4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.
5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.
7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.
9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.
great works (v.4) — his palace and the temple.
silver and gold (v.8) — In Solomon’s treasury, these metals were as common as stones (2 Chronicles 1:15).
delights of the sons of men (v.8) — his harem, sex
musical instruments of all kinds (v.8) — This should probably be translated as “concubines.” Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3), and it seems very unlikely that he would list the things he gathered to find meaning without listing them. And if this isn’t a reference to them, then he didn’t list them anywhere. One commentary says this isn’t a mistranslation but a euphemism for sex.
From the pursuit of wisdom the Preacher turned his energies to the creation of a world within the crooked world; a world all his own filled with his own creations. Houses, vineyards, and orchards, literally parks, filled his secular Eden. Servants and singers populated his garden. … In all of this he kept his league with wisdom (v.9) and with every new [creation] act he questioned his heart as to that “thing’s” ability to add meaning and profit to his life under the sun. — KJV Commentary, page 738.
My wisdom remained with me (v.9) — Even while Solomon was indulging in his acquisitions, he was using his wisdom to to see if they brought meaning and happiness
[Solomon] found that though he was interested for the time (v.10), yet his share or “portion” of all his toil was vanity and vexation of spirit, and provided no profit, i.e., no satisfying happiness (v.11). — Williams, page 440.
He found temporary pleasure in his pursuits but no lasting value (v.10).
I looked on (v.11) = I faced the facts
Solomon had all the wealth and power at his disposal to fully indulge the flesh—and he did. The word “labor” in vs.10-11 shows that he conducted his pursuit of pleasure as if it were work—he toiled at it. He concluded that even if one gave himself totally over to the lust of the flesh it does not satisfy. The experience still leaves one feeling empty. — Grace, page 1169.
