Ecclesiastes 5:19

Ecclesiastes 5:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
• New International Version (NIV)Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

Context of Ecclesiastes 5:19

17Even if people are rich, they do not enjoy their food. They suffer all through their lives. They are upset, angry and sick. 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. God 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. 20People like that do not think a lot about what has happened in their lives. God helps them to be happy as they are busy with their work.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 word by word

גַּ֣ם כָּֽל־הָאָדָ֡ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָֽתַן־ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹהִים֩ עֹ֨שֶׁר וּנְכָסִ֜ים וְהִשְׁלִיט֨וֹ לֶאֱכֹ֤ל מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ וְלָשֵׂ֣את אֶת־חֶלְק֔וֹ וְלִשְׂמֹ֖חַ בַּעֲמָל֑וֹ זֹ֕ה מַתַּ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Every manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• also to whom Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• hath givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• richesעֹ֫שֶׁר‛ôsher · richesH6239
• and wealthנֶ֫כֶסnekes · wealthH5233
• and hath given him powerשָׁלַטshâlaţ · to domineerH7980
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• thereof, and to takeנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
• his portionחֵ֫לֶקchêleq · portionH2506
• and to rejoiceשָׂמַחώâmach · to rejoiceH8055
• in his labourעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
• thisזֹהzôh · thisH2090
• the giftמַתַּתmattâth · giftH4991

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:19

• Ecclesiastes 2:24So 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.
• 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 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.
• Deuteronomy 8:18Instead, you must always remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you the strength to get good things. He does that to show that his covenant still has authority today. That is the covenant that he promised to your ancestors.
• 1 Kings 3:13I will give you even more than this. I will make you rich and famous, even though you did not ask for that. As long as you live, there will be no other king who is greater than you.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:19

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-20Verses 18-20 Life is God's gift. We must not view our calling as a drudgery, but take pleasure in the calling where God puts us. A cheerful spirit is a great blessing; it makes employments easy, and afflictions light. Having made a proper use of riches, a man will remember the days of his past life with pleasure. The manner in which Solomon refers to God as the Giver, both of life and its enjoyments, shows they ought to be received and to be used…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-20The advice for enjoying life is clear: Enjoy your food, drink, and work. Appreciate them as gifts from God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. As Ec 5:18 refers to the "laboring" man (Ec 5:12), so Ec 5:19 to the "rich" man, who gets wealth not by "oppression" (Ec 5:8), but by "God's gift." He is distinguished also from the "rich" man (Ec 6:2) in having received by God's gift not only "wealth," but also "power to eat thereof," which that one has not. to take his portion--limits him to the lawful use of wealth, not keeping back from God His portion while enjoying his own.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:19

• Blessing
• Gifts from God
• Rich, the
• Riches

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Abundance
• Angry
• Defer
• Eat
• Error
• Vow
• Synagogue, the Great
• Wealth, Wealthy

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