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Ecclesiastes 4:16

There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

KJV

There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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Commentary

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Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

19 tagged words
OriginalTransliterationMeaningWord study
אֵֽין־'ein-there notH369 →
קֵ֣ץketz[is] an endH7093 →
לְכָל־le.kholto allH3605 →
הָעָ֗םha.'Amthe peopleH5971 →
לְכֹ֤לle.Kholto allH3605 →
אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-[those] whomH834 →
הָיָה֙ha.Yahhe wasH1961 →
לִפְנֵיהֶ֔םlif.nei.Hem<to> before themH6440 →
גַּ֥םgamalsoH1571 →
הָאַחֲרוֹנִ֖יםha.'a.cha.ro.Nimthe subsequent [people]H314 →
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808 →
יִשְׂמְחוּ־yis.me.chu-they will rejoiceH8055 →
ב֑וֹvoin <the> him
כִּֽי־ki-forH3588 →
גַם־gam-alsoH1571 →
זֶ֥הzehthisH2088 →
הֶ֖בֶלHe.vel[is] futilityH1892 →
וְרַעְי֥וֹןve.ra'.Yonand a striving ofH7475 →
רֽוּחַ׃Ru.achwindH7307 →

The walk

Related verses

16 strongest cross-references

The gold bar shows how strongly the cross-reference sources tie the two verses together: a long bar means many compiled references make the connection, a short one means few.

Ecclesiastes 1:14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.Ecclesiastes 5:10He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.Ecclesiastes 6:11For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?Ecclesiastes 2:17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.1 Kings 1:40All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.2 Samuel 19:9And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled the land because of Absalom.1 Kings 1:5–7At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.Judges 9:19–20if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you.1 Kings 12:10–16The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!Ecclesiastes 2:26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.2 Samuel 15:12–13While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.2 Samuel 18:7–8There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.Ecclesiastes 2:11Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.Ecclesiastes 1:2“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”Ecclesiastes 11:8So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.Ecclesiastes 4:4I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

About Ecclesiastes

King Solomon in Old Age — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
King Solomon in Old Age — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
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