“Surely every man walks about as a phantom;
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’

and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.

“Though he piles up silver like dust
And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,

When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.

It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.

For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?

Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

“Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.

Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

For,
All flesh is like grass,
And all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

A vain shew

Bible References

A vain shew

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Surely

I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.
So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.
For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?
Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”
“Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance.
But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

He heapeth

For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.
“Though he piles up silver like dust
And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.
For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.
When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

General references

and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies,
The mountains skipped like rams,
The hills, like lambs.
Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
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