EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ecclesiastes 4:6
6It is good to have only a little food and be happy. That is better than too much hard work that gives you a lot of food. It is as useless as somebody who tries to catch the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
- New International Version (NIV)Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Better a handful with quietness Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.
Context of Ecclesiastes 4:6
4I also thought about the clever work that people do. I saw that people work hard because they are jealous of each other. They want to do better than other people. I realized that this has no purpose. It is like somebody who tries to catch the wind. 5Foolish people refuse to work. They sit and they do nothing. So they become hungry and they die. It is good to have only a little food and be happy. That is better than too much hard work that gives you a lot of food. It is as useless as somebody who tries to catch the wind. 7I thought about something else on the earth that has no purpose. 8There are people who live alone. They have no friends, children or brothers. They work hard every day. They want to get more riches for themselves. But they are never happy with the things that they have. They should ask themselves, ‘Why am I working so hard? Am I helping anybody? I am not doing things that make me happy.’ Their work has no purpose. It only brings trouble to their lives.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 4Ecclesiastes 4:6 word by word
ט֕וֹב מְלֹ֥א כַ֖ף נָ֑חַת מִמְּלֹ֥א חָפְנַ֛יִם עָמָ֖ל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 4:6
- Psalms 37:16It is better to do what is right and only have a few things, than to be wicked and have many things.
- Proverbs 15:16You may be poor, but you respect and obey the Lord. That is better than if you are very rich, but you have a lot of trouble.
- Proverbs 16:8If you do what is right but you are not rich, that is better than to be rich because you cheat people.
- Proverbs 17:1It is better to eat a piece of dry bread in a quiet place, than to eat a big feast in a house full of arguments.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Better is a handful with quietness - These may be the words of the slothful man, and spoken in vindication of his idleness; as if he had said, "Every man who labors and amasses property is the object of envy, and is marked by the oppressor as a subject for spoil; better, therefore, to act as I do; gain little, and have little, and enjoy my handful with quietness." Or the words may contain Solomon's reflection on the subject.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Either the fool‘s sarcasm on his successful but restless neighbor; or the comment of Solomon recommending contentment with a moderate competence. The former meaning seems preferable.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-6Verses 4-6 Solomon notices the sources of trouble peculiar to well-doers, and includes all who labour with diligence, and whose efforts are crowned with success. They often become great and prosperous, but this excites envy and opposition. Others, seeing the vexations of an active course, foolishly expect more satisfaction in sloth and idleness. But idleness is a sin that is its own punishment. Let us by honest industry lay hold on the handful, that we…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6Fools do not try to succeed and end up poor. Others work frantically, using all their time and effort, to chase temporary wealth they will not have time to enjoy (compare Proverbs 23:4–5). Wise people practice moderation and contentment (tranquility).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Hebrew; "One open hand (palm) full of quietness, than both closed hands full of travail." "Quietness" (mental tranquillity flowing from honest labor), opposed to "eating one's own flesh" (Ec 4:5), also opposed to anxious labor to gain (Ec 4:8; Pr 15:16, 17; 16:8).Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 4:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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