Ecclesiastes 5:16
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
Original Language Analysis
וְגַם
H1571
וְגַם
Strong's:
H1571
Word #:
1 of 14
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
חוֹלָ֔ה
also is a sore
H2470
חוֹלָ֔ה
also is a sore
Strong's:
H2470
Word #:
4 of 14
properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to stroke (in flattering), entreat
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
5 of 14
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עֻמַּ֥ת
that in all points
H5980
עֻמַּ֥ת
that in all points
Strong's:
H5980
Word #:
6 of 14
conjunction, i.e., society; mostly adverb or preposition (with prepositional prefix), near, beside, along with
שֶׁבָּ֖א
as he came
H935
שֶׁבָּ֖א
as he came
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
7 of 14
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
כֵּ֣ן
H3651
כֵּ֣ן
Strong's:
H3651
Word #:
8 of 14
properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner
יֵלֵ֑ךְ
H1980
יֵלֵ֑ךְ
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
9 of 14
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
וּמַה
H4100
וּמַה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
10 of 14
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
Historical Context
The question 'What profit?' resonates throughout Israelite wisdom literature, constantly testing endeavors against ultimate value. This pragmatic theology insisted actions bear fruit—but fruit measured by eternal standards, not mere temporal accumulation.
Questions for Reflection
- What activities in your life might qualify as 'laboring for the wind'—expending energy with no eternal return?
- How can you redirect efforts from accumulation that dies with you toward investments that follow you into eternity?
- In what ways does recognizing life's symmetry (naked to naked) bring both humility and liberation?
Analysis & Commentary
And this also is a sore evil (וְגַם־זֹה רָעָה חוֹלָה, vegam-zoh ra'ah cholah)—repeating verse 13's phrase, 'a grievous evil.' That in all points as he came, so shall he go (כָּל־עֻמַּת שֶׁבָּא כֵּן יֵלֵךְ, kol-ummat shebba ken yelekh)—'exactly corresponding to how he came, thus he goes,' emphasizing precise symmetry of arrival and departure. And what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? (וּמַה־יִּתְרוֹן לוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל לָרוּחַ, umah-yitron lo sheya'amol laruach)—employing yitron, the book's signature term for 'profit' or 'gain.'
The 'sore evil' is the absurdity itself: entrance equals exit, making intervening accumulation meaningless from eternity's perspective. The phrase 'laboured for the wind' (ya'amol laruach) is bitterly poetic—one cannot grasp wind, store wind, or profit from wind; it's the ultimate symbol of futility. Hosea used similar imagery: 'They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind' (Hosea 8:7). Yet Ecclesiastes' answer isn't nihilism but redirected ambition: labor for what endures. 'Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life' (John 6:27).