Ecclesiastes 1:14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~950 BC. Solomon surveying his vast kingdom — temples, palaces, gardens, armies — realizing it's all temporary...
The emotion here: grief-stricken by the futility he's discovered
The original word
hevel (הֶבֶל) — vapor, breath, mist that appears and vanishes instantly
Why it matters
Solomon controlled trade routes worth billions in today's money, yet called it all vapor
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ecclesiastes 1:14
Solomon isn't being negative — he's a scientist reporting his findings after the world's most thorough experiment
Common misconceptionThis seems hopeless, but Solomon is actually freeing us from the exhausting pursuit of permanent meaning in temporary things.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ecclesiastes 1:14
Bible Genome reading
Ecclesiastes 1:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ecclesiastes 1:14 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 grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include vanity, futility. Notable phrases: all is vanity; chasing after wind.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Ecclesiastes 1:14 mean to you, today?
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