“And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.”
My Notes
What Does Ecclesiastes 2:10 Mean?
Solomon describes the experiment of unlimited indulgence: "Whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy." He denied himself nothing. Every desire was fulfilled, every pleasure was explored, every joy was experienced. And his conclusion: "this was my portion of all my labour." The pleasure itself was his only return on investment.
The phrase "I kept not from them" indicates total removal of restraint. Solomon didn't just enjoy pleasures — he systematically eliminated every boundary between desire and fulfillment. Whatever his eyes wanted, he gave them. Whatever his heart craved, he satisfied it. No filter, no delay, no denial.
The word "portion" (cheleq) means allotted share — what you actually get after everything is accounted for. Solomon's portion from all his labor was the temporary pleasure itself. Not lasting satisfaction. Not meaning. Not fulfillment. Just the pleasure — fleeting, immediate, and ultimately empty. The next verse declares it all vanity.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you ever denied yourself nothing and found the result disappointing?
- 2.Why doesn't unlimited pleasure produce lasting satisfaction?
- 3.What's the difference between joy and pleasure, based on Solomon's experience?
- 4.What does Solomon's testimony teach you about the pursuit of 'more'?
Devotional
Solomon tried everything. He gave himself every pleasure, denied himself nothing, explored every joy without restraint. And his conclusion wasn't "it was wonderful." It was: this fleeting pleasure was my only portion. It was all I got for all my labor.
This is one of the most important testimonies in Scripture because it comes from the one person who actually had the resources to try everything. Solomon wasn't theorizing about whether unlimited pleasure satisfies. He tested it. With unlimited wealth, power, and access, he ran the experiment. And the result was: vanity.
The modern version of Solomon's experiment is available to almost everyone now. Not on his scale, but the principle is the same: whatever your eyes desire, pursue it. Whatever your heart craves, give it. Remove every restraint between want and have. And the result is the same every time: the pleasure is real but temporary, and it's all you get.
Solomon's "portion" — his allotted share, his return on investment — was the pleasure itself. Not transformation. Not meaning. Not lasting joy. Just the moment of satisfaction, which evaporated the moment it arrived, leaving him wanting the next one.
Have you been running Solomon's experiment? How's it going? Is unlimited indulgence producing the fulfillment it promised?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them,.... Though this sense is only mentioned, all are designed; he…
Portion - A word of frequent occurrence. By it Solomon describes the pleasure found in the act of working and also…
Solomon here, in pursuit of the summum bonum - the felicity of man, adjourns out of his study, his library, his…
whatsoever mine eyes desired From such a life the idea of self-denial, even of self-control, was absolutely excluded.…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture