What Does Ecclesiastes 5:17 Mean?

All his days also he eateth in darkness (גַּם כָּל־יָמָיו בַּחֹשֶׁךְ יֹאכֵל, gam kol-yamav bachoshekh yokhel)—literally 'all his days in darkness he eats,' suggesting joyless consumption, isolation, or depression. The Hebrew choshekh (darkness) often symbolizes spiritual/emotional gloom, not just physical absence of light. And he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness (וְכָעַס הַרְבֵּה וְחָלְיוֹ וָקָצֶף, vekha'as harbeh vecholyo vaqatsef)—abundant vexation, his illness, and anger.

This verse paints the psychological portrait of the wealth-hoarder from verses 13-16: his entire existence becomes shadowed by worry, marked by joyless eating (contrast verse 18's enjoyment), multiplied grief (ka'as harbeh, 'much vexation'), physical illness (cholyo), and rage (qatsef). Darkness here represents the spiritual state of one whose life centers on perishing riches—he eats but cannot taste, possesses but cannot enjoy, lives but finds no light. This is the rich fool syndrome (Luke 12:19-20) lived out over decades. Contrast this with Proverbs 15:15: 'All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast'—disposition matters more than possessions.