Ecclesiastes 5:17

Ecclesiastes 5:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
• New International Version (NIV)All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
• New King James Version (NKJV)All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger.

Context of Ecclesiastes 5:17

15As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. 16This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind? What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much frustration, sickness, and anger. 18Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. 19Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God,

Ecclesiastes 5:17 word by word

גַּ֥ם כָּל־יָמָ֖יו בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ יֹאכֵ֑ל וְכָעַ֥ס הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְחָלְי֥וֹ וָקָֽצֶף׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• All his daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• also he eatethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• in darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
• muchרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• sorrowכָּעַסka‛as · to provokeH3707
• and wrathקֶ֫צֶףqetseph · wrathH7110
• with his sicknessחֳלִיchŏlîy · sicknessH2483

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:17

• Genesis 3:17And he said to the man, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.
• 1 Kings 17:12But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked — only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”
• Job 21:25Yet another person dies with a bitter soul, having never tasted prosperity.
• Psalms 78:33He made their days end in futility, their years in sudden disaster.
• Psalms 102:9I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drinks with tears
• Psalms 127:2In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food — yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves.
• Ezekiel 4:16He said to me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat food they have weighed out and in dread drink rationed water
• 2 Kings 1:2Ahaziah had fallen through the latticed window of his upstairs room in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, instructing them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
• 2 Kings 5:27Therefore, Naaman’s skin disease will cling to you and your descendants forever.” So Gehazi went out from his presence diseased, resembling snow.
• 2 Chronicles 16:10Asa was enraged with the seer and put him in prison because of his anger over this. And Asa mistreated some of the people at that time.
• 2 Chronicles 24:24Although the Aramean army came with only a few men, the Lord handed over a vast army to them because the people of Judah had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors. So they executed judgment on Joash.
• Psalms 90:7For we are consumed by your anger; we are terrified by your wrath.
• Proverbs 1:27when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when trouble and stress overcome you.
• Acts 12:23At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.
• 1 Corinthians 11:30This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17All his days also he eateth in darkness - Even his enjoyments are embittered by uncertainty. He fears for his goods; the possibility of being deprived of them fills his heart with anguish. But instead of יאכל yochel, "he shall eat," ילך yelech, "he shall walk," is the reading of several MSS. He walks in darkness - he has no evidence of salvation. There is no ray of light from God to penetrate the gloom; and all beyond life is darkness impenetrable! And…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Hath much sorrow … - Rather, is very sad and hath pain and vexation.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-17Verses 9-17 The goodness of Providence is more equally distributed than appears to a careless observer. The king needs the common things of life, and the poor share them; they relish their morsel better than he does his luxuries. There are bodily desires which silver itself will not satisfy, much less will worldly abundance satisfy spiritual desires. The more men have, the better house they must keep, the more servants they must employ, the more guests…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-17Working just to gain possessions is like chasing the wind; it causes frustration, discouragement, and anger.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. eateth--appropriately put for "liveth" in general, as connected with Ec 5:11, 12, 18. darkness--opposed to "light (joy) of countenance" (Ec 8:1; Pr 16:15). wrath--fretfulness, literally, "His sorrow is much, and his infirmity (of body) and wrath."Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:17

• Riches

In the dictionaries

• Abundance
• Angry
• Defer
• Eat
• Error
• Vow
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings