His efforts were in vain/to fail in one's efforts
By metaphor: he achieved nothing. Did not bring about any result. Failed in his efforts.
("Rabbi Akiva said to him; You have plunged into mighty waters and brought up clay in your hand" - Baba Kama Zaa a.a., and so on: "But how many times has he tried to ask for a failure to overthrow the king - the clay in his hand came up" - Burla/ Silver, and so on: "You are singing a song of clay - / What do you mean by shooting and not shooting? / So, we have brought up clay, we have nothing "To hide" - Leah Goldberg/Solvig, c)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הֶעֱלָה חֶרֶס בְּיָדוֹ
Definition (Hebrew)
בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: לֹא הִשִּׂיג מְאוּמָה. לֹא הֵבִיא לְאַף תּוֹצָאָה. נִכְשַׁל בְּמַאֲמַצָּיו.
("אָמַר לוֹ ר' עֲקִיבָא; צָלַלְתָּ בְּמַיִם אַדִּירִים וְהֶעֱלִיתָ חֶרֶס בְּיָדְךָ"- בָּבָא קַמָּא צֵא ע"א, וְכֵן:"אֲבָל כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים שֶׁנִּסָּה לְבַקֵּשׁ מִכְשׁוֹל לְהַפִּיל אֶת הַשַּׂר- הֶעֱלָה חֶרֶס בְּיָדוֹ"-בּוּרְלָא/ כִּסּוּפִים, וְכֵן:"אַתְּ מְפַזֶּמֶת שִׁיר עֶרֶשׂ-/ מָה לָךְ פֹּה תִּיר וְלָא תִּיר?/ כֵּן, הֶעֱלֵינוּ חֶרֶס, אֵין לָנוּ מָה לְהַסְתִּיר"-לֵאָה גּוֹלְדְּבֵּרְג/ סוֹלְוִיג, ג)