Ecclesiastes 1:13I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~950 BC. King Solomon in his palace, surrounded by scrolls and advisors, having exhausted human knowledge...
The emotion here: intellectually exhausted and spiritually burdened
The original word
inyan ra (עִנְיַן רָע) — grievous task, burdensome occupation assigned by God
Why it matters
Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs, yet still felt empty
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ecclesiastes 1:13
This isn't philosophical musing — it's the world's wisest man admitting defeat
Common misconceptionPeople think this is pessimistic, but Solomon is actually explaining why human wisdom alone always fails — he's setting up the need for divine perspective.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ecclesiastes 1:13
Bible Genome reading
Ecclesiastes 1:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ecclesiastes 1:13 comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include wisdom, burden. Notable phrases: applied my heart; seek and search; heavy burden.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Ecclesiastes 1:13 mean to you, today?
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