New International Version
Ecclesiastes 5:17
17All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.
Ecclesiastes 5:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
- New King James Version (NKJV)All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
Context of Ecclesiastes 5:17
15Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. 16This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. 18This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
Read all of Ecclesiastes 5Ecclesiastes 5:17 word by word
גַּ֥ם כָּל־יָמָ֖יו בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ יֹאכֵ֑ל וְכָעַ֥ס הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְחָלְי֥וֹ וָקָֽצֶף׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 5:17
- Genesis 3:17To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
- 1 Kings 17:12“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
- Job 21:25Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good.
- Psalms 78:33So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.
- Psalms 102:9For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears
- Psalms 127:2In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.
- Ezekiel 4:16He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair,
- 2 Kings 1:2Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”
- 2 Kings 5:27Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.
- 2 Chronicles 16:10Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
- 2 Chronicles 24:24Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash.
- Psalms 90:7We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
- Proverbs 1:27when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
- Acts 12:23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
- 1 Corinthians 11:30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17All his days also he eateth in darkness - Even his enjoyments are embittered by uncertainty. He fears for his goods; the possibility of being deprived of them fills his heart with anguish. But instead of יאכל yochel, "he shall eat," ילך yelech, "he shall walk," is the reading of several MSS. He walks in darkness - he has no evidence of salvation. There is no ray of light from God to penetrate the gloom; and all beyond life is darkness impenetrable! And…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Hath much sorrow - Rather, is very sad and hath pain and vexation.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. 16-17Working just to gain possessions is like chasing the wind; it causes frustration, discouragement, and anger.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. eateth--appropriately put for "liveth" in general, as connected with Ec 5:11, 12, 18. darkness--opposed to "light (joy) of countenance" (Ec 8:1; Pr 16:15). wrath--fretfulness, literally, "His sorrow is much, and his infirmity (of body) and wrath."Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 5:17
In the dictionaries
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries