Ecclesiastes 6 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
2 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.
3 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.
4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
Ecclesiastes Chapter 6 (Old Testament)
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
10 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.
11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
12 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?
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| רַע — ra‘ | Verse 1 — “…there is an evil…” | “Evil,” misfortune. | Ra‘ (“evil”) denotes moral or existential hardship (“evil/misery”). Qoheleth laments universal suffering. The term sets a somber tone for the chapter. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on Ecclesiastes (1870) |
| עָשִׁיר — ‘āshīr | Verse 2 — “…a man to whom God hath given riches…” | “Rich,” wealthy. | ‘Āshīr (“rich”) identifies material abundance (“wealthy”). Yet prosperity without enjoyment is futile. The term exposes wealth’s limitations. — C. F. Keil, OT Commentary (1866) |
| מִשְׁלָט — mishlāt | Verse 2 — “…yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof…” | “Power,” control. | Mishlāt (“power”) signifies capacity or authorization (“power/control”). God may withhold the ability to enjoy wealth. The term reveals dependence on divine blessing. — Moses Stuart, Ecclesiastes (1851) |
| נָכְרִי — nokhrī | Verse 2 — “…a stranger eateth it…” | “Stranger,” foreigner. | Nokhrī (“stranger”) implies an outsider (“foreigner”). Another enjoys what the wealthy man cannot. The term intensifies the book’s theme of futility. — Samuel Cox, Ecclesiastes Explained (1888) |
| הֶבֶל — hevel | Verse 2 — “…this is vanity…” | “Vapor,” futility. | Hevel (“vapor”) marks transience (“vanity”). It characterizes life apart from divine joy. The term summarizes Ecclesiastes’ refrain. — Otto Zöckler, Lange on Ecclesiastes (1870) |
| תּוֹלֵדָה — tōledāh | Verse 3 — “…if a man beget an hundred children…” | “Generation,” offspring. | Tōledāh (“offspring”) highlights legacy (“generation/children”). Yet numerical success does not guarantee fulfillment. The term critiques cultural assumptions. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on Ecclesiastes (1870) |
| שֹׂבַע — sov‘a | Verse 3 — “…and his soul be not filled with good…” | “Satisfaction,” fullness. | Sov‘a (“satisfaction”) depicts inward fullness (“filled/satisfied”). External prosperity cannot fill the inner void. The term stresses spiritual hunger. — Keil, OT Commentary (1866) |
| נָחָה — nāḥāh | Verse 6 — “…do not all go to one place?” | “Lead,” guide. | Nāḥāh (“to lead”) implies directed movement (“go/lead”). All are led to the same fate—death. The term conveys inevitability. — Moses Stuart, Ecclesiastes (1851) |
| תַּאֲוָה — ta’avāh | Verse 9 — “…better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire.” | “Desire,” craving. | Ta’avāh (“desire”) signifies restless craving (“desire/lust”). Controlled vision is better than wandering appetite. The term warns against discontent. — Samuel Cox, Ecclesiastes Explained (1888) |
| רְעוּת רוּחַ — re‘ut ruach | Verse 9 — “…this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.” | “Chasing wind,” frustration. | Re‘ut ruach (“wind-chasing”) symbolizes futile striving (“vexation of spirit”). Human cravings yield empty pursuit. The term completes Qoheleth’s critique of desire. — Otto Zöckler, Lange Commentary (1870) |
Ecclesiastes Chapter 6 (Old Testament)
Ecclesiastes Chapter 6: Channeling God's blessing in alignment to His wish.
Memory verse: Ecclesiastes. 6:1-2 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
It is not alien to us how swiftly riches drift people away from God, however, this doesn’t construe that rich people will not reach the kingdom of God. But to be more upfront, the earthly factors such as wealth, fulfillment, and material possession which are temporal with insatiable appetite attachment, if not well managed, would never make us utilize God’s blessing upon us for His glory.
The inception of this Ecclesiastes chapter 6 made us understand the fact that man's earthly achievements and accumulation of material possessions no matter how amassed they how much it may seem can end up being used by a stranger who never worked for it, if we refuse to use it in tandem with God’s will.
Rather than spending our wealth on what infuriates God or accumulating material things that do not sync with what God wants, we can instead use His blessing upon our lives to bless others who are indigent in one way or the other, better still, we can impact lives by using what God has bestowed on us to reach lives that needed to be imparted.
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