“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
Qohelet's verdict that he has "seen" all the works done under the sun and found them "all vanity and striving after wind" testifies to his empirical method and its disappointing conclusion. The vivid image of chasing wind—effort expended on the intangible, the immaterial, the untamable—perfectly captures the futility of human endeavor that produces no lasting result. This verse consolidates the argument of 1:3-13: investigation born from wisdom itself confirms that all human work lacks ultimate profit or permanence.
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