Ecclesiastes / Question
Ecclesiastes raises the central question: “What profit hath a man of all his labour…under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3). In the Teacher’s surveys, the conclusion is that even impressive achievements can leave “no profit under the sun” when viewed from the standpoint of what lasts (Ecclesiastes 2:11).
In Ecclesiastes 1:2–3 the speaker (“the Preacher”) states the book’s controlling theme with a forceful verdict: everything is “vanity,” repeated for emphasis. He then turns that verdict into a practical question: if life is spent working hard, what lasting advantage does a person actually get from it “under the sun”? These lines function as the headline and driving question for the book’s reflections. After the brief identification of the speaker (1:1), 1:2 offers a sweeping evaluation that frames how later observations should be heard. Verse 3 immediately narrows the focus from “all” to a core example: human work and its results.
Ecclesiastes 1:2–3 opens with the Preacher’s headline verdict: “Vanity of vanities…all is vanity.” The repeated wording is part of the point: the claim is meant to sound comprehensive and firm, not tentative.
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with Ecclesiastes 1:3, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
3What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?