Ecclesiastes 2:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet, he questions whether that succeeding individual will be wise or foolish, and whether they will reap the benefits of his hard work, along with the wisdom acquired under the sun. This is yet another instance of futility. He admits that he has been deceived, not for another but for his own sake through what he has done in this life. What remains of his efforts is a mere illusion, a passing ambition. He states, “All vanity and arbitrariness of spirit.” Another voice concurs, reflecting disdain for earthly cares, acknowledging that a person labors not for oneself but for those who will follow. Regardless of what one builds during this life—be it docks for ships, grand fortifications, towers, or lush fields—the successor may squander these resources, possibly turning them into instruments of vice. Not every individual can test these matters as I have, declares Ecclesiastes, driven by wisdom in pursuit of knowledge. After briefly allowing my natural inclinations to seek earthly pleasures, I have since reined in my thoughts and subjected them to rationality. Who can predict if the next person to inherit such circumstances will find themselves similarly subdued by desires, like a captive succumbing to the allure of pleasure? Hence, he declares: "I hate all my labor, my toil, and I toil under the sun with it, for I leave it to the man that is to come after me. And who knows whether he shall be wise or foolish, and whether he shall possess all labor, and by it I labor, and by it I am wise under the sun?" Here, I perceive the essence of Ecclesiastes' reflection: he did not succumb to a life of indulgence out of mere desire but approached it through wise contemplation, experiencing life in its fullness without being enslaved by its demands. Therefore, he wonders whether his successor will claim that which he achieved not through passion but through insight. He recognizes that he has indeed linked pleasure with labor, engaging with it almost involuntarily, as if battling an unyielding temptation. Thus, Ecclesiastes advises that one should include this realization among life’s vanities.

While there is emptiness in both sensual enjoyment and intellectual pursuits, and indeed in all of human life, this does not imply that life should be surrendered to recklessness or immorality. Rather, it suggests a balanced approach—integrating knowledge with pleasure, all while recognizing that these gifts come from God alone and are bestowed upon the righteous. The ability to savor life does not hinge on human effort but upon divine grace (24, 25). Since God distinguishes between good and evil based on moral character, the guiding principle for living becomes clear: to act virtuously and embrace life, intertwining wisdom with enjoyment (26). The validity of this principle is underscored by the notion that everything possesses relative value; nothing is inherently good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, but is perceived as such based on the circumstances surrounding it.