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 the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. 13There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. 15As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16This also is a grievous evil--exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?

Ecclesiastes 5:14 word by word

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

• When thoseהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• richesעֹ֫שֶׁר‛ôsher · richesH6239
• were lostאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• a badרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• investmentעִנְיָן‛inyân · taskH6045
• and he had fatheredיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• a sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• then thereאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
• was nothingמְא֫וּמָהme'ûmâh · anythingH3972
• to supportיָדyâd · handH3027

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:14

• Ecclesiastes 2:26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.
• Job 5:5His harvest the hungry devour And take it to a place of thorns, And the schemer is eager for their wealth.
• Job 20:15He swallows riches, But will vomit them up; God will expel them from his belly.
• Job 27:16Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
• Psalms 39:6Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
• Proverbs 23:5When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.
• Haggai 1:9“You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.
• Haggai 2:16from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty.
• Matthew 6:19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
• 1 Samuel 2:6The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
• 1 Kings 14:26He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and he took everything, even taking all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
• Psalms 109:9Let his children be 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