The Meaning of Ecclesiastes 1:14 Explained

Ecclesiastes 1:14

KJV: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

YLT: I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit!

Darby: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

ASV: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have seen  all the works  that are done  under the sun;  and, behold, all [is] vanity  and vexation  of spirit. 

What does Ecclesiastes 1:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 - The Testimony Of An Unsatisfied Soul
All is vanity! This cry finds an echo in human hearts of every age and clime. Clod meant man to be happy. "These things," said our Lord, "I have spoken to you, that your joy may be full." "The fruit of the Spirit is joy." Yet the air is laden with complaint and bitterness. Men are asking constantly, "Is life worth living?" The present age is full of unrest and weariness, of war and strife, of unsatisfied yearnings and desires. The mistake is that men seek to solve the mystery of life and to find their happiness apart from God, who has made us for Himself.
This book was written and incorporated in the Bible to show that man's quest for happiness is vain, so long as it is apart from God. Solomon had unbounded opportunities for pursuing his quest. Youth, wealth, wisdom, royalty, human love were his, but when all were mixed in the golden cup of his life, he turned from the draught unsatisfied and sad. Listen to the sigh of the sated voluptuary: Vanity of vanities! Let us turn from these bitter experiences to 1 John 2:15-17. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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 do the individual words in Ecclesiastes 1:14 mean?

I have seen - all the works that are done under the sun and indeed all [is] vanity and grasping for the wind
רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ הַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֔ים שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂ֖וּ תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַכֹּ֛ל הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ

רָאִ֙יתִי֙  I  have  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֔ים  the  works 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
שֶֽׁנַּעֲשׂ֖וּ  that  are  done 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
תַּ֣חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ  the  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
וְהִנֵּ֥ה  and  indeed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הֶ֖בֶל  [is]  vanity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.
וּרְע֥וּת  and  grasping  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: רְעוּת  
Sense: longing, striving.
רֽוּחַ  the  wind 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.