New American Standard Bible 2020
Ecclesiastes 4:8
8There was a man without a 1dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, 2his eyes were not satisfied with riches, and he never asked, “And 3for whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is futility, and it is an 4unhappy task.
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 hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. 7Then I looked again at futility under the sun. There was a man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches, and he never asked, “And for whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is futility, and it is an unhappy task. 9Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; 10for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him 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
- Thereיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
- a manאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- withoutאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
- dependentשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
- neitherגַּםgam · alsoH1571
- a sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- a brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- endקֵץqêts · endH7093
- to allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- his laborעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
- his eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- wereשָׂבֵעַώâba‛ ώâbêa‛ · to satisfyH7646
- with richesעֹ֫שֶׁר‛ôsher · richesH6239
- for whomמִיmîy · who?H4310
- do I laborעָמֵל‛âmêl · laboriousH6001
- and depriveחָסֵרchâsêr · to lackH2637
- myselfנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- Thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- is futilityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
- unhappyרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
- taskעִנְיָן‛inyân · taskH6045
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 4:8
- Ecclesiastes 4:9Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor;
- Genesis 2:18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
- Isaiah 56:3Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will certainly separate me from His people.” Nor let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
- Genesis 15:2But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
- Isaiah 5:8Woe to those who attach house to house and join field to field, Until there is no more room, And you alone are a landowner in the midst of the land!
- Ecclesiastes 1:8All things are wearisome; No one can tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
- Ecclesiastes 5:10One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility.
- Proverbs 27:20Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of a person ever satisfied.
- Habakkuk 2:5Furthermore, wine betrays an arrogant man, So that he does not achieve his objective. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all the nations And collects to himself all the peoples.
- 1 John 2:16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
- Psalms 39:6Certainly every person walks around as a fleeting shadow; They certainly make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
- Isaiah 44:19No one remembers, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I bow down before a block of wood!”
- Luke 12:20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’
- Ecclesiastes 1:13And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven. It is a sorry task with which God has given the sons of mankind to be troubled.
- Ecclesiastes 2:23Because all his days his activity is painful and irritating; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is futility.
- Isaiah 55:2Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.
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
Notes
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
New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries