These verses summarize the speaker’s “experiment” with pleasure and achievement. Explicitly, he reports unmatched success in Jerusalem, and he says his wisdom stayed with him even as he grew “great” (v.9). He also describes deliberate, wide-open enjoyment: he did not deny himself what he wanted, and he felt real satisfaction connected to his work (v.10).

The passage also gives an explicit final verdict after review: when he looks back on what his hands produced and what his effort gained, he calls it “vanity” (empty, slippery, not solid) and “chasing after wind,” and he concludes there is “no profit under the sun” (v.11). In other words, the experience has a real payoff in the moment, but it does not deliver an enduring advantage when evaluated as a whole.

Where interpretation differs

What “wisdom remained with me” implies (v.9). Some read this as saying he kept self-control and clear judgment while enjoying and building—he was not simply reckless. Others take it more modestly: he remained intelligent and competent, but that did not prevent his overall conclusion that the whole project still failed to produce lasting gain.

What “portion” means (v.10). Some take “portion” mainly as the immediate enjoyment of work itself—the satisfaction that comes while doing and finishing things. Others think it includes not only enjoyment but also the tangible benefits of labor (what work yields). Either way, “portion” is presented as limited: it is what can be taken from labor, not a permanent surplus that remains afterward.

What “profit under the sun” denies (v.11). Many read “profit” as lasting advantage—something that remains after the effort and pleasure are over. Others hear a broader denial: not only “no lasting gain,” but also “no ultimate payoff” within the boundaries of ordinary life “under the sun,” even if the activities are impressive.

Why the disagreement exists The passage uses broad terms (“all,” “portion,” “profit,” “under the sun”) without spelling out boundaries. It also holds two truths close together—real enjoyment (v.10) and ultimate emptiness (v.11)—so interpreters differ on whether the speaker is condemning pleasure and work themselves or evaluating their limits when treated as a final source of gain.

What this passage clearly contributes It contributes a tight, experience-based claim: the most resourced, most successful life—lived with continued “wisdom,” with unrestricted enjoyment, and with major accomplishments—can still come up empty when judged by whether it produces durable “profit” in this world. It also clarifies that the speaker is not denying every positive feeling; he explicitly affirms a real, momentary “portion” tied to labor, while insisting that this portion does not add up to a lasting surplus “under the sun.”