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Ecclesiastes Chapter Six                            

 

Ecclesiastes 6 Outlines

The Vanity of Gain and Honor (v.1~12)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 6

The wise man goes on to expose the vanity of riches as possessed by a covetous man who makes no use of them; an evil and a common one under the sun Ecclesiastes 6:1; Who is described by the good things he has; which he has not a power to enjoy but a stranger enjoys them Ecclesiastes 6:2; by his numerous offspring and long life; yet neither is he satisfied with good in life nor has he a burial at death; wherefore an abortive is preferred unto him Ecclesiastes 6:3; For though many things may be said of that which are disagreeable yet worse of him and that has more rest than he; and besides they both go to one place the grave Ecclesiastes 6:4; and the vanity of an anxious labour for riches is further argued from the use of them at most and best which is only for the body and the sustenance of it but cannot satisfy the mind or soul Ecclesiastes 6:7; and this use a fool can make of them as well as a wise man; and a poor man that is knowing diligent and industrious to live as well as the rich Ecclesiastes 6:8. Wherefore it is best to enjoy and be content with present mercies than to let loose the wandering desires after what may never be had Ecclesiastes 6:9; and especially it should be considered that let a man be in what circumstances he will he is but a man; and these circumstances are determined and appointed by God which he cannot alter; and therefore it is both vain and sinful to contend with him Ecclesiastes 6:10. And after all a man is never the better for his carking cares and wandering desires since there are so many things that increase vanity Ecclesiastes 6:11; and a man is so ignorant of what is good for him for the present and of what shall be after him Ecclesiastes 6:12.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:1  There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is common among men:

   YLT  1There is an evil that I have seen under the sun and it [is] great on man:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun .... The Vulgate Latin version reads it another evil; but wrongly for the same is considered as before the evil of covetousness; which is one of the evil things that come out of the heart of man; is abominable to the Lord contrary to his nature and will and a breach of his law which forbids it and is the root of all evil; this is an evil under the sun for there is nothing of this kind above it; and it fell under the observation of Solomon in various instances;

and it is common among men; or "great over men"F21ורבה היא על האדם "et multum ipsum super hominem" Montanus; "et magaum est illud super hominem istum" Rambachius. ; or "over the man" the covetous man: it spreads itself over them; few were free from it even so long ago in those early times and in such times in which silver was made no account of and was like stones in Jerusalem as common as they; and yet the sin of covetousness of hoarding up money and making no use of it for a man's own good and the good of others was very rife among men 1 Kings 10:27.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:2  2 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.

   YLT  2A man to whom God giveth wealth and riches and honour and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth and God giveth him not power to eat of it but a stranger eateth it; this [is] vanity and it [is] an evil disease.

A man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour .... By "riches" may be meant gold and silver things which a covetous man is never satisfied with; and by "wealth" cattle with which farms and fields are stocked: the wealth of men especially in former times and in the eastern countries lay very much in these as did the wealth of Abraham and Job Genesis 13:2; and all these as they are reckoned glorious and honourable in themselves; so they create honour and glory among men and raise to high and honourable places; and these as they go they are usually put together and are called by the name of honour and glory itself; see Proverbs 3:16. And they are all the gifts of God which he either as blessings bestows upon men or suffers men to attain unto though a curse may go along with them; which is the case here for no man whatever is possessed of them but by the will of God or his divine permission; see 1 Chronicles 29:12; and which a man may and sometimes has such a plentiful portion of;

so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth: he has not only for the supply of his wants what is necessary for his daily use and service but even what is for delight and pleasure; yea as much as he could reasonably wish for; nay more than heart could wish Psalm 73:7;

yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof; the Targum adds "because of his sin"; either he takes it away from him he making no use of it; or his appetite is taken away that he has no desire to it; or rather he has no heart to enjoy what he has and scarce any part of it; not to eat and drink and wear suitably to his circumstances but grudges whatever he lays out on his back or belly or in housekeeping in his family; for though God gives him a large substance yet not a heart to make use of it without which he cannot enjoy it; and therefore it would have been as good or better for him to have been without it; see Ecclesiastes 5:19;

but a stranger eateth it; the Syriac version adds "after him"; enjoys it not only a part of it but the whole; one that is not akin to him and perhaps was never known by him; and yet by one means or another either in a lawful or unlawful way comes into the possession of all he has; this has been always reckoned a great unhappiness Lamentations 5:2. Hence it follows

this is vanity and it is an evil disease; it is a vain thing to be possessed of great substance and not enjoy anything of it in a comfortable way through the sin of covetousness; which is a spiritual disease and a very bad one; very prejudicial to the soul and the state of it and is rarely cured. JuvenalF23"Cum furor dubius" &c. Satyr. 14. v. 136. exposed by Persius Sat. 6. v. 69 &c. "unge puer caules" &c. calls it frenzy and madness for a man to live poor that be may die rich; he is like the ass that Crassus Agelastus saw loaded with figs and eating thorns.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:3  3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many but his soul is not satisfied with goodness or indeed he has no burial I say that a stillborn child is better than he—

   YLT  3If a man doth beget a hundred and live many years and is great because they are the days of his years and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness and also he hath not had a grave I have said `Better than he [is] the untimely birth.'

