Ecclesiastes 2:21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~950 BC. Solomon observing his court, seeing lazy nobles benefit from others' work while skilled craftsmen remain unrewarded. The injustice of royal courts.
The emotion here: moral outrage mixed with personal guilt about his own privilege
The original word
ra'ah (רָעָה) — not just 'evil' but 'calamity', 'disaster', something that breaks the moral order
Why it matters
Solomon employed forced labor from conquered peoples while Israelites lived in luxury
Read with care
What most readers miss in Ecclesiastes 2:21
Solomon sees this injustice in his own palace - he's both victim and perpetrator of this system
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just about inheritance. Solomon is describing the entire economic system where merit and reward are disconnected.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Ecclesiastes 2:21
Bible Genome reading
Ecclesiastes 2:21 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Ecclesiastes 2:21 comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, written during the Divided 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 narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include futility, work. Notable phrases: labor with wisdom; leave it for his portion.
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 2:21 mean to you, today?
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