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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Ecclesiastes 2:10,11

ECCLESIASTES—NOTE ON Ecclesiastes 2:10 The Preacher finally realizes that his work resulted in no permanent gain under the sun. Nevertheless, he did receive a reward in return for his work: the pleasure that the work itself gave him.

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See also Ecclesiastes 2:10,11 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Ecclesiastes 2:10. _I WITHHELD NOT MY HEART FROM ANY JOY_] He had every means of gratification; he could desire nothing that was not within his reach; and whatever he wished, he took care to pos...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    PORTION - A word of frequent occurrence. By it Solomon describes the pleasure found in the act of working and also perhaps the pleasure felt in the process of acquiring wisdom; this pleasure is admitt...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 2THE RESULTS OF THE SEARCH AND DIFFERENT VANITIES _ 1. His personal experience (Ecclesiastes 2:1)_ 2. Various vanities and a conclusion (Ecclesiastes 2:12) Ecclesiastes 2:1

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 1:12 TO ECCLESIASTES 2:26. QOHELETH'S INVESTIGATIONS. Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom (Ecclesiastes...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ECCLESIASTES 1:12 TO ECCLESIASTES 2:26. QOHELETH'S INVESTIGATIONS. Assuming the character of Solomon the writer tells of his search for happiness under many forms. The pursuit of wisdom (Ecclesiastes...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    LABOUR. toil. WAS. came to be. PORTION. share, as in Ecclesiastes 3:22....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _whatsoever mine eyes desired_ From such a life the idea of self-denial, even of self-control, was absolutely excluded. Money and power were but means to the end, and the end proposed was the gratific...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _THE VANITY OF SELF-INDULGENCE -- ECCLESIASTES 2:1-11:_ All through the book of Ecclesiastes we observe Solomon as he thought and reasoned within himself. He had looked upon and tried all the good, pl...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND THIS WAS MY PORTION OF ALL MY LABOUR— _But this was my portion from all my labour._ The word חלק _cheilek,_ rendered _portion,_ constantly implies something which is an advantage, or is considered...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    c. Wisdom is used in the exploration of sensuous pleasure. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 TEXT 2:1-11 1 I said to myself, Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself. And behold, it too was fut...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    EPICUREANISM AND WISDOM ALIKE PROFITLESS 1-3. The writer makes enjoyment his quest, while aware that it is folly, and avoiding excess in a philosophic spirit....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    MY PORTION OF ALL MY LABOUR] At least he had the zest of joys obtained through toil or ingenuity....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE TEACHER SEARCHES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 2 THE TEST TO DISCOVER WHAT MAKES A PERSON HAPPY – ECCLESIASTES 2:1-11...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (9-11) Kohéleth carried out his plan of tempering his enjoyment with discretion, but while he took his fill of the pleasure that fell to his lot, he found in it no abiding profit. He goes on in the fo...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ כֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָֽׁאֲל֣וּ עֵינַ֔י לֹ֥א אָצַ֖

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    24-26, VAIN UNDERTAKINGS Ecclesiastes 2:1-17 At the beginning of his search for happiness Solomon erected a splendid home and planned all kinds of delights of an artistic and sensuous nature. There w...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Turning from the pursuit of knowledge to the pathway of pleasure, the king had given himself up to mirth, seeking the false stimulus of wine. In this also he had been disappointed, finding that mirth...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my (g) portion of all my labour. (g) This was the fruit o...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Labour. Hebrew, "and this was my portion of all my labour." I perceived that I could not thus obtain content. (Calmet) --- "Thou (O God) hast made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless till the...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. (2) I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? (3) I sought...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 12. The Book of Ecclesiastes is, up to a certain point, the converse of the Book of Proverbs. (see NOTE TO PROVERBS below) It is the experience of a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND WHATSOEVER MINE EYES DESIRED I KEPT NOT FROM THEM,.... Though this sense is only mentioned, all are designed; he denied himself of nothing that was agreeable to him, that was pleasing to the eye,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour._ Ver. 10. _And whatsoev...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _So I was great_ In riches, and power, and glory. _My wisdom remained_ As yet I was not wholly seduced from God. _And whatsoever mine eyes desired_ Whatsoever was grateful to my senses, or my heart de...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy, he tried them all out to see whether he could obtain true profit from any of them; FOR MY HEART REJOICED IN...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Solomon's own Example...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "AND ALL THAT MY EYES DESIRED. DID NOT REFUSE THEM.. DID NOT WITHHOLD MY HEART FROM ANY PLEASURE, FOR MY HEART WAS PLEASED BECAUSE OF ALL MY LABOR AND THIS WAS MY REWARD FOR ALL MY LABOR."ALL THAT MY...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-11 Solomon soon found mirth and pleasure to be vanity. What does noisy, flashy mirth towards making a man happy? The manifold devices of men's hearts, to get satisfaction from the world, and their...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    WHATSOEVER MINE EYES DESIRED; whatsoever was grateful to my senses, or my heart desired. He ascribes desire to the eyes, because the sight of the eyes is the usual and powerful incentive of desires; o...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ecclesiastes 2:10 eyes H5869 desired H7592 (H8804) keep H680 (H8804) withhold H4513 (H8804) heart H3820 ple

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHAPTER 2 THE SEARCH FOR PLEASURE. Experimenting With Good Things (Ecclesiastes 2:1). Ecclesiastes 2:1 ‘I said in my heart, “Go at it now, I will test out merriment. Therefore enjoy pleasure (or ‘g...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Ecclesiastes 1:12-2 I. As was natural in so wise a man, the Preacher turns first to wisdom. It is the wisdom that is born of wide and varied experience, not of abstract study. He acquaints himself wit...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Solomon shows that there is no true happiness and satisfaction to be had in mirth, pleasure and the delights of sense. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon. CONCLUSION: True and lasting happiness and...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ecclesiastes 2:1. _Enjoy pleasure._ The first doctrine of Epicurus, whose system is here rebutted. Acts 17:18. Ecclesiastes 2:2. _I said of laughter,_ of all forced and frantic joy, _it is mad._ Chald...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth._ THE THREEFOLD VIEW OF HUMAN LIFE Three views of human life are given in this remarkable chapter. I. The theatrical view of life (Ecclesiastes 2:1). The wri...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— ECCLESIASTES 2:3. I SOUGHT IN MINE HEART.] The word has the meaning not of thinking or reflecting, but to prove or assay—to make a moral experiment. ECCLESIASTES 2:8. THE PECULIAR TR...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 2:1 Section 2. _Vanity of striving after pleasure and wealth._ ECCLESIASTES 2:1 Dissatisfied with the result of the pursuit of wisdom, Koheleth embarks on a course of sensua...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So I said in my heart, Go to now, I'm going to prove thee with [pleasure,] with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: but, behold, this was vanity (Ecclesiastes 2:1). So we read in the New Testament the ep...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 John 2:16; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 6:9;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    And — Whatsoever was grateful to my senses. Rejoiced — I had the comfort of all my labours, and was not hindered from the full enjoyment of them by sickness or war, or any other calamity. My portion —...

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