Ecclesiastes 3:9
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Ancient agrarian life was intensely aware of seasonal cycles—planting in spring, harvesting in fall, the annual repetition of agricultural labor. Unlike modern notions of progress and accumulation, ancient farmers knew that each year's harvest must be consumed or stored, and the cycle begins again. There is no permanent agricultural surplus that transcends the seasons. Ecclesiastes 3:9 challenges ancient Israel (and modernity) to recognize that human activity operates within God's appointed times, not according to autonomous human control. The New Testament reveals that Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection occurred 'when the fullness of time was come' (Galatians 4:4)—God's perfect timing that advances redemptive history beyond mere cycles.
Questions for Reflection
- How does recognizing that God has appointed 'times' for all your activities change your perspective on control, achievement, and profit?
- What would it look like to work faithfully within God's times rather than anxiously striving to accumulate permanent earthly profit?
Analysis & Commentary
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? (מַה־יִּתְרוֹן הָעוֹשֶׂה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא עָמֵל, mah-yitron ha'oseh ba'asher hu amel)—this question, following the famous 'time for everything' passage (3:1-8), applies theological pressure to the poem's meaning. If God has appointed times for every activity, and all these times cycle endlessly, what lasting advantage (yitron, יִתְרוֹן) does the worker gain? The seasons change, activities rotate, but does anything truly advance or accumulate permanent value?
The question isn't rhetorical despair but theological realism. From a purely earthly perspective, if all human activities are time-bound and cyclical—planting and uprooting, building and breaking down, laughing and mourning—then labor produces no net gain beyond the cycle itself. This drives the reader toward verses 12-14's conclusion: since we cannot change God's times or add to His perfect works, the appropriate response is receiving each season as His gift, fearing Him, and finding joy in present obedience rather than seeking permanent earthly profit.