Ecclesiastes6chapter 6

Ecclesiastes 6:1

“As it is with the blood in the natural body, so it is with the wealth of the body politic, if, instead of circulating, it stagnates, it will be of ill consequence.”

Ecclesiastes 6:2

“What good is there for a person in this life? He lives in darkness and cannot be satisfied in his desires. And if he is sated with riches, he loses the enjoyment of his rest, because he is forced to guard the possessions he has acquired through his wretched greed. Thus he possesses them in greater wretchedness, seeing that they can do him no good. For what is more wretched than to be tormented with guarding them and derive no advantage from their abundance?”

Ecclesiastes 6:2

A 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 given thee riches, and the art to enjoy them.”

Ecclesiastes 6:3

“In the East to be without burial is the greatest degradation. "Better the fruit that drops from the tree before it is ripe than that left to hang on till rotten" [HENRY].”

Ecclesiastes 6:3

“The soul is not filled, so the word is. When God gave Israel their request he sent leanness into their souls, Ps. cvi. He was a fool who, when his barns were full, said, Soul, take thine ease.”

Ecclesiastes 6:4

For he cometh in with vanity,.... The Targum adds, "into this world."

Ecclesiastes 6:4

“He - The abortive; of whom alone, that passage is true, hath not seen the sun, ver. 5. In vain - To no purpose; without any comfort or benefit by it. Departeth - Without any observation or regard of men.”

Ecclesiastes 6:5

“On account of the inexperience of good, he adds: "he does not see the sun," in which namely there is delight and experience of good, according to what is said below in the eleventh chapter: "The light is sweet, and it is delightful for the …”

Ecclesiastes 6:6

“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 said (a) to live almost half space of time longer than usual, called from thence Macrobii; which Pliny (b) makes to be one hundred and forty years, which is just double the common term of life. This here is only a supposition.”

Ecclesiastes 6:6

“If the miser's length of "life" be thought to raise him above the abortive, Solomon answers that long life, without enjoying real good, is but lengthened misery, and riches cannot exempt him from going whither "all go." He is fit neither for life, nor death, nor eternity.”

Ecclesiastes 6:6

“He that lives a thousand years goes to the same place with the child that does not live an hour, ch. iii. The grave is the place we shall all meet in. Whatever differences there may be in men's condition in this world, they must all die, are all under the same sentence, and, to outward appearance, their deaths are alike.”

Ecclesiastes 6:7

“Connect these verses with Ecc 6:2-3: “All labor is undertaken with a view to some profit, but as a rule the people who labor are never satisfied. What advantage then has he who labors if (being rich) he is wise, or if being poor he knows how to conduct himself properly; what advantage have such laborers above a fool? (None, so far as they are without contentment, for) a thing present before the eyes is preferable to a future which exists only in the desire.” Ecc 6:8 What - literally, what profit (as in Ecc 1:3).”

Ecclesiastes 6:8

“For what hath the wise more than the fool? - They must both labor for the same end. Both depend upon the labor of themselves or others for the necessaries of life. Both must eat and drink in order to live; and the rich man can no more eat two meals at a time, than he can comfortably wear two changes of raiment. The necessaries of life are the same to both, and their condition in life is nearly similar; liable to the same diseases, dissolution, and death.”

Ecclesiastes 6:8

“Why, he is better beloved and more respected among his neighbours, and has a better interest than many a rich man that is griping and haughty. Why he has as much of the comfort of this life, has food and raiment, and is therewith content, and so is as truly rich as he that has abundance.”

Ecclesiastes 6:9

"Better is what the eyes see than what is imagined. That, too, is futility and a vexation of the spirit." Symmachus interpreted this clearly, he says: "it is better to make provision, than to walk about as it pleases you". That is, it is better to do all things according to what you know to be right in your mind, which is the eye of the soul, than to follow the desire of your heart. For this is to wander in spirit, just as Ezekiel says: "he who walks by the desire of his heart" [Ezek. 11, 21.].

Ecclesiastes 6:9

“Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire - This is translated by the Vulgate, as a sort of adage: Melius est videre quod cupias, quam desiderare quod nescias, “It is better to see what one desires than to covet what one knows not.” It is better to enjoy the present than to feed one’s self with vain desires of the future. What we translate the wandering of desire, מהלך נפש mehaloch nephesh, is the travelling of the soul. What is this? Does it simply mean desire?”

Ecclesiastes 6:9

“This wandering of the desire is vanity and vexation of spirit. It is vanity at the best; if what is desired, be obtained, it proves not what we promised ourselves from it, but commonly the wandering desire is crossed and disappointed, and then it turns to vexation of spirit.”

Ecclesiastes 6:10

“That which hath been is named already - The Hebrew of this verse might be translated, “Who is he who is? His name has been already called. And it is known that he is Adam; and that he cannot contend in judgment with him who is stronger than he.” “What is more excellent than man; yet can he not, in the lawe, get the victory of him that is mightier than he.” - Coverdale. Adam is his name; and it at once points out, 1. His dignity; he was made in the image of God.”

Ecclesiastes 6:10

“That which hath been--man's various circumstances is named already--not only has existed, Ec 1:9; 3:15, but has received its just name, "vanity," long ago, and it is known that it--vanity is man--Hebrew, "Adam," equivalent to man "of red dust," as his Creator appropriately named him from his frailty. neither may he contend, &c.-- (Ro 9:20).”

Ecclesiastes 6:11

“Things - Namely, the various circumstances detailed in the foregoing chapters, from the Preacher’s personal experience, and his observation of other people, ending with the comprehensive declaration in Ecc 6:10 to the effect that vanity is an essential part of the constitution of creation as it now exists, and was foreknown. What is man the better? - Rather, what is profitable to man?”

Ecclesiastes 6:11

"Seeing" that man cannot escape from the "vanity," which by God's "mighty" will is inherent in earthly things, and cannot call in question God's wisdom in these dispensations (equivalent to "contend," &c.), what is man the better--of these vain things as regards the chief good?

Ecclesiastes 6:12

“For who knoweth what is good for man in this life - Those things which we deem good are often evil. And those which we think evil are often good. So ignorant are we, that we run the greatest hazard in making a choice. It is better to leave ourselves and our concerns in the hands of the Lord, than to keep them in our own. For who can tell a man what shall be after him - Futurity is with God. While he lives, man wishes to know what is before him.”