God’s Word Translation
Ecclesiastes 4:8
8There are people who are all alone. They have no children or other family members. So there is no end to all the hard work they have to do. Their eyes are never satisfied with riches. But ⌞they never ask themselves⌟ why they are working so hard and depriving themselves of good things. Even this is pointless and a terrible tragedy.
Ecclesiastes 4:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
- New International Version (NIV)There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
- English Standard Version (ESV)one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is vanity and an unhappy business.
- New King James Version (NKJV)There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
Context of Ecclesiastes 4:8
6One handful of peace and quiet is better than two handfuls of hard work and of trying to catch the wind. 7Next, I turned to look at something pointless under the sun: There are people who are all alone. They have no children or other family members. So there is no end to all the hard work they have to do. Their eyes are never satisfied with riches. But ⌞they never ask themselves⌟ why they are working so hard and depriving themselves of good things. Even this is pointless and a terrible tragedy. 9Two people are better than one because ⌞together⌟ they have a good reward for their hard work. 10If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is ⌞all⌟ alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 4Ecclesiastes 4:8 word by word
יֵ֣שׁ אֶחָד֩ וְאֵ֨ין שֵׁנִ֜י גַּ֣ם בֵּ֧ן וָאָ֣ח אֵֽין־ל֗וֹ וְאֵ֥ין קֵץ֙ לְכָל־עֲמָל֔וֹ גַּם־עֵינ֖וֹ לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֣ע עֹ֑שֶׁר וּלְמִ֣י׀ אֲנִ֣י עָמֵ֗ל וּמְחַסֵּ֤ר אֶת־נַפְשִׁי֙ מִטּוֹבָ֔ה גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וְעִנְיַ֥ן רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- There isיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
- oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- not a secondשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
- yea, he hath neither childבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- nor brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- no endקֵץqêts · endH7093
- of all his labourעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
- neither is his eyeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- satisfiedשָׂבֵעַώâba‛ ώâbêa‛ · to satisfyH7646
- with richesעֹ֫שֶׁר‛ôsher · richesH6239
- For whom do I labourעָמֵל‛âmêl · laboriousH6001
- and bereaveחָסֵרchâsêr · to lackH2637
- my soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- of goodטוֹבָהţôb · welfareH2896
- also vanityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
- a soreרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
- travailעִנְיָן‛inyân · taskH6045
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 4:8
- Ecclesiastes 4:9Two people are better than one because ⌞together⌟ they have a good reward for their hard work.
- Genesis 2:18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.”
- Isaiah 56:3Foreigners who have joined the Lord should not say, “The Lord will separate us from his people.” Castrated men should not say, “We’re only dead trees!”
- Genesis 15:2Abram asked, “Almighty Lord, what will you give me? Since I’m going to die without children, Eliezer of Damascus will inherit my household.
- Isaiah 5:8How horrible it will be for you who acquire house after house and buy field after field until there’s nothing left and you have to live by yourself in the land.
- Ecclesiastes 1:8All of these sayings are worn-out phrases. They are more than anyone can express, comprehend, or understand.
- Ecclesiastes 5:10Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with money. Whoever loves wealth will never be satisfied with more income. Even this is pointless.
- Proverbs 27:20Hell and decay are never satisfied, and a person’s eyes are never satisfied.
- Habakkuk 2:5Also because wine is treacherous he is arrogant and never rests. He has a large appetite like the grave. He is like death—never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself. He collects all the people to himself.
- 1 John 2:16Not everything that the world offers—physical gratification, greed, and extravagant lifestyles—comes from the Father. It comes from the world, and
- Psalms 39:6Each person who walks around is like a shadow. They are busy for no reason. They accumulate riches without knowing who will get them.”
- Isaiah 44:19No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding to say, “I burned half of the wood in the fire. I also baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Now I am making the rest of the wood into a disgusting thing and bowing to a block of wood.”
- Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! I will demand your life from you tonight! Now who will get what you’ve accumulated?’
- Ecclesiastes 1:13With all my heart I used wisdom to study and explore everything done under heaven. Mortals are weighed down with a terrible burden that God has placed on them.
- Ecclesiastes 2:23Their entire life is filled with pain, and their work is unbearable. Even at night their minds don’t rest. Even this is pointless.
- Isaiah 55:2Why do you spend money on what cannot nourish you and your wages on what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me: Eat what is good, and enjoy the best foods.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 4:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8There is one alone, and there is not a second - Here covetousness and avarice are characterized. The man who is the center of his own existence; has neither wife, child, nor legal heir; and yet is as intent on getting money as if he had the largest family to provide for; nor does he only labor with intense application, but he even refuses himself the comforts of life out of his own gains! This is not only vanity, the excess of foolishness, but it is also…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 The spectacle of a prosperous man whose condition is rendered vain by his brotherless, childless isolation. Ecclesiastes 4:8 A second - Any one associated or connected with him. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Compare a saying from the Talmud: “A man without companions is like the left hand without the right.”Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8This lonely man is an example of the idea in Ecclesiastes 4:6.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. not a second--no partner. child--"son or brother," put for any heir (De 25:5-10). eye--(Ec 1:8). The miser would not be able to give an account of his infatuation.Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 4:8
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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