Misinterpretations of this verse often portray it as a blanket endorsement of hating life or promoting nihilism and despair, as if Solomon advocates abandoning all effort or even self-destruction; in reality, his stark assessment stems from a strictly earthly 'under the sun' viewpoint that temporarily excludes God's sovereignty, serving as a foil to the book's ultimate wisdom of fearing God and keeping His commandments, which imbue life with true value rather than condemning it outright.
Ecclesiastes 2:17
King James Version (1769)
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
In Ecclesiastes 2:17, Solomon articulates his deep disillusionment with life after exhaustive pursuits of pleasure, wisdom, and labor, declaring all work under the sun grievous and vain, which captures the core truth of human existence apart from God: earthly endeavors, no matter how grand, ultimately prove futile and burdensome, lacking lasting meaning or satisfaction and pointing seekers toward the transcendent purpose found in revering the Creator.