If a man beget an hundred children .... Sons and daughters a certain number for an uncertain. Some have had many children and almost this number; Rehoboam had twenty eight sons and threescore daughters; and Ahab had seventy sons how many daughters is not said 2 Chronicles 11:21; this was reckoned a great honour and happiness to have many children; happy was the man that had his quiver full of them Psalm 127:3; such a case is here supposed;

and live many years so that the days of his years be many; or "sufficient" as Jarchi interprets it; he lives as long as life is desirable; lives to a good old age to the full age of men threescore years and ten; yea supposing he was to live to be as old as Methuselah

and his soul be not filled with good; does not enjoy the good things he has; has no pleasure nor satisfaction in the temporal good things of life has not the comfort of them and is always uneasy because he has not more of them; and especially if his soul is not filled with spiritual good things the grace of God and righteousness of Christ;

And also that he have no burial; as Jezebel Jehoiakim and others; who is either destroyed by robbers and cutthroats for the sake of his substance and cast into a ditch or a river or some place where he is never found to be interred; or else being of such a sordid disposition he provides not for a decent burial suitably to his circumstances or forbids one; or being despised and disesteemed by all men his heirs and successors either neglect or refuse to give him one; see Jeremiah 22:29;

I say that an untimely birth is better than he; an abortive is to be preferred unto him; it would have been better for him if he had never been born or had been in such a case.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:4  4 for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness and its name is covered with darkness.

   YLT  4For in vanity he came in and in darkness he goeth and in darkness his name is covered

For he cometh in with vanity .... The Targum adds "into this world." Some understand this of the abortive and render it "though he cometh in with vanity"F24כי בא "quamvis venit" Drusius. yet is to be preferred to the covetous man: others interpret it of the covetous man himself; and scrape of both: or however they may be compared together in these instances; the abortive comes into the world in vain for nothing and answers no purpose as can well be observed; and the same may be said of a covetous rich man; he walks in a vain show and is altogether vanity in his coming in in his life and going out;

and departeth in darkness; or "into darkness"F25בחשך "in tenebrositatem" Montanus; "in tenebras" Tigurine version Mercerus so Broughton. ; goes out of the world without any notice taken of him; and goes down to the dark grave where he lies in obscurity;

and his name shall be covered with darkness; the abortive has no name and is never spoken of; and so the name and memory of such a man as is here described rot and perish: and in this respect the abortive has the preference to him; for though he is covered with darkness yet no ill is ever spoken of him; whereas the name of the wicked covetous man is cursed.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:5  5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything this has more rest than that man

   YLT  5Even the sun he hath not seen nor known more rest hath this than that.

Moreover he hath not seen the sun .... This must be spoken of the abortive and seems to confirm the sense of the former text as belonging to it; and whereas it has never seen the light of the sun nor enjoyed the pleasure and comfort of it it is no ways distressing to it to be without it. The Targum is

"the light of the law he seeth not; and knoweth not between good and evil to judge between this world and that to come:'

so the Vulgate Latin version "neither knows the difference of good and evil";

nor known anything; not the sun nor anything else: or "experienced"F26ולא ידע "ueque expertus est" Junius & Tremellius Piscator Rambachius so Broughton. and "felt" the heat of the sun and its comfortable influences; which a man may who is blind and has never seen it but an abortive has not; and indeed has known no man nor any creature nor thing in this world and therefore it is no concern to it to be without them; and besides has never had any knowledge or experience of the troubles of lifts which every living man is liable to. Wherefore this is certain

this hath more rest than the other; that is the abortive than the covetous man; having never been distressed with the troubles of life and now not affected with the sense of loss.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:6  6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?

   YLT  6And though he had lived a thousand years twice over yet good he hath not seen; to the same place doth not every one go?

