Ecclesiastes 2:10

Desired. Heb. sha’al, meaning literally, “begged,” “requested.” The popular Hebrew name Sha’ul, “Saul,” literally, “requested,” is from this root (see on 1 Sam. 9:2). Solomon here implies that he went to extremes, that there was little if anything with which he did not experiment (see 1 John 2:15-17).

Joy ... rejoiced. Heb. simchah ... sameach, the noun being derived from the verb. Either word may refer to practically every kind of pleasing emotion, whether in religious experience, in legitimate pleasure, in labor, or in dissipation and debauchery. Solomon certainly means no less than that he tasted the fruits of all he studied and undertook.

Portion. That is, “share” or “award,” whether of booty, spoil, food, property, or a mode of life. In Ps. 50:18 it is rendered “partaker,” referring to companionship with “adulterers.” Solomon evidently refers to his way of life, his pursuit of happiness.