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 common among men: 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. 3If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. 4For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

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 · man: anyoneH376
• to whom Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• hath givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• richesעֹ֫שֶׁר‛ôsher · richesH6239
• wealthנֶ֫כֶסnekes · wealthH5233
• and honourכָּבוֹדkâbôd kâbôd · gloryH3519
• so that he wantethחָסֵרchâsêr · lackingH2638
• nothing for his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• of all that he desirethאָוָה'âvâh · to desireH183
• giveth him not powerשָׁלַטshâlaţ · to domineerH7980
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• thereof, but a strangerנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237
• thereof, but a strangerאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• vanityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
• an evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• diseaseחֳלִיchŏlîy · sicknessH2483

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 6:2

• Ecclesiastes 5:19Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
• 1 Kings 3:13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
• 1 Chronicles 29:25And Yhwh magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 1:11And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
• Daniel 5:18O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
• Deuteronomy 8:7For Yhwh thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
• Judges 18:10When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
• Job 21:9Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
• Psalms 17:14From men which are thy hand, O Yhwh, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
• Psalms 73:7Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
• Luke 12:19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
• Deuteronomy 28:33The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
• Psalms 39:6Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
• Lamentations 5:2Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
• Hosea 7:9Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
• Ecclesiastes 4:4Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

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