Ecclesiastes 4:8
in Ecclesiastes 4There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
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.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 4
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThere 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 sore travail.
This site's exposition
Again, I saw futility under the sun
on Ecclesiastes 4:7-8
The Teacher finds a fresh case, a man all alone, without even a son or brother, with no end to his labor. The question For whom do I toil has no speaker named, and the Teacher supplies what the man never asks himself. The verdict follows: This too is futile.
This site's exposition
a man all alone
Clarke reads the portrait as avarice: the man is alone, with no wife, son or heir, yet he labors as if he had a family. Jerome renders the question as one the man never puts to himself, and Wesley answers it: he has no one to enjoy his wealth.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Then I returned and contemplated futility beneath the sun: a lone and solitary man who has neither son nor brother, yet there is no end to his toil, nor is his eye ever sated with riches, nor does he ask himself, 'For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of goodness.' This too is futility, indeed, it is a sorry task."
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Whence he adds: "There is one alone, and he has not a second, neither son nor brother," and he ought to be content with little as one who is alone, because he does not even wish to have a companion: Ecclesiasticus 11: "I have found …
A commentator
BonaventureCommentary on Ecclesiastes, Prooemium · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The vanity of avarice renders one busied, and through this subject to many labors: Ecclesiastes 4: Considering, I found yet another vanity under the sun: there is one alone, and he has not a second, and yet he does not cease to labor, nor are …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In our spiritual warfare we may be helpful to one another as well as in our spiritual work; next to the comfort of communion with God, is that of the communion of saints. He concludes with this proverb, A threefold cord is not easily broken, any more than a bundle of arrows, though each single thread, and each single arrow, is.
For whom - Having no kindred to enjoy it. And bereave - Deny myself those comforts and conveniences which God hath allowed me? A sore travel - A dreadful judgment, as well as a great sin.
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
There is one alone, and there is not a second,....
The words behind it
31 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יֵ֣שׁ | yesh | there | H3426 → | 140 times |
| אֶחָד֩ | ʾechad | [was] one [person] | H259 → | 971 times |
| וְאֵ֨ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| שֵׁנִ֜י | sheni | [was] a second | H8145 → | 156 times |
| גַּ֣ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| בֵּ֧ן | ben | a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וָאָ֣ח | vaach | and a brother | H251 → | |
| אֵֽין־ | ʾein- | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| ל֗וֹ | lo | [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| קֵץ֙ | ketz | [was] an end | H7093 → | 67 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֲמָל֔וֹ | amalo | toil his | H5999 → | 55 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| עֵינ֖וֹ | einav | eye his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִשְׂבַּ֣ע | tisba' | it was satisfied | H7646 → | 97 times |
| עֹ֑שֶׁר | ʾosher | wealth | H6239 → | 37 times |
| וּלְמִ֣י׀ | ulemi | and for whom? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| אֲנִ֣י | ʾani | [am] I | H589 → | 874 times |
| עָמֵ֗ל | ʾamel | a laborer | H6001 → | 9 times |
| וּמְחַסֵּ֤ר | umechaser | and depriving | H2637 → | 23 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נַפְשִׁי֙ | nafshi | self my | H5315 → | 754 times |
| מִטּוֹבָ֔ה | mitovah | from good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| זֶ֥ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| הֶ֛בֶל | hevel | [is] futility | H1892 → | 73 times |
| וְעִנְיַ֥ן | veinyan | and [is] a task of | H6045 → | 8 times |
| רָ֖ע | ra' | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| הֽוּא׃ | hu' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
יֵ֣שׁthere
yeshH3426 →140 times
אֶחָד֩[was] one [person]
ʾechadH259 →971 times
וְאֵ֨יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
שֵׁנִ֜י[was] a second
sheniH8145 →156 times
גַּ֣םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
בֵּ֧ןa son
benH1121 →4930 times
וָאָ֣חand a brother
vaachH251 →
אֵֽין־not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
ל֗וֹ[belonged] to <the> him
lo
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
קֵץ֙[was] an end
ketzH7093 →67 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
עֲמָל֔וֹtoil his
amaloH5999 →55 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
עֵינ֖וֹeye his
einavH5869 →887 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִשְׂבַּ֣עit was satisfied
tisba'H7646 →97 times
עֹ֑שֶׁרwealth
ʾosherH6239 →37 times
וּלְמִ֣י׀and for whom?
ulemiH4310 →423 times
אֲנִ֣י[am] I
ʾaniH589 →874 times
עָמֵ֗לa laborer
ʾamelH6001 →9 times
וּמְחַסֵּ֤רand depriving
umechaserH2637 →23 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נַפְשִׁי֙self my
nafshiH5315 →754 times
מִטּוֹבָ֔הfrom good
mitovahH2896 →538 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
זֶ֥הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
הֶ֛בֶל[is] futility
hevelH1892 →73 times
וְעִנְיַ֥ןand [is] a task of
veinyanH6045 →8 times
רָ֖עevil
ra'H7451 →662 times
הֽוּא׃it
hu'H1931 →1879 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 11:28Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
it leads to
- Matthew 11:29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- John 7:37
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- John 6:37
Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.
- Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
- Isaiah 55:1–3
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
- Matthew 11:29
Through
1 John 2:16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
it leads to
- Romans 13:14
Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
- Proverbs 27:20
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 5:17
For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.
- Romans 13:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ecclesiastes
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4; Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Prooemium; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.