Ecclesiastes 2:17So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~950 BC. Solomon sits in his magnificent palace, surrounded by wealth beyond imagination, yet consumed with existential dread...
The emotion here: profound depression despite outward success
The original word
hevel (הֶבֶל) — vapor, breath, meaninglessness, something that appears substantial but vanishes
Why it matters
Solomon had 700 wives, 300 concubines, and unlimited resources, yet still felt empty
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ecclesiastes 2:17
The phrase 'under the sun' appears 29 times in Ecclesiastes - life WITHOUT God feels meaningless
Common misconceptionThis sounds like Solomon lost faith, but he's methodically eliminating false sources of meaning to point toward the true one.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ecclesiastes 2:17
Bible Genome reading
Ecclesiastes 2:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ecclesiastes 2:17 comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is a royal palace. 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 narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include despair, futility, hatred. Notable phrases: I hated life; all is vanity.
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 2:17 mean to you, today?
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