Yea though he live a thousand years twice told .... Or two thousand years which no man ever did nor even one thousand years; Methuselah the oldest man did not live so long as that; this is than twice the age of the oldest man: there is one sort of the Ethiopians who are saidF1Mela tie Situ Orbis l. 3. c. 9. to live almost half space of time longer than usual called from thence Macrobii; which PlinyF2Nat. Hist. 1. 7. c. 2. makes to be one hundred and forty years which is just double the common term of life. This here is only a supposition. Aben Ezra interprets it "a thousand thousand" but wrongly; so the Arabic version "though he lives many thousand years";

yet hath he seen no good not enjoyed the good of his labour what he has been labouring for and was possessed of; and therefore has lived so long as he has to very little purpose and with very little comfort or credit; and especially he has had no experience of spiritual good;

do not all go to one place? that is the grave; they do even all men; it is the house appointed for all living Job 30:23; and hither go both the abortive and the covetous rich man; so that he has in this no pre-eminence to it. Jarchi interprets it of hell the one place whither all sinners go; but the former sense is best.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:7  7 All the labor of man is for his mouth And yet the soul is not satisfied.
   YLT  
7All the labour of man [is] for his mouth and yet the soul is not filled.

All the labour of man is for his mouth .... For the food of his mouth as the Targum; for the sustenance of his body for food and clothing part being put for the whole: all that a man labours for is to get this; and if he does not enjoy it his labour is in vain; meats are for the belly which are taken in by the mouth and for these a man labours; and if he does not eat them when he has got them he labours to no purpose;

and yet the appetite is not filled; even the bodily or sensual appetite; no not even by those who eat the fruit of their labour; for though their hunger is allayed for the present and the appetite is satisfied for a while yet it returns again and requires more food and so continually: or "the soul is not filled" or "satisfied"F3הנפש לא תמלא "anima non implebitur" Pagninus Montanus; "anima non expletur" Mercerus Gejerus; "non impletur" Cocceius so Broughton; "non satiatur" Drusius. ; it is the body only that is filled or satisfied with such things at best; the mind of man grasps after greater things and can find no contentment or satisfaction in earthly or sensual enjoyments. This seems to be a new argument proving the vanity of riches from the narrow use of them; which only reaches to the body not to the soul.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:8  8 For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have Who knows how to walk before the living?
   YLT  
8For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knoweth to walk before the living?

For what hath the wise more than the fool .... More delight and pleasure in gratifying his senses by eating and drinking: the wise man enjoys no more than the fool; the fool finds as much pleasure in the labour of his hands which is for his mouth as the wise man does; and the wise man can get no more satisfaction to his mind from these outward gratifications than the fool;

what hath the poor that knoweth to walk before the living? either what does the poor man want more than the rich man that knows how to get his bread and is diligent and industrious among men to live and does get a livelihood for himself and family; he enjoys all the sweets and comforts of life as well as the rich man: or what hath the poor knowing man? as Aben Ezra interprets it according to the accents; what has he more or does he enjoy more than the poor foolish man provided he has but sense enough to behave himself among men so as to have bread to eat and clothes to wear; which is as much as any man can enjoy be he ever so rich or so wise?

 

Ecclesiastes 6:9  9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

   YLT  9Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire .... By "the sight of the eyes" is not meant the bare beholding outward riches as in Ecclesiastes 5:11; but the enjoyment of present mercies; such things as a man is in the possession of and with which he should be content Hebrews 13:5; and by "the wandering of the desire" the craving appetite and insatiable lust of the covetous mind which enlarges its desire as hell after a thousand things and everything it can think of; such a mind roves through the whole creation and covets everything under the sun: now it is better to enjoy contentedly things in sight and in possession than to let the mind loose in vague desires after things that may never be come at and if attained to would give no satisfaction;

this is also vanity and vexation of spirit: a most vain thing to give the mind such a loose and liberty in its unbounded desires after worldly things; and a vexation of spirit it is to such a craving mind that it cannot obtain what it is so desirous of.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:10  10 Whatever one is he has been named already For it is known that he is man; And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
   YLT  
10What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called and it is known that it [is] man and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

That which hath been is named already and it is known that it is man .... Which may be understood of the first man Adam who has been has existed was produced by the immediate power of God creating and forming him out of the dust of the earth; was made after the image and in the likeness of God a wise and knowing creature a rich and powerful one the figure of him that was to come being the head and representative of all his posterity; and he has been named already he had his name from the Lord himself suitable to his nature and formation; he called his name Adam from "Adamah" the earth from whence he was taken; and though he was so wise and great and even affected deity which was the snare laid for him by his enemy it is well known he was but a man of the earth earthly and returned to it again. Some have applied this to the second man the Lord from heaven as the ordinary gloss and Jerom; and render it "that which shall be" so the Vulgate Latin version; as yet he was not man though he had agreed to be and was prophesied of that he should; however be was named already the seed of the woman Shiloh Ithiel the Messiah or Anointed; hence by Solomon in allusion to this name his "name is said to be as ointment poured forth" Song of Solomon 1:3; and as it was known that he should be man so it is now known that he is really and truly man; though not merely so but God as well as man; yet as to his human nature his Father is greater and mightier than he; but this sense some interpreters despise and laugh at: and indeed though the whole of it is truth it does not seem to be the truth of the text nor suitable to the context: rather the words are to be understood of mankind in general of all men not only that have been but that are or shall be; these were all appointed to come into being by the Lord; they have been in his eternal purposes and decrees and their names are written or not written in the Lamb's book of life; and they have all one common name that of "man" weak frail mortal wretched man; they are as is said of the Egyptians men and not God Isaiah 31:3; particularly this is true of persons the most famous that have been in the world; such who have been in ages past and their names have been called or they have obtained a name among men men of renown that are on the list of fame; such who have been the most famous for wisdom for riches for strength or for power and authority and have even had deity ascribed to them and divine worship given them; yet it has been notorious that they were but men and not God so Jarchi; and died as such; see Psalm 9:20. Moreover this may be understood of all things relating to men; that all that has been is or shall be has been already named of God determined and appointed by him; so the Targum renders it

