Ecclesiastes 2:23 - Exposition

All his days are sorrow, and his travail grief (comp. Ecclesiastes 5:16 , Ecclesiastes 5:17 ). These are the real results of his lifelong efforts. All his days are pains and sorrows, bring trouble with them, and all his labor ends in grief. "Sorrows" and "grief" are pretreated respectively of "days" and "travail." Abstract nouns are often so used. Thus Ecclesiastes 10:12 , "The words of a wise man's mouth are grace." The free-thinkers in Wis. 2:1 complain that life is short and tedious ( λυπηρὸς ). Yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. He cannot sleep for thinking over his plans and hopes and disappointments. Not for him is the sweet sleep of the laboring man, who does his day's work, earns his repose, and frets not about the future. On the one hand care, on the ether satiety, murder sleep, and make the night torment.