
And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. …
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3:22; 1Ki 12:14-20; 14:25-28; 2Ch 10:13-16; 12:9,10
wise under.
9:13; Lu 16:8; Jas 1:17; 3:17
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Ecclesiastes 2:18
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
- 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 2:20
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:19 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | ¿Y quién sabe si será sabio, ó necio, el que se enseñoreará de todo mi trabajo en que yo me afané, y en que ocupé debajo del sol mi sabiduría? Esto también es vanidad. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et qui sait s’il sera un sage ou un sot? Et il sera maître de tout mon travail auquel j’ai travaillé et dans lequel j’ai été sage sous le soleil. Cela aussi est vanité. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und wer weiß, ob er weise oder töricht sein wird? Und doch wird er schalten über alle meine Mühe, womit ich mich abgemüht habe, und worin ich weise gewesen bin unter der Sonne. Auch das ist Eitelkeit. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | quem ignoro utrum sapiens an stultus futurus sit, et dominabitur in laboribus meis, quibus desudavi et sollicitus fui: et est quidquam tam vanum? |