King James Version
Ecclesiastes 6
12 verses with commentary
The Vanity of Wealth Without Enjoyment
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
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There is an evil which I have seen under the sun (רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, ra'ah asher ra'iti tachat hashemesh)—the Preacher introduces another troubling observation in his comprehensive investigation of life 'under the sun.' The Hebrew ra'ah denotes not moral evil but calamity, misfortune, or oppressive hardship. And it is common among men (רַבָּה הִיא עַל־הָאָדָם, rabbah hi al-ha'adam)—literally 'heavy it is upon mankind,' indicating this evil weighs heavily and affects many.
This opening formula (similar to 5:13) signals Qoheleth's empirical methodology: he observes, analyzes, and reports disturbing patterns in fallen creation. The verse prepares readers for an examination of wealth's peculiar torment—when God grants riches but withholds the capacity to enjoy them (6:2). This anticipates Jesus's parable of the rich fool who accumulated wealth but died before enjoying it (Luke 12:16-21) and James's warning to rich oppressors (James 5:1-6).
This opening formula (similar to 5:13) signals Qoheleth's empirical methodology: he observes, analyzes, and reports disturbing patterns in fallen creation. The verse prepares readers for an examination of wealth's peculiar torment—when God grants riches but withholds the capacity to enjoy them (6:2). This anticipates Jesus's parable of the rich fool who accumulated wealth but died before enjoying it (Luke 12:16-21) and James's warning to rich oppressors (James 5:1-6).
A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
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A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour—the triple blessing (עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד, osher u-nekhasim ve-khavod) represents comprehensive material prosperity: riches (osher, abundance), wealth (nekhasim, possessions/property), and honor (khavod, glory/reputation). So that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth—complete material satisfaction with no unmet external needs. Yet—devastating turn—God giveth him not power to eat thereof (וְלֹא־יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, velo-yashlitenu ha'elohim le'ekhol mimenu). The verb shalat means 'to give power/authority/capacity.' God grants the wealth but withholds the ability to enjoy it.
But a stranger eateth it—someone outside the family inherits and consumes what the man accumulated. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease (חֳלִי רָע, choli ra)—literally 'a sore/painful affliction.' This scenario depicts wealth's peculiar torment: possessing everything yet enjoying nothing, working for strangers' benefit rather than your own satisfaction.
But a stranger eateth it—someone outside the family inherits and consumes what the man accumulated. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease (חֳלִי רָע, choli ra)—literally 'a sore/painful affliction.' This scenario depicts wealth's peculiar torment: possessing everything yet enjoying nothing, working for strangers' benefit rather than your own satisfaction.
If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
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If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years—the Preacher constructs an extreme hypothetical representing maximum fertility and longevity, both considered covenant blessings (Deuteronomy 28:4, 11). And his soul be not filled with good (וְנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע מִן־הַטּוֹבָה, ve-nafsho lo-tisba min-hatovah)—despite external blessings, inner satisfaction remains absent. And also that he have no burial—dying without proper burial constituted profound disgrace in ancient culture, suggesting dying unmourned or in judgment (Jeremiah 22:18-19).
The shocking conclusion: I say, that an untimely birth is better than he (נֵפֶל, nefel—a stillborn or miscarried child). A stillborn never experiences life's disappointments, labors without satisfaction, or accumulates blessings it cannot enjoy. This isn't recommending death over life but emphasizing how tragic existence becomes when divorced from the capacity to enjoy God's gifts. It echoes Job's lament (Job 3:11-16) and anticipates Jesus's warning about gaining the world while forfeiting the soul (Mark 8:36).
The shocking conclusion: I say, that an untimely birth is better than he (נֵפֶל, nefel—a stillborn or miscarried child). A stillborn never experiences life's disappointments, labors without satisfaction, or accumulates blessings it cannot enjoy. This isn't recommending death over life but emphasizing how tragic existence becomes when divorced from the capacity to enjoy God's gifts. It echoes Job's lament (Job 3:11-16) and anticipates Jesus's warning about gaining the world while forfeiting the soul (Mark 8:36).
For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
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Continuing the comparison, the Preacher describes the stillborn's experience: For he cometh in with vanity (כִּי־בַהֶבֶל בָּא, ki-vahevel ba)—the stillborn arrives with the same hevel (vapor/breath/vanity) that characterizes all earthly existence. And departeth in darkness (וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ יֵלֵךְ, u-vachoshekh yelekh)—it passes immediately from womb to grave without experiencing life's light. And his name shall be covered with darkness (וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ שְׁמוֹ יְכֻסֶּה, u-vachoshekh shemo yekhuseh)—nameless, unmemorialized, leaving no legacy or reputation.
