Ecclesiastes 1:8

Things. Heb. debarim, translated “words” in v. 1, but no doubt meaning “things” here. In the NT the Gr. rhema, “word,” or “thing,” bears the same twofold meaning as the Hebrew word here used.

Full of labour. The Hebrew word thus translated is an adjective from the verb “to toil,” and is related to an Arabic root meaning “to have pain,” “to suffer.” The apparent fruitlessness of human activity and the disappointments that accompany it are the points emphasized here.

Man cannot utter it. The word translated “man” is not the generic term of v. 3, but one that refers to “man” as distinct from woman. The verb translated “utter” is the root form of “words” in v. 1 and of “things” in v. 8. “It” is a supplied word. In the Hebrew the verb “utter” refers to “all things.”

Not satisfied. Outward experience cannot satisfy the inner cravings of the heart. Things, that is, material blessings, do not satisfy the thoughtful person. A true approach to God is not made through the outward senses, but through an inner experience. God is spirit (John 4:24), and must, accordingly, be approached by man’s spirit. Similarly, the things that fall on the outer ear cannot make for lasting good unless relayed to the inner ear of man’s spiritual nature, by which he hears the voice of God.