Ecclesiastes 2:18 · Bible study
Ecclesiastes 2:18 Commentary: The Preacher's Hatred of Labor
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Ecclesiastes 2:18 explores the frustration of labor that must be left to an unknown successor, reframing the meaning of work under the sun.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Preacher's hatred of his labor flows from the certainty that its fruits will pass to an unknown and possibly unworthy successor.
- Key words: שָׂנֵא (hate), strong emotional rejection; עָמָל (toil/labor), labor tinged with trouble; נוּחַ (leave/rest), to deposit or abandon.
- Main debate: Whether this is Solomon's specific regret over Rehoboam (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Targum) or a literary device universalizing the experience (Keil-Delitzsch).
- Theological theme: The vanity of labor severed from both present enjoyment and eternal hope; the need to receive work as gift.
- Best use: A pastoral text for those wrestling with the meaning of work, legacy, and the frustration of leaving things unfinished.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
WEB World English Bible 2000
I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
KJV King James Version 1769
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Yo asimismo aborrecí todo mi trabajo que había puesto por obra debajo del sol; el cual dejaré á otro que vendrá después de mí.
Eu também detestei todo o meu trabalho em que trabalhei abaixo do sol, porque o deixarei ao homem que virá depois de mim.
J’ ai haï tout le travail que j’ ai fait sous le soleil, et dont je dois laisser la jouissance à l’ homme qui me succédera.
Und mich verdroß alle meine Arbeit, die ich unter der Sonne hatte, daß ich dieselbe einem Menschen lassen müßte, der nach mir sein sollte.
Ik haatte ook al mijn arbeid, dien ik bearbeid had onder de zon, dat ik dien zou achterlaten aan een mens, die na mij wezen zal.
Ed ho odiata ogni fatica che ho durata sotto il sole, e di cui debbo lasciare il godimento a colui che verrà dopo di me.
Nawet omierzła mi i wszystka praca moja, którąm podejmował pod słońcem, przeto, że ją zostawić muszę człowiekowi, który nastanie po mnie.
И возненавидел я весь труд мой, которым трудился под солнцем, потому что должен оставить его человеку, который будет после меня.
我 恨惡 一切的 勞碌，就是我 在日光 之下 的勞碌，因為我得來的必留給 我以後的 人。
Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Ecclesiastes 2:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse captures a turning point in the Preacher's experiment with meaning. Adam Clarke gives three reasons for the hatred: the work has not answered its purpose, its fruits are enjoyed only briefly, and it must be left to someone whose character is unknown, wise or fool. The Cambridge Bible notes parallels in secular history (Cardinal Mazarin walking through his galleries, Frederick William IV on the terrace at Potsdam), each facing the same fact: I must leave all this. Gill emphasizes that the Preacher cannot carry his possessions, estates, or riches beyond death, a thought enforced by the Targum's specific application to Rehoboam and Jeroboam. Wesley states it plainly: the laborer 'must, and that everlastingly, leave them all behind.' The consensus points to the fundamental vanity of toil when it is detached from present enjoyment and eternal perspective.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal autobiographical reading: Solomon speaks as himself; the successor is Rehoboam (Targum, JFB, 1 Kings 11-12).
- Literary persona reading: The indefinite 'the man who comes after me' is a deliberate fiction to universalize the experience (Keil-Delitzsch).
- Existential-crisis reading: The Preacher voices the despair of all who view life without divine purpose; the hatred is temporary and pedagogical (Clarke, Matthew Henry).
What is clear: The Preacher hates his labor because it must be left behind to an unknown successor, and this frustration arises from the structure of mortal life under the sun.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Authorial identity | The Preacher is traditionally identified with Solomon, and the passage reflects a king's perspective on legacy. | Some read this as Solomon's autobiographical lament about Rehoboam (Targum, JFB), while others see it as a created persona speaking for all humanity (Keil-Delitzsch). Both agree the text addresses a universal human experience. |
| Legitimacy of 'hating' labor | The hatred is an honest description of the Preacher's emotional state, not an endorsement of perpetual resentment. | Matthew Henry and Wesley treat it as a natural response to vanitiy that should be overcome by seeking God. Clarke sees it as a reasonable judgment on work that cannot satisfy. No commentator urges readers to imitate the hatred as a permanent disposition. |
| The unknown successor | The successor is indefinite, 'the man who comes after me', highlighting uncertainty. | The Targum and JFB name Rehoboam specifically; the Targum even adds Jeroboam. Keil-Delitzsch insist the indefinite wording deliberately avoids reference to a known son, making the point universal. The difference affects whether the passage is a historical lament or a general sapiential observation. |
| Application for Christians | The verse exposes the futility of labor without God, paving the way for hope in 2:24-26. | Catholic tradition often uses this to encourage detachment from worldly goods; Protestant commentators emphasize receiving work as a calling and gift; Evangelical readers may stress that eternal perspective transforms the meaning of legacy. All agree the solution is not to abandon work but to reframe it. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within Solomon's larger reflection on the meaning of work, wisdom, and legacy (Ecclesiastes 2:18-23). The phrase 'under the sun' marks the Preacher's chosen horizon: life viewed from within creation, without appeal to divine revelation or afterlife. Within that frame, labor becomes a riddle. The king who built great works (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6) now realizes he cannot control what comes after.
The historical context is crucial. If the Preacher is Solomon, the successor is Rehoboam, and the reader knows that Rehoboam's folly split the kingdom (1 Kings 12). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown notes that Solomon's own failure to heed David's charge (1 Chronicles 28:9) likely deepened his anxiety about his son's future. But Keil and Delitzsch argue that the text deliberately strips the king of his historical individuality: the phrase 'the man who comes after me' is indefinite and unsympathetic, not what a real king would say about his own son. This literary choice universalizes the problem. Every worker, not only kings, faces the same uncertainty.
Cross-references reinforce the theme. Psalm 39:6 says, 'He heaps up, and doesn't know who shall gather.' Psalm 49:10 observes that even the wise 'leave their wealth to others.' The Preacher's hatred is not petty resentment, it is grief at the structure of mortal existence itself.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Ecclesiastes 2:18. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the translations (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay-Rheims) agree closely on the meaning: the Preacher hates his labor because he must leave it to the man after him.
Reception History
In the early church, Ecclesiastes 2:18 was read as part of the wise man's honest struggle with mortality. Gregory of Nyssa and other Cappadocians used the book to teach detachment from transitory things. Medieval monastic tradition saw it as a call to contemptus mundi (contempt for the world); the hate for labor was not sin but reason to focus on the eternal. Reformation commentators like Luther and Calvin redirected the text toward vocation: the frustration of work points the believer to trust God's gift rather than personal legacy. Modern existential readings (e.g., from the mid-20th century) highlight the absurdity of labor that cannot secure meaning, a note many Christian ethicists have challenged by emphasizing resurrection hope. Across these eras, the verse has served as a mirror held up to human ambition, pressing readers to ask what end their work truly serves.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The labor we invest, The Preacher uses the Hebrew עמל (toil, trouble) to describe work that is both productive and painful (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19). All his great works, wisdom, and skill amount to something he cannot keep.
- The legacy we cannot control, The successor may be wise or foolish (v.19). The Preacher's hatred arises not from generosity but from the loss of control. Work becomes vanity when it is severed from the worker's enjoyment.
- The perspective we must learn, The Preacher's frustration is a dead end, but it clears the path for the positive turn in v.24: receive work and its simple gifts as from God's hand.
Five-point outline
- Hating your labor (v.18a), What is the difference between honest frustration and sinful despair?
- The transfer of wealth (v.18b), The universal experience of leaving everything behind.
- The unknown successor (v.19), Why uncertainty about the recipient deepens the vanity.