The stillborn's obscurity seems tragic, yet the Preacher argues it's preferable to a life of blessed accumulation without satisfaction. The triple reference to darkness emphasizes obscurity and non-existence. Yet this very obscurity spares the stillborn from experiencing life's frustrations, laboring without reward, and suffering the peculiar torment of possessing everything while enjoying nothing. The passage assumes that existence without the capacity to enjoy God's good gifts is worse than non-existence—a sobering commentary on what makes life worth living.
The stillborn's obscurity seems tragic, yet the Preacher argues it's preferable to a life of blessed accumulation without satisfaction. The triple reference to darkness emphasizes obscurity and non-existence. Yet this very obscurity spares the stillborn from experiencing life's frustrations, laboring without reward, and suffering the peculiar torment of possessing everything while enjoying nothing. The passage assumes that existence without the capacity to enjoy God's good gifts is worse than non-existence—a sobering commentary on what makes life worth living.
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
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Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing (גַּם־שֶׁמֶשׁ לֹא־רָאָה וְלֹא יָדָע, gam-shemesh lo-ra'ah velo yada)—the stillborn never experiences conscious life. Not seeing the sun means not experiencing earthly existence; not knowing anything means lacking consciousness entirely. This hath more rest than the other (נַחַת לָזֶה מִזֶּה, nachat lazeh mizeh)—the Hebrew nachat denotes rest, quiet, or repose. The stillborn has 'more rest' than the wealthy person who lives long, accumulates much, but finds no satisfaction.
This paradoxical claim—unconscious non-existence provides more rest than conscious life—forces readers to confront what makes existence worthwhile. The answer emerges throughout Ecclesiastes: life gains meaning not from accumulation, longevity, or achievement, but from receiving each day as God's gift, enjoyed in His fear and obeying His commandments (2:24-26; 12:13). Without this theological framework, even maximal blessings prove worse than never existing.
This paradoxical claim—unconscious non-existence provides more rest than conscious life—forces readers to confront what makes existence worthwhile. The answer emerges throughout Ecclesiastes: life gains meaning not from accumulation, longevity, or achievement, but from receiving each day as God's gift, enjoyed in His fear and obeying His commandments (2:24-26; 12:13). Without this theological framework, even maximal blessings prove worse than never existing.
Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
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Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told—the Preacher extends the hypothetical to absurd extremes: two thousand years of life, vastly exceeding any biblical lifespan (even Methuselah's 969 years, Genesis 5:27). Yet hath he seen no good (וְטוֹבָה לֹא רָאָה, ve-tovah lo ra'ah)—despite unimaginable longevity, no tovah (good/satisfaction/blessing) is experienced. The verb ra'ah (to see) implies experiential knowledge, not mere observation.
Do not all go to one place? (הֲלֹא אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ, halo el-maqom echad hakol holekh)—the rhetorical question answers: yes, all go to Sheol, the grave. Long life or short, satisfied or dissatisfied, wealthy or poor—all face the same death. This democratizing reality relativizes earthly distinctions. If death nullifies all earthly advantages, then living two thousand years without enjoying good offers no benefit over the stillborn's immediate passage to the grave. Only what transcends death—relationship with the eternal God—provides lasting meaning.
Do not all go to one place? (הֲלֹא אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ, halo el-maqom echad hakol holekh)—the rhetorical question answers: yes, all go to Sheol, the grave. Long life or short, satisfied or dissatisfied, wealthy or poor—all face the same death. This democratizing reality relativizes earthly distinctions. If death nullifies all earthly advantages, then living two thousand years without enjoying good offers no benefit over the stillborn's immediate passage to the grave. Only what transcends death—relationship with the eternal God—provides lasting meaning.
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. appetite: Heb. soul
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All the labour of man is for his mouth (כָּל־עֲמַל הָאָדָם לְפִיהוּ, kol-amal ha'adam lefihu)—human toil primarily serves basic physical sustenance. The Hebrew amal (labor/toil) carries connotations of wearisome, burdensome work. Despite humanity's higher capacities—intellect, creativity, spirituality—the Preacher observes that most labor serves the mundane necessity of eating. And yet the appetite is not filled (וְגַם־הַנֶּפֶשׁ לֹא תִמָּלֵא, ve-gam-hanefesh lo timale)—the word nefesh can mean 'soul' or 'appetite/desire.' Physical hunger returns after each meal; psychological desire persists despite satisfaction.
This verse captures the treadmill of existence 'under the sun': work to eat, eat to gain strength to work, work again to eat again—an endless cycle. Even when physical needs are met, desires multiply, preventing lasting satisfaction (5:10). Only when labor and eating are received as God's gifts and enjoyed within covenant relationship does this cycle gain meaning (2:24-26). Jesus later taught that man doesn't live by bread alone but by God's word (Matthew 4:4), and that those who labor should seek food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27).
