Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Bible References

I looked

Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.
Genesis 1:31
God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Exodus 39:43
And Moses [carefully] inspected all the work, and behold, they had done it; just as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. So Moses blessed them.
1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world.

Behold

Ecclesiastes 2:17
So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun caused me only great sorrow; because all is futility and chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:3

What advantage does man have from all his work
Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?
Habakkuk 2:13

“Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts
That peoples labor [only] for the fire [that will destroy their work],
And nations grow weary for nothing [that is, things which have no lasting value]?
1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God].

General references

Proverbs 14:13

Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief.
Ecclesiastes 1:2

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher.
“Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God’s guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind].”
Ecclesiastes 3:9
What profit is there for the worker from that in which he labors?