Ecclesiastes 2:24

Ecclesiastes 2:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
• New International Version (NIV)A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,
• English Standard Version (ESV)There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.

Context of Ecclesiastes 2:24

22People have to do a lot of hard work on this earth and it causes them to worry. But in the end, they have nothing. 23Every day, their work causes their bodies to suffer. At night, their minds do not have any rest. All this has no purpose. So I decided what is best for us to do. We should be happy to eat and to drink. And we should enjoy our work. I realized that all these things are gifts from God. 25Without God's help, nobody can eat anything or enjoy anything. 26God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy to people who please him. Wicked people may work hard and become rich. But God takes away their valuable things and he gives them to someone who pleases him. So their hard work has no purpose. It is like somebody who tries to catch the wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 word by word

אֵֽין־ט֤וֹב בָּאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְהֶרְאָ֧ה אֶת־נַפְשׁ֛וֹ ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָל֑וֹ גַּם־זֹה֙ רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי כִּ֛י מִיַּ֥ד הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• nothing betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• for a manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• that he should eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• he should make his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• enjoyרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: enjoyH7200
• goodטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
• in his labourעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
• Thisזֹהzôh · thisH2090
• also I sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• from the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 2:24

• Ecclesiastes 3:12So I realized that people should be happy. They should enjoy good things as long as they live. There is nothing better for people to do than that.
• Ecclesiastes 5:18But I realized that there is one good thing for people to do. We should be happy to eat and to drink. And we should enjoy the hard work that we do on the earth. That is what God wants us to do during the short time that he has given us on this earth.
• Ecclesiastes 8:15So I think that we should enjoy our lives. People should be happy to eat, drink and enjoy their lives. That is the best thing for them to do. It will help them to enjoy the work that they do during their lives. That is the life which God has given them on the earth.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7So be happy as you eat your food. Be happy as you drink your wine. God is pleased with you as you do these things.
• Ecclesiastes 11:9Young people, enjoy your life while you are young. Do the things that you think are good. Enjoy the things that you see. But remember that God will judge you for all the things that you do.
• Deuteronomy 12:12Go there to enjoy time with the Lord your God. Take with you your children and your servants. Also take with you the Levites who live in your towns. Remember that they have not received any land for themselves, as you have.
• Nehemiah 8:10Nehemiah said to the people, ‘Go to your homes and eat some good food. Drink sweet drinks. Share your food and your drink with people who do not have enough for themselves. This is a holy day for our Lord, so do not be sad. The Lord will give you joy so that you can be strong.’
• Acts 14:17But God has showed everybody very clearly what he is like. He has showed you that he is kind. He causes the rain to fall from the sky. He causes the plants to give you food at the right time each year. He gives you plenty of food to eat. In these ways he makes you very happy.’
• 1 Timothy 6:17Warn those people who are rich with many things that belong to this world. Tell them not to think that they are more important than other people. They must not think that their money will keep them safe. They could easily lose all of it. Instead, they should trust God. He gives us many things, so that we can enjoy all of them.
• Ecclesiastes 3:13People should be happy to eat and to drink. They should enjoy the work that they do. All these things are gifts from God.
• Ecclesiastes 5:19God gives some people a lot of money and valuable things. He helps them to enjoy those things and to be happy with their work. All of this is a gift from God.
• Ecclesiastes 6:2God may give someone lots of money and valuable things. People also respect that person. He has everything that he wants. He has worked hard to get them. But God does not allow him to enjoy those things. Instead, a stranger enjoys all that person's things. This has no purpose. It is a terrible thing to happen to someone.
• Malachi 2:2‘Listen carefully to what I say to you. You must respect my name properly. If not, I will punish you. I will no longer bless you but I will curse you. I am already doing that because you do not respect my name as you should.
• Luke 12:19Then I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of things stored safely. These will be enough for you for many years. Now you can live an easy life. Eat and drink as much as you want. Enjoy yourself.’ ”

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2:24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24There is nothing better for a man - The sense of this passage is well expressed in the following lines: - "For these disorders wouldst thou find a cure, Such cure as human frailty would admit? Drive from thee anxious cares; let reason curb Thy passions; and with cheerful heart enjoy That little which the world affords; for here, Though vain the hopes of perfect happiness, Yet still the road of life, rugged at best, Is not without its comforts - Wouldst…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-26Verses 18-26 Our hearts are very loth to quit their expectations of great things from the creature; but Solomon came to this at length. The world is a vale of tears, even to those that have much of it. See what fools they are, who make themselves drudges to the world, which affords a man nothing better than subsistence for the body. And the utmost he can attain in this respect is to allow himself a sober, cheerful use thereof, according to his rank and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24this is from the hand of God: Do not overlook God's gifts, like enjoying food and work. Without God, these would not exist. We can be thankful and content.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. English Version gives a seemingly Epicurean sense, contrary to the general scope. The Hebrew, literally is, "It is not good for man that he should eat," &c., "and should make his soul see good" (or "show his soul, that is, himself, happy"), &c. [Weiss]. According to Holden and Weiss, Ec 3:12, 22 differ from this verse in the text and meaning; here he means, "It is not good that a man should feast himself, and falsely make as though his soul were…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 2:24

• Blessing
• Contentment
• Happiness
• Sensuality
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Gather
• Laughter
• Synagogue, the Great
• Wisdom

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings