Ecclesiastes 1:13 Meaning and Explanation
“And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →The Preacher devotes himself wholeheartedly to studying all that happens under heaven, calling it a heavy task God has appointed to humankind.
What Does Ecclesiastes 1:13 Mean?
The Preacher describes his method: he gave his whole heart to seek out and examine, by wisdom, everything that takes place under heaven. He pursued understanding not casually but with full and disciplined effort.
He calls this search a 'sore travail' that God has given people to be busied with, a weighty and humbling labor. The wrestling to understand life is not a sign that God is absent; it is part of what he has appointed, a burden meant to drive us beyond ourselves. The verse dignifies honest seeking even as it warns that human wisdom alone, for all its toil, will not exhaust the question or bring it to rest.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecclesiastes 1:13
What does Ecclesiastes 1:13 mean?
The Preacher devotes himself wholeheartedly to studying all that happens under heaven, calling it a heavy task God has appointed to humankind.