Ecclesiastes 2:20

Ecc 2:20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

Ver. 20. Therefore I went about to cause my heart, &c., ] i.e., I set myself to take off the edge of my affections from these outward comforts that are so uncertain, and so unsatisfactory, and to take another course for the attaining of true happiness. The Hebrew word {a} signifies, I set a compass, I turned round, or I turned short again upon myself, by a reflex action of my mind, as Ephraim did, {Jer 31:19-20} as the prodigal did when he "came to himself," who before had been beside himself in the point of salvation, and as Solomon elsewhere prays, that the captive people may bethink themselves, or, as the Hebrew hath it, "bring back to their heart," {1Ki 8:47} "return and discern between the righteous and the wicked." {Mal 3:18} Thus David examined his ways, and finding all to be naught and stark naught - contrary to that of God, who, reviewing His works, found all good and very good - he bethought himself of a better course, he "turned his feet to God’s testimonies." {Psa 119:59} "Set not thy heart upon the asses," said the prophet to Saul, forasmuch as better things abide thee "the desire of all Israel is to thee."

{a} סבותי, Pεριηχθην. Symmachus. Metaph. ab equis, quos qui agitant circumagunt.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ecc 2:20-21. 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 prudence, and justice too, in the management of his affairs; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein — shall he leave it for his portion — A portion which he will probably consume upon his lusts. This also is a great evil — A great disorder in itself, and a great torment to a considering mind.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That I might seek the true felicity which is in God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

I gave up as desperate all hope of solid fruit from my labor.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 20. I went about to cause my heart to despair] What makes all worse, there is no remedy. It is impossible in the present state of things to prevent these evils.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(20) Went about.—Ecc_7:25; Ecc_9:14; Ecc_12:5.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. I went about to cause my heart to despair] The verb for despair is not a common one. Another form of it meets us in the emphatic cry, “There is no hope” of Jer_2:25; Jer_18:12. What he had felt had made the seeker renounce the very impulse that led to labour. In the phrase “I went about,” literally, “I turned,” we have, as it were, the attitude of one who looks behind him on the road on which so far he has travelled. The retrospect was so dreary that it made the prospect drearier still.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair,.... Of ever finding happiness in anything here below. He "turned about" (y), as the word signifies dropped his severe studies of wisdom, and his eager pursuits of pleasure; and desisted from those toilsome works, in which he had employed himself; and went from one thing to another, and settled and stuck at nothing, on purpose to relax his mind, as the Syriac version renders it; to divest it of all anxious thought and care, and call it off from its vain and fruitless undertakings; and be no more concerned about or thoughtful

of all the labour which I took under the sun; and what will be the consequence and issue of it; but quietly leave all to an all wise disposing Providence; and not seek for happiness in anything under the sun, but in those things that are above it; not in this world, but in the world to come.

(y) "versus sum", Montanus; "et ego verti me", Vatablus, Mercerus, Gejerus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Off, in a sort of despair; suggested by worldly wisdom. Religion alone can impart steady principles. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "I went about, to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun;" in the transactions of the world. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

I gave myself up to despondency, and despair of ever reaping that satisfaction which I promised to myself.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. Cause my heart to despair — From anxiety Koheleth turns to “despair.” To feel toward the close of life that one’s enterprises and accumulations have been in vain, is a dark and gloomy feeling. Koheleth repeats the sentiments of the previous verses with a deeper sorrow.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair; jEpestreya ejgw (Septuagint). "I turned" in order to examine more closely. So in ver. 12 we had, "I turned myself," though the verbs are not the same in the two passages, and in the former the LXX has ejpebleya. I turned from my late course of action to give myself up to despair. I lost all hope in labor; it had no longer any charm or future for me. Septuagint, Tou ajpotaxasqai than mou ejn panticqw mou k.t.l.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Despair - I gave myself up to despair of ever reaping that satisfaction which I promised to myself.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

"Then I turned to give up my heart on account of = to despair of all the labour with which I wearied myself under the sun." As at Sa1 22:17., Sol 2:17; Jer 41:14, סבב has here the intrans. meaning, to turn about (lxx ἐπέστρεψα = ἐπεστρεψάμην). Hitzig remarks that פנה and שוב signify, "to turn round in order to see," and סבב, on the contrary, "to turn round in order to do." But פנה can also mean, "to turn round in order to do," e.g., Lev 26:9; and סבב, "to turn in order to examine more narrowly," Ecc 7:25. The distinction lies in this, that פנה signifies a clear turning round; סבב, a turning away from one thing to another, a turning in the direction of something new that presents itself (Ecc 4:1, Ecc 4:7; Ecc 9:11). The phrase, יאשׁ את־בלבּו,

(Note: With Pathach under the yod in the text in Biblia Rabb. and the note ל Thus also in the ms. Parva Masora, and e.g., Cod. P.)

closely corresponds to the Lat. despondet animum, he gives up his spirits, lets them sink, i.e., he despairs. The old language knows only נואשׁ, to give oneself up, i.e., to give up hope in regard to anything; and נואשׁ, given up, having no prospect, in despair. The Talm., however, uses along with nithyāēsh (vid., p. 638) not only noǎsh, but also יאשׁ, in the sense of despair, or the giving up of all hope (subst. יאוּשׁ), Meza 21b, from which it is at once evident that יאשׁ, is not to be thought of as causative (like the Arab. ajjasa and aiasa), but as simply transitive, with which, after the passage before us, לבו is to be thought of as connected. He turned round to give up all heart. He had no more any heart to labour.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The Vanity of Labor in Itself

v. 20. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun, he was inclined to regard his life as a failure, if viewed from this standpoint alone.

v. 21. 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 man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion, another will reap what he sowed. This also is vanity and a great evil, for it seems to place wisdom and its proper application at a disadvantage.

v. 22. For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, the hard work with which he applies wisdom and knowledge in all his transactions, wherein he hath labored under the sun?

v. 23. For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief, that seems to be the only result and reward of all his labor; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night, since he is troubled with anxiety and kept awake by worry. This is also vanity. Solomon therefore states his conclusion, so far as this life in itself is concerned.

v. 24. There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor, cheerfully making use of all the blessings which God bestows on His children and accepting them with a grateful heart. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God, namely, the feeling of quiet and appreciative contentment in the midst of all the wearing vicissitudes of life.

v. 25. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, to the enjoyment of God’s gifts, more than I? Christians may profit by the sad experiment which Solomon made without paying the high price which the Jewish king had to pay for the wisdom so gained.

v. 26. For God giveth to a man that is good in His sight, who lives before Him in the fear of God, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy, as a reward dealt out by His mercy; but to the sinner, the godless, the unbeliever, he giveth travail, misery and tribulation, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God, unconsciously, of course, and in spite of himself. Solomon, conducting himself with piety, enjoyed his wealth in agreement with God’s blessing upon him; the same king, forsaking the precepts of the Lord, became unhappy, while the riches which he had heaped up became the prey of the Egyptian king, 2 Chronicles 12. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit, but the lesson which it teaches should be heeded well by all believers.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I turned about to cause my heart to despair not to toil and labor.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.