Ecclesiastes 2:26

To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Preacher (Qoheleth) delivers this as the verdict on his own exhaustive experiment in pleasure (ch. 2), addressing his audience and himself. It closes the section on "what I gained" and pivots to what God actually gives.

The words — שִׂמְחָה (simchah, H8057) = joy: the one gift God bestows on the good that the sinner never receives, receiving instead only the labor of accumulation.

The thread — The same pattern recurs in Proverbs 13:22 and Proverbs 28:8, where the wicked's wealth is stored up for the righteous; Job 27:16 mocks the sinner who heaps silver like dust.

Why it lands — It strips the self-congratulation from accumulation: if you are gathering without joy, the text says that task was never yours to keep.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Cross-references

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.
Job 27:16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
Proverbs 28:8 He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.
Isaiah 3:10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
2 Chronicles 31:20 So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God.
Proverbs 3:13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding,
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Colossians 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.