Ecclesiastes 6:2

Ecclesiastes 6:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
• New International Version (NIV)God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.
• English Standard Version (ESV)a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
• New King James Version (NKJV)A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.

Context of Ecclesiastes 6:2

1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men-- a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. 3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he, 4for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.

Ecclesiastes 6:2 word by word

אִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹהִ֡ים עֹשֶׁר֩ וּנְכָסִ֨ים וְכָב֜וֹד וְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּ חָסֵ֥ר לְנַפְשׁ֣וֹ׀ מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּ֗ה וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ נָכְרִ֖י יֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וָחֳלִ֥י רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

• a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• to whomאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• richesעֹ֫שֶׁר‛ôsher · richesH6239
• and wealthנֶ֫כֶסnekes · wealthH5233
• so that his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• lacksחָסֵרchâsêr · lackingH2638
• nothingאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
• of allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• that he desiresאָוָה'âvâh · to desireH183
• has not empoweredשָׁלַטshâlaţ · to domineerH7980
• him to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• from them, for a foreignerנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237
• them. Thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• vanityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
• and a severeרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• afflictionחֳלִיchŏlîy · sicknessH2483

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 6:2

• Ecclesiastes 5:19Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.
• 1 Kings 3:13I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.
• 1 Chronicles 29:25The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him royal majesty which had not been on any king before him in Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 1:11God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king,
• Daniel 5:18O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.
• Deuteronomy 8:7For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills;
• Judges 18:10When you enter, you will come to a secure people with a spacious land; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”
• Job 21:9Their houses are safe from fear, And the rod of God is not on them.
• Psalms 17:14From men with Your hand, O Lord, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes.
• Psalms 73:7Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot.
• Luke 12:19And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’
• Deuteronomy 28:33A people whom you do not know shall eat up the produce of your ground and all your labors, and you will never be anything but oppressed and crushed continually.
• 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.
• Lamentations 5:2Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, Our houses to aliens.
• Hosea 7:9Strangers devour his strength, Yet he does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know it.
• Ecclesiastes 4:4I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 6:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2A man to whom God hath given riches - A man may possess much earthly goods, and yet enjoy nothing of them. Possession and fruition are not necessarily joined together; and this is also among the vanities of life. It is worthy of remark, that it belongs to God as much to give the power to enjoy as it does to give the earthly blessings. A wise heathen saw this: - Di tibi divitias dederant, artemque fruendi. Hor. Ep. lib. i., ep. 4, ver. 7. "The gods had…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2This parable of the "unfortunate man" is similar to Ecclesiastes 4:7–8 and 5:13–17. It is a sad tragedy when someone succeeds but cannot enjoy their success. This person misses the only real benefit of success.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. for his soul--that is, his enjoyment. God giveth him not power to eat--This distinguishes him from the "rich" man in Ec 5:19. "God hath given" distinguishes him also from the man who got his wealth by "oppression" (Ec 5:8, 10). stranger--those not akin, nay, even hostile to him (Jr 51:51; La 5:2; Ho 7:9). He seems to have it in his "power" to do as he will with his wealth, but an unseen power gives him up to his own avarice: God wills that he should…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 6:2

• Riches
• Vanity

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Synagogue, the Great
• Wealth, Wealthy

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 6

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings