Ecclesiastes 1:3
New International Version
What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

New Living Translation
What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?

English Standard Version
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?

Berean Standard Bible
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?

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

New King James Version
What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?

New American Standard Bible
What advantage does a person have in all his work Which he does under the sun?

NASB 1995
What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?

NASB 1977
What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?

Legacy Standard Bible
What advantage does man have in all his labor In which he labors under the sun?

Amplified Bible
What advantage does man have from all his work Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?

Christian Standard Bible
What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?

American Standard Version
What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?

Contemporary English Version
What is there to show for all of our hard work here on this earth?

English Revised Version
What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
What do people gain from all their hard work under the sun?

Good News Translation
You spend your life working, laboring, and what do you have to show for it?

International Standard Version
What does a man gain from all of the work that he undertakes on earth?

Majority Standard Bible
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?

NET Bible
What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?

New Heart English Bible
What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

Webster's Bible Translation
What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun?

World English Bible
What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
What advantage [is] to man by all his labor that he labors at under the sun?

Young's Literal Translation
What advantage is to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?

Smith's Literal Translation
What the profit to a man in all the labor he will labor under the sun?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?

Catholic Public Domain Version
What more does a man have from all his labor, as he labors under the sun?

New American Bible
What profit have we from all the toil which we toil at under the sun?

New Revised Standard Version
What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
What profit has a man of all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
What profit has a son of man in all the toil that he toils under the sun?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
What profit hath man of all his labour Wherein he laboureth under the sun?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
What advantage is there to a man in all his labour that he takes under the sun?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Everything is Futile
2“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!” 3What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun? 4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.…

Cross References
Genesis 3:17-19
And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. / Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. / By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Romans 8:20-22
For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope / that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. / We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.

Psalm 39:5-6
You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah / Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.

Psalm 90:10
The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Job 7:16
I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Matthew 16:26
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

1 John 2:17
The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

Psalm 49:10-12
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others. / Their graves are their eternal homes—their dwellings for endless generations—even though their lands were their namesakes. / But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

Isaiah 55:2
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

Philippians 2:16
as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

1 Timothy 6:7
For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.

Job 14:1-2
“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. / Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.


Treasury of Scripture

What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?

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 3:9
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

Ecclesiastes 5:16
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?

under

Ecclesiastes 2:11,19
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 4:3,7
Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun…

Ecclesiastes 5:18
Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

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Ecclesiastes 1
1. the preacher shows that all human courses are vain
4. because the creatures are restless in their courses
9. they bring forth nothing new, and all old things are forgotten
12. and because he has found it so in the studies of wisdom














What does a man gain
The Hebrew word for "gain" here is "yithron," which implies profit or advantage. In the context of Ecclesiastes, this term is central to the theme of the book, questioning the ultimate benefit or lasting value of human endeavors. The Preacher, traditionally understood to be Solomon, is probing the existential purpose of life. From a conservative Christian perspective, this question challenges believers to consider the eternal significance of their actions, reminding them that true gain is found not in earthly achievements but in spiritual fulfillment and alignment with God's will.

from all his labor
The word "labor" is translated from the Hebrew "amal," which conveys the idea of toil, work, or effort. This term reflects the burdensome and often exhausting nature of human work. Historically, labor has been a fundamental aspect of human existence since the fall of man in Genesis, where work became toilsome as a result of sin. In a conservative Christian view, this labor is seen as part of the human condition, a reminder of the fall, yet also an opportunity to serve God and others, finding purpose in the work itself when done for His glory.

at which he toils
The Hebrew word "amal" is repeated here, emphasizing the strenuous and sometimes futile nature of human effort. The repetition underscores the Preacher's contemplation of life's hardships and the seeming lack of lasting reward. For the believer, this phrase serves as a reminder of the temporary nature of earthly struggles and the importance of seeking God's strength and guidance in all endeavors. It encourages Christians to view their toil as a means of spiritual growth and reliance on God's provision.

under the sun
This phrase is a key motif in Ecclesiastes, appearing numerous times throughout the book. It signifies the earthly, temporal realm in contrast to the eternal, divine perspective. "Under the sun" represents life lived from a purely human viewpoint, often characterized by vanity and meaninglessness without God. From a conservative Christian perspective, this phrase challenges believers to lift their eyes beyond the immediate, transient world and focus on the eternal truths and promises found in Christ. It serves as a call to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing that true meaning and fulfillment are found in a relationship with God, not in the fleeting pursuits of this world.

(3-11) Man is perpetually toiling, yet of all his toil there remains no abiding result. The natural world exhibits a spectacle of unceasing activity, with no real progress. The sun, the winds, the waters, are all in motion, yet they do but run a round, and nothing comes of it.

(3) What profit.--The Hebrew word occurs ten times in this book (Ecclesiastes 2:11; Ecclesiastes 2:13; Ecclesiastes 3:9; Ecclesiastes 5:9; Ecclesiastes 5:16; Ecclesiastes 7:12; Ecclesiastes 10:10-11) and nowhere else in the Old Testament, but is common in post-Biblical Hebrew. The oft-recurring phrase "under the sun" is a peculiarity of this book. In other books we have "under heaven." . . .

Verse 3. - What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? Here begins the elucidation of the fruitlessness of man's ceaseless activity. The word rendered "profit" (yithron) is found only in this book, where it occurs frequently. It means "that which remains over, advantage," περισσεία, as the LXX. translates it. As the verb and the substantive are cognate in the following words, they are better rendered, in all his labor wherein he laboreth. So Euripides ('Androm,' 134) has, Τί μόχον μοχθεῖς, and ('And. Fragm.,' 7:4), Τοῖς μοχθοῦσι μόχθους εὐτυχῶς συνεκπόνει. Man is Adam, the natural man, unenlightened by the grace of God. Under the sun is an expression peculiar to this book (comp. vers. 9, 14; Ecclesiastes 2:11, 17, etc.), but is not intended to contrast this present with a future life; it merely refers to what we call sublunary matters. The phrase is often tact with in the Greek poets. Eurip., 'Alcest.,' 151 -

Γυνή τ ἀρίστη τῶν ὑφ ἡλίῳ μακρῷ
"By far the best of all beneath the sun." Homer, 'Iliad,' 4:44 -

Αι{ γὰρ ὑπ ἠελίῳ τε καὶ οὐρανῷ ἀστερόεντι
Ναιετάουσι πόληες ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων.
"Of all the cities occupied by man
Beneath the sun and starry cope of heaven."


(Cowper.) Theognis, 'Parcem.,' 167 -

Ὄλβιος οὐδεὶς
Ἀνθρώπων ὁπόσους ἠέλιος καθορᾷ
"No mortal man
On whom the sun looks down is wholly blest."
In an analogous sense we find in other passages of Scripture the terms "under heaven" (ver. 13; Ecclesiastes 2:3; Exodus 17:14; Luke 17:24) and "upon the earth" (Ecclesiastes 8:14, 16; Genesis 8:17). The interrogative form of the verse conveys a strong negative (comp. Ecclesiastes 6:8), like the Lord's word in Matthew 16:26, "What shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" The epilogue (Ecclesiastes 12:13) furnishes a reply to the desponding inquiry.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

does a man
לָֽאָדָ֑ם (lā·’ā·ḏām)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

gain
יִּתְר֖וֹן (yiṯ·rō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3504: Preeminence, gain

from all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

his labor,
עֲמָל֔וֹ (‘ă·mā·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind

at which he toils
שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖ל (še·ya·‘ă·mōl)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5998: To toil, work severely and with irksomeness

under
תַּ֥חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

the sun?
הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ (haš·šā·meš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement


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