Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Here Solomon returns to the observation and consideration of the vanity and vexation of spirit that attend the business of this world, which he had spoken of before, Ecc 2:11. I. If a man be acute, and dexterous, and successful in his business, he gets the ill-will of his neighbours, Ecc 4:4.
Commenting on Ecclesiastes 4:4-6
Again I considered all travail, and every right work,.... The pains that men take to do right works. Some apply themselves, with great diligence and industry, to the study of the liberal arts and sciences; and to attain the knowledge of languages; and to writing books, for the improvement of those things, and the good of mankind: and others employ themselves in mechanic arts, and...
right--rather, "prosperous" (see on Ecc 2:21). Prosperity, which men so much covet, is the very source of provoking oppression (Ecc 4:1) and "envy," so far is it from constituting the chief good.