"all is the decree of the Word of the Lord;'

all things relating to the temporal affairs of men as to their birth and place of abode their callings and stations of life; so to their circumstances of poverty or riches which with all their craving desires and carking cares it is impossible for them to alter or make them otherwise than they are; which is observed to check the wandering and insatiable desires of men after worldly things;

neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he; the Lord of the world as the Targum; not the angel of death as Jarchi; the devil which had the power of death and is stronger than men; nor death itself as others against which there is no standing Ecclesiastes 8:8 Isaiah 28:15; but God himself who is mightier than men and with whom a creature should not strive or contend; either about his being and the make of it or concerning his circumstances in the world that they are not greater and better than they be; or about God's decrees concerning these or other things; but quietly submit to his will and be content in whatsoever circumstances they are considering that he is the Creator and a sovereign Being they are creatures and dependent on him; and let their circumstances be what they will wise or unwise rich or poor they are but men and can never rise higher; see Job 9:3. It is observed by the Masorites that this is just the middle of the book.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:11  11 Since there are many things that increase vanity How is man the better?

   YLT  11For there are many things multiplying vanity; what advantage [is] to man?

Seeing there be many things that increase vanity .... As appears by all that has been said in this and the preceding chapters; such as wisdom and knowledge wealth and riches pleasure power and authority. Man is a poor vain creature himself all he is and has is vanity; and these serve but to increase it and make him vainer and vainer still;

what is man the better? for these things? not at all rather the worse being more vain; there is no profit by them no excellency arises to him from them no happiness in them nothing that will be of any service to him especially with respect to a future state or when he comes to die. It may be rendered as it is in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions "seeing there are many words that multiply vanity"; as all such words do that are used with God by way of murmur and complaint concerning a man's lot and condition in this world and as expostulating and contending with him about it; these increase sin and by them men contract more guilt and therefore are not the better for such litigations but the worse; and so the words stand in connection with Ecclesiastes 6:10 but the former sense seems best this being the conclusion of the wise man's discourse concerning vanity. So the Targum and Jarchi understand it of things and not words.

 

Ecclesiastes 6:12  12 For who knows what is good for man in life all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

   YLT  12For who knoweth what [is] good for a man in life the number of the days of the life of his vanity and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun?

For who knoweth what is good for man in this life?.... To be in a higher or lower station of life to live in grandeur or meanness to be rich or poor learned or unlearned; since that which seems most agreeable to human nature is at ended with so much vanity the occasion of so much sin and often issues in ruin and misery that no man knows what is best for him; and therefore it is the wisest way to be content with what a man has and enjoy it in the most comfortable manner and use it to the best ends and purposes he can. The Targum is

"for who is he that knows what is good for a man in this world but to study in the law which is the life of the world?'

so the Midrash

all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? or "the number of the days of vain life which he makes as a shadow"F4ויעשם כצל "et facit eos at umbram" Cocceius. ; that is which God makes as a "shadow" as Cocceius observes; makes to pass away swiftly: this is a description of the vanity brevity and uncertainty of human life; it consists of days rather than of months and years; and those such as are easily numbered and which pass away suddenly and swiftly like a shadow that has no substance and reality in it and leaves nothing behind it; or like a bird that flies away as Jarchi and is seen no more; such is the life of man a most vain life vanity itself; so it may be rendered "the number of the days of the life of his vanity"F5מספר ימי חיי הבלו "numero dierum vitae" ("vitarum" Montanus) "vanitatis suae" Pagninus Rambachius. ; since therefore he has so short a time to enjoy anything in it is hard to say what is best for him to have and the rather since he is quite ignorant of what is to come;

for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? he does not know himself nor can any man inform him what will become of his wealth and riches after his death which he has got together; who shall enjoy them and how long and what use will be made of them either to their own good or the good of others.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible