Ecclesiastes 6
New American Standard Bible 1995
The Futility of Life
1ThereH3426 is an 1evilH7463 whichH834 I have seenH7200 underH8478 the sunH8121 and it is prevalentH7227 2amongH5921 menH120-- 2a manH376 to whomH834 GodH430 has 3givenH5414 richesH6239 and wealthH5233 and honorH3519 so that his soulH5315 4lacksH2638 nothingH369 of allH3605 that he desiresH183; yet GodH430 has not empoweredH7980 him to eatH398 from them, for a foreignerH5237 5enjoysH398 them. ThisH2088 is 6vanityH1892 and a severeH7451 afflictionH2483. 3IfH518 a manH376 fathersH3205 a hundredH3967 children and livesH2421 manyH7227 yearsH8141, however manyH7227 7they be, but his soulH5315 is not satisfiedH7646 with goodH2899 thingsH2899 and he does not evenH1571 haveH1961 a proper 8burialH6900, then I sayH559, “BetterH2896 9the miscarriageH5309 thanH4480 he, 4for it comesH935 in futilityH1892 and goesH1980 into obscurityH2822; and its nameH8034 is coveredH3680 in obscurityH2822. 5It neverH3808 seesH7200 the sunH8121 and it neverH3808 knowsH3045 anything; 10it is betterH5183 off thanH4480 he. 6Even ifH432 the other man livesH2421 a thousandH505 yearsH8141 twiceH6471 and does not 11enjoyH7200H2899 goodH2899 thingsH2899--12do not allH3605 goH1980 to oneH259 placeH4725?”
713AllH3605 a man’sH120 laborH5999 is for his mouthH6310 and yetH1571 the 14appetiteH5315 is not 15satisfiedH4390. 8For 16whatH4100 advantageH3148 does the wiseH2450 manH2450 have overH4480 the foolH3684? WhatH4100 advantage does the poorH6041 manH6041 have, knowingH3045 how to walkH1980 beforeH5048 the livingH2416? 9WhatH4758 the eyesH5869 17seeH4758 is betterH2896 thanH4480 what the soulH5315 18desiresH1980. ThisH2088 tooH1571 is 19futilityH1892 and a strivingH7469 after windH7307.
10WhateverH4100H7945 20existsH1961 has alreadyH3528 been namedH7121H8034, and it is knownH3045 whatH834 manH120 is; for he 21cannotH3201H3808 disputeH1777 with him whoH7945 is strongerH8623 thanH4480 he is. 11For thereH3426 are manyH7235 wordsH1697 which increaseH7235 futilityH1892. WhatH4100 then is the advantageH3148 to a manH120? 12For whoH4310 knowsH3045 whatH4100 is goodH2896 for a manH120 during his lifetimeH2425, during the fewH4557 22yearsH3117 of his futileH1892 lifeH2425? He will 23spendH6213 them like a shadowH6738. For whoH4310 can tellH5046 a manH120 24whatH4100 will be afterH310 him underH8478 the sunH8121?
Notes
- 1. Ecclesiastes 6:1 Eccl 5:13 ↩
- 2. Ecclesiastes 6:1 Lit upon ↩
- 3. Ecclesiastes 6:2 1 Kin 3:13 ↩
- 4. Ecclesiastes 6:2 Ps 17:14; 73:7; Eccl 2:10 ↩
- 5. Ecclesiastes 6:2 Lit eats from them ↩
- 6. Ecclesiastes 6:2 Or futility ↩
- 7. Ecclesiastes 6:3 Lit the days of his years ↩
- 8. Ecclesiastes 6:3 Is 14:20; Jer 8:2; 22:19 ↩
- 9. Ecclesiastes 6:3 Job 3:16; Eccl 4:3 ↩
- 10. Ecclesiastes 6:5 Lit more rest has this one than that ↩
- 11. Ecclesiastes 6:6 Lit see ↩
- 12. Ecclesiastes 6:6 Eccl 2:14 ↩
- 13. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Prov 16:26 ↩
- 14. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit soul ↩
- 15. Ecclesiastes 6:7 Lit filled ↩
- 16. Ecclesiastes 6:8 Eccl 2:15 ↩
- 17. Ecclesiastes 6:9 Eccl 11:9 ↩
- 18. Ecclesiastes 6:9 Lit goes after ↩
- 19. Ecclesiastes 6:9 Eccl 1:14 ↩
- 20. Ecclesiastes 6:10 Eccl 1:9; 3:15 ↩
- 21. Ecclesiastes 6:10 Job 9:32; 40:2; Prov 21:30; Is 45:9 ↩
- 22. Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit days ↩
- 23. Ecclesiastes 6:12 Lit do ↩
- 24. Ecclesiastes 6:12 Eccl 3:22 ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries