Ecclesiastes 5:14

Ecclesiastes 5:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
• New International Version (NIV)or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand.

Context of Ecclesiastes 5:14

12The sleep of working people is sweet, whether they eat a little or a lot. But the full stomachs that rich people have will not allow them to sleep. 13There is a painful tragedy that I have seen under the sun: Riches lead to the downfall of those who hoard them. These hoarded riches were then lost in bad business deals. The owners had children, but now they have nothing to give them. 15They came from their mother’s womb naked. They will leave as naked as they came. They won’t even be able to take a handful of their earnings with them from all their hard work. 16This also is a painful tragedy: They leave exactly as they came. What advantage do they gain from working so hard for the wind?

Ecclesiastes 5:14 word by word

וְאָבַ֛ד הָעֹ֥שֶׁר הַה֖וּא בְּעִנְיַ֣ן רָ֑ע וְהוֹלִ֣יד בֵּ֔ן וְאֵ֥ין בְּיָד֖וֹ מְאֽוּמָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But those richesעֹ֫שֶׁר‛ôsher · richesH6239
• perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• by evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• travailעִנְיָן‛inyân · taskH6045
• and he begettethיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• a sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• nothingמְא֫וּמָהme'ûmâh · anythingH3972
• in his handיָדyâd · handH3027

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:14

• Ecclesiastes 2:26God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to anyone who pleases him. But to the person who continues to sin, he gives the job of gathering and collecting ⌞wealth⌟. The sinner must turn his wealth over to the person who pleases God. Even this is pointless. ⌞It’s like⌟ trying to catch the wind.
• Job 5:5What a stubborn fool gathers, hungry people eat. They take it even from among the thorns, and thirsty people pant after his wealth.
• Job 20:15He vomits up the riches that he swallowed. God forces them out of his stomach.
• Job 27:16Though he collects silver like dust and piles up clothing like dirt,
• 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.”
• Proverbs 23:5Will you catch only a fleeting glimpse of wealth before it is gone? It makes wings for itself like an eagle flying into the sky.
• Haggai 1:9“You expected a lot, but you received a little. When you bring something home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of Armies. “It’s because my house lies in ruins while each of you is busy working on your own house.
• Haggai 2:16When anyone came to a pile of grain ⌞to get⌟ 20 measures, there would be only 10. And when anyone came to a wine vat to draw out 50 measures, there would be only 20 in it.
• Matthew 6:19“Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal.
• 1 Samuel 2:6“The Lord kills, and he gives life. He makes ⌞people⌟ go down to the grave, and he raises them up ⌞again⌟.
• 1 Kings 14:26He took the treasures from the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He took them all. He took all the gold shields Solomon had made.
• Psalms 109:9“Let his children become fatherless and his wife a widow.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14And he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand - He has been stripped of his property by unfortunate trade or by plunderers; and he has nothing to leave to his children.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Evil travail - Adverse accident, or unsuccessful employment (compare Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 4:8).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. 13-14wealth hoarded...wealth lost: Possessions are temporary and can disappear for many reasons.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1413-14. Proofs of God's judgments even in this world (Pr 11:31). The rich oppressor's wealth provokes enemies, robbers, &c. Then, after having kept it for an expected son, he loses it beforehand by misfortune ("by evil travail"), and the son is born to be heir of poverty. Ec 2:19, 23 gives another aspect of the same subject.Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:14

• Rich, the
• Riches

In the dictionaries

• Abundance
• Angry
• Defer
• Eat
• Error
• Vow
• Adventure
• 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