This verse captures the treadmill of existence 'under the sun': work to eat, eat to gain strength to work, work again to eat again—an endless cycle. Even when physical needs are met, desires multiply, preventing lasting satisfaction (5:10). Only when labor and eating are received as God's gifts and enjoyed within covenant relationship does this cycle gain meaning (2:24-26). Jesus later taught that man doesn't live by bread alone but by God's word (Matthew 4:4), and that those who labor should seek food that endures to eternal life (John 6:27).
For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
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What hath the wise more than the fool? (מַה־יּוֹתֵר לֶחָכָם מִן־הַכְּסִיל)—The Preacher's question cuts to the bone: if death is the great equalizer, what advantage (yōtēr, 'surplus' or 'profit') does wisdom provide? The second question sharpens the irony: what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? The Hebrew phrase 'walk before the living' (לַהֲלֹךְ נֶגֶד הַחַיִּים) means to conduct oneself skillfully in society—yet even this social competence yields no ultimate advantage.
Under the sun, both wise and fool die (2:16). But from an eternal perspective, Proverbs 3:13-18 celebrates wisdom's true profit. The New Testament resolves this tension: Christ is 'the wisdom of God' (1 Cor 1:24), and those who gain Him gain eternal advantage.
Under the sun, both wise and fool die (2:16). But from an eternal perspective, Proverbs 3:13-18 celebrates wisdom's true profit. The New Testament resolves this tension: Christ is 'the wisdom of God' (1 Cor 1:24), and those who gain Him gain eternal advantage.
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. than: Heb. than the walking of the soul
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Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire (טוֹב מַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם מֵהֲלָךְ־נָפֶשׁ)—Literally, 'better what the eyes see than the soul's walking.' The Hebrew nephesh (soul/appetite) constantly roams, craving what is absent. The Preacher advocates contentment with present realities over endless yearning for what we don't have.
Yet even this modest wisdom is vanity and vexation of spirit (hevel ū-re'ūt rūaḥ). The phrase 'vexation of spirit' literally means 'shepherding the wind'—a futile attempt to control the uncontrollable. Paul echoes this in Philippians 4:11-12, having learned contentment, but grounds it in Christ's sufficiency rather than philosophical resignation.
Yet even this modest wisdom is vanity and vexation of spirit (hevel ū-re'ūt rūaḥ). The phrase 'vexation of spirit' literally means 'shepherding the wind'—a futile attempt to control the uncontrollable. Paul echoes this in Philippians 4:11-12, having learned contentment, but grounds it in Christ's sufficiency rather than philosophical resignation.
That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
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That which hath been is named already (מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ)—To 'name' something in Hebrew thought is to determine its nature and destiny. Everything that comes into existence was already predetermined by God. And it is known that it is man (wĕ-nōda' ăšer-hū' ādām)—humanity's identity as mortal dust (ādām from ădāmâ, 'ground') is fixed.
Neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he—Job learned this lesson (Job 40:1-5). Man cannot argue with his Creator. Yet Romans 9:20 uses similar language: 'who art thou that repliest against God?' The difference: in Christ, we approach God not as adversaries but as adopted children (Rom 8:15).
Neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he—Job learned this lesson (Job 40:1-5). Man cannot argue with his Creator. Yet Romans 9:20 uses similar language: 'who art thou that repliest against God?' The difference: in Christ, we approach God not as adversaries but as adopted children (Rom 8:15).
Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
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Seeing there be many things that increase vanity (כִּי יֵשׁ־דְּבָרִים הַרְבֵּה מַרְבִּים הָבֶל)—The Hebrew structure emphasizes multiplication: 'many words multiplying vapor.' More talking, philosophizing, and human effort only compounds futility. What is man the better? (מַה־יֹּתֵר לָאָדָם)—Again the question of yōtēr, 'profit' or 'advantage.'
This anticipates Jesus's warning: 'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Matt 7:21). Mere words—even religious words—profit nothing without divine grace. James 1:22 similarly warns against being 'hearers only' who multiply words without obedient action.
This anticipates Jesus's warning: 'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Matt 7:21). Mere words—even religious words—profit nothing without divine grace. James 1:22 similarly warns against being 'hearers only' who multiply words without obedient action.
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? all: Heb. the number of the days of the life of his vanity
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The Preacher asks a profound question: 'For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow?' The Hebrew 'mi yodea' (מִי יוֹדֵעַ, who knows) expresses epistemic humility—human beings cannot reliably discern what truly benefits them. The phrase 'vain life' uses 'hevel' (הֶבֶל, vapor/breath), Ecclesiastes' key term for temporal existence's fleeting, insubstantial nature. Life passes quickly 'as a shadow' (katsel, כַּצֵּל)—here then gone, lacking substance. The second question intensifies the first: 'who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?' Humans cannot know the future—what will happen after their death, how their work will fare, whether their children will prosper. This double ignorance—uncertainty about present good and future outcomes—drives readers toward dependence on God's wisdom revealed in His Word.