- The despair that follows (vv.20-21), The logical outcome of this worldview.
- The path beyond (vv.24-26), Enjoyment of work as God's gift, not as earned reward.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer who pours years into the family farm, only to watch the next generation sell it for development. The labor was good; the loss of meaning is real.
- A retiree who sees a lifetime of savings pass to heirs who do not share the same values. The Preacher's question echoes in the will.
- Anyone who has poured effort into a project, only to have the credit or control taken by someone else. The frustration is not envy, it is the sense that the story ended wrong.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse mean I should not provide for my family? Or that planning for the future is pointless?
- Is it wrong to feel frustrated when others benefit from my hard work without appreciation?
- How can I find meaning in my daily labor if it all ends up in someone else's hands anyway?
Leading a Discussion
Ecclesiastes 2:18 confronts us with a question most Christians prefer to avoid: what if my work does not outlast me in the way I hoped? The Preacher's honesty gives permission to name the frustration. But the passage does not end in despair, it opens the door to the gift of present enjoyment (v.24). Use these questions to let the text search your group's assumptions about work and legacy.
Discussion questions
- Read Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 aloud. Why does the Preacher use the word 'hate'? What specific problem is he naming?
- How does the uncertainty about the successor (wise or fool) make the labor feel even more vain? Can you think of a situation where not knowing who will come after you changed how you felt about your work?
- Compare Ecclesiastes 2:18 with Psalm 39:6 and Psalm 49:10. What do these passages together teach about human labor and legacy?
- The Preacher says he 'must' leave his labor to another (v.18). How does the inevitability of death shape his view of work? How should it shape ours, as Christians who believe in resurrection?
- Verse 21 calls it 'a great evil' when someone labors with wisdom and skill only to leave the fruit to someone who did not work for it. Is this always evil, or is there a gracious way to leave a legacy? (Consider 1 Timothy 5:8 and Proverbs 13:22.)
- The Preacher's hatred leads to despair (v.20). How does the rest of the chapter (especially vv.24-26) provide a way forward? What does it mean to 'make his soul enjoy good in his labor'?
- How can your group pray for one another regarding work that feels unappreciated, uncompleted, or uncertain in its outcome?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 11:11 | Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, “Because this is done by you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. |
| I Kings 11:13 | However, I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.” |
| Psalms 17:14 | from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. |
| Psalms 39:6 | “Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather. |
| Psalms 49:10 | For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others. |
| Ecclesiastes 1:3 | What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun? |
| Ecclesiastes 1:13 | I 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. |
| Ecclesiastes 2:4 | I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that work fails because it does not bring lasting fulfillment. It provides temporary enjoyment followed by loss, and its results may end up in the hands of anyone (wise or foolish). This leaves one without true security.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold the view that work is meaningless point to this verse, while others understand it as pointing to deeper spiritual realities. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note captures the bitter irony: a man works hard his whole life only to leave everything to someone he does not know and who may not deserve it. This realization makes all labor under the sun seem futile and hateful, because nothing stays with the one who earned it.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the frustration that all achievement—great works, wealth, even knowledge—must be left behind to a successor who may be unworthy or unknown. He notes that Solomon’s labor included writing books, which he feared would be misused, and that nothing can be carried beyond the grave.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that selfishness drives parents to care for their children. He also says the king Rehoboam would fail because he ignored his father’s command.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that the phrase "the man who shall be after me" refers not to any person born later but to the one who will occupy the speaker's place as successor. They observe that a real king would not speak so impersonally about his own heir, which reveals that the figure is stripped of historical individuality and belongs to the author's literary fiction.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange resolves the apparent contradiction in this chapter
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that even work done with wisdom and skill can end up in the hands of a foolish person who will not appreciate it. He sees this situation as part of the same pattern of emptiness that exists in all human effort.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that riches and buildings, the very fruits of a person's labor, do not bring comfort but actually deepen misery. The cause is the certainty of leaving them all behind, and that separation lasts forever.