Ecclesiastes 3:9

NETBible

What benefit can a worker 1  gain from his toil? 2 

NIV ©

What does the worker gain from his toil?

NASB ©

What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

NLT ©

What do people really get for all their hard work?

MSG ©

But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does?

BBE ©

What profit has the worker in the work which he does?

NRSV ©

What gain have the workers from their toil?

NKJV ©

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?

KJV
What profit
<03504>
hath he that worketh
<06213> (8802)
in that wherein
<0834>
he laboureth
<06001>_?
NASB ©
What
<4100>
profit
<3504>
is there to the worker
<6213>
from that in which
<834>
he toils
<6001>
?
LXXM
tiv
<5100> 
I-NSF
perisseia
<4050> 
N-NSF
tou
<3588> 
T-GSM
poiountov
<4160> 
V-PAPGS
en
<1722> 
PREP
oiv
<3739> 
R-DPM
autov
<846> 
D-NSM
mocyei {V-PAI-3S}
NET [draft] ITL
What
<04100>
benefit
<03504>
can a worker
<06213>
gain from his
<01931>
toil
<06001>
?
HEBREW
lme
<06001>
awh
<01931>
rsab
<0834>
hvweh
<06213>
Nwrty
<03504>
hm (3:9)
<04100>
NETBible

What benefit can a worker 1  gain from his toil? 2 

NET Notes

1 tn The term הָעוֹשֶׂה (ha’oseh, article + Qal active participle ms from עָשַׂה, ’asah, “to do”) functions substantively (“the worker”); see BDB 794 s.v. עָשַׂה II.1. This is a figurative description of man (metonymy of association), and plays on the repetition of עָשַׂה (verb: “to do,” noun: “work”) throughout the passage. In the light of God’s orchestration of human affairs, man’s efforts cannot change anything. It refers to man in general with the article functioning in a generic sense (see IBHS 244-45 §13.5.1f; Joüon 2:511 §137.m).

2 sn This rhetorical question is an example of negative affirmation, expecting a negative answer: “Man gains nothing from his toil!” (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 949-51). Any advantage that man might gain from his toil is nullified by his ignorance of divine providence.