Ecclesiastes 2

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In Ecclesiastes 2 Solomon describes his efforts to find satisfaction.

Experiencing the Experiment

Solomon’s conclusions were based on personal experience. He didn’t investigate the human experience via interviews or observation. He fully immersed himself in each endeavor.

Ecclesiastes 2 Outline

2:1-11

Solomon pursues pleasure

2:1-3

Solomon tries pleasure and indulgence

2:4-6

Achievement, nature, beauty, and art

2:7-10

Possessions, fame, and sexual exploits

2:11

Futility of pleasure, success, and wealth

2:12-17

Solomon considers wisdom, madness, and folly

2:12

Unique advantages of Solomon

2:13-14

Wisdom excels folly

2:14-17

Death: The great equalizer

2:18-23

Futility of working to amass wealth

2:18-21

A fool may inherit your money

2:22-23

Overachiever is vexed by toil and worry

2:24-26

God provides real contentment

2:24

Enjoy your work

2:25-26

God’s gift of enjoyment

Pursuit of Pleasure

Solomon began his investigation of life with pleasure. Fame, wealth, sex, nature, art, and success are all thought to bring lasting happiness. Solomon tried all of these things, using wisdom to plan his quest for satisfaction. Fully immersed in worldly pleasures, he tempered indulgence with discretion to achieve his goals of discovery (2:3).

Unparalleled Advantages

Great wisdom brought Solomon wealth, fame, and power. He used these advantages to conduct an extensive investigation of life’s experiences. Endowed with vast resources and God-given wisdom, Solomon was confident no person would ever match his efforts or add to his discoveries (2:12).

Fate in Ecclesiastes

The word “fate” appears 6 times in Ecclesiastes. Typically this word is associated with accidental luck or chance. Solomon always connects fate with death. All people share a common fate, death, which is an impartial and vexing equalizer.