What emotions does the phrase "despaired of all the labor" convey? Verse Snapshot “Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:20) Word Study: “Despaired” • Hebrew root: יָאָשׁ (yā’ash) – to lose hope, to be cut off from expectation. • Carries a sense of resignation: the heart “lets go” of confidence that effort will yield satisfying results. Emotions in View • Hopelessness – a sinking realization that nothing gained can ultimately stay gained (cf. Job 7:6–7). • Weariness – emotional exhaustion after relentless striving (cf. Psalm 73:13–14). • Futility – the sting of meaninglessness when outcomes feel temporary (cf. Ecclesiastes 1:2–3). • Disillusionment – dreams meet hard reality; expectations collapse (cf. Proverbs 13:12). • Sorrow – a low-grade grief over wasted energy and fleeting rewards (cf. Psalm 39:6). • Isolation – feeling alone inside one’s toil, cut off from lasting fellowship or legacy (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:8 for a New Testament echo of despair). Why Solomon Felt This Way • He recognized that accumulated wealth would be left “to the man who comes after me” (Ecclesiastes 2:18). • Death levels every advantage; labor cannot secure permanence. • Life “under the sun” offers no ultimate control over results or heirs. Hope Beyond Despair • God gives meaning when labor is received as a gift, not a savior (Ecclesiastes 2:24–25). • Eternal perspective redeems present work (1 Corinthians 15:58). • Christ turns emptiness into purpose, promising “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). |
    |