Ecclesiastes 5:19
in Ecclesiastes 5Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Every 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 labor—this is the gift of God.
KJV
Every 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.
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This verse in Ecclesiastes 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd he approves this consideration, as though it pleases God; whence he also adds: "And to every man to whom God has given substance and riches:" for these things are from God; whence Ecclesiasticus 11: "Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and honor …
This site's exposition
Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting
on Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
The Teacher states the refrain again: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun is good. The chapter ends on a man who forgets his days because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
This site's exposition
God has given riches and wealth
The gift is double: wealth, and the power to enjoy it. Bonaventure traces both to God, citing Sirach that good things and evil come from the Lord. Didymus notes that a man with abundant food can consume only part of it, so the gift lies in what he enjoys.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
This is the literal interpretation. If someone has much money, if he has lots of good food and many wines, he still cannot eat and drink all of it. But he doubtless has a gift: whatever he can consume, if he has enough food to …
"So what I have seen to be good is that it is suitable to eat and drink and enjoy pleasure with all one's labour that he toils beneath the sun during the brief span of his life that God has given him, for that is his lot. Furthermore, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions and has given him the power to enjoy them, possess his share and be happy in his work: this is the gift of God.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth,....
David, when he was perplexed, went into the sanctuary of God, Ps. lxxiii. Let our disappointments in the creature turn our eyes to the Creator; let us have recourse to the word of God's grace and consult that, to the throne of his grace and solicit that. In the word and prayer there is a balm for every wound.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּ֣ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| כָּֽל־ | kal- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָדָ֡ם | haadam | <the> person | H120 → | 551 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָֽתַן־ | natan- | he has given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| הָאֱלֹהִים֩ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עֹ֨שֶׁר | ʾosher | wealth | H6239 → | 37 times |
| וּנְכָסִ֜ים | unekhasim | and riches | H5233 → | |
| וְהִשְׁלִיט֨וֹ | vehishlito | and he has given power him | H7980 → | 8 times |
| לֶאֱכֹ֤ל | leekhol | to eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ | mimenu | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| וְלָשֵׂ֣את | velaset | and to receive | H5375 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֶלְק֔וֹ | chelko | portion his | H2506 → | 67 times |
| וְלִשְׂמֹ֖חַ | velismoach | and to rejoice | H8055 → | 155 times |
| בַּעֲמָל֑וֹ | baamalo | in toil his | H5999 → | 55 times |
| זֹ֕ה | zoh | this | H2090 → | 11 times |
| מַתַּ֥ת | matat | [is] a gift of | H4991 → | |
| אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הִֽיא׃ | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
גַּ֣םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
כָּֽל־every
kal-H3605 →5413 times
הָאָדָ֡ם<the> person
haadamH120 →551 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָֽתַן־he has given
natan-H5414 →2011 times
ל֣וֹto <the> him
lo
הָאֱלֹהִים֩<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
עֹ֨שֶׁרwealth
ʾosherH6239 →37 times
וּנְכָסִ֜יםand riches
unekhasimH5233 →
וְהִשְׁלִיט֨וֹand he has given power him
vehishlitoH7980 →8 times
לֶאֱכֹ֤לto eat
leekholH398 →810 times
מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙from it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
וְלָשֵׂ֣אתand to receive
velasetH5375 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חֶלְק֔וֹportion his
chelkoH2506 →67 times
וְלִשְׂמֹ֖חַand to rejoice
velismoachH8055 →155 times
בַּעֲמָל֑וֹin toil his
baamaloH5999 →55 times
זֹ֕הthis
zohH2090 →11 times
מַתַּ֥ת[is] a gift of
matatH4991 →
אֱלֹהִ֖יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
הִֽיא׃it
hi'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
Deuteronomy 8:18But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.
- Hosea 2:8
For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal.
- Deuteronomy 7:8
But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand…
- Psalms 127:1–2
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.
- Deuteronomy 7:12
If you listen to these ordinances and keep them carefully, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant and the loving devotion that He swore to your fathers.
- Proverbs 10:22
Through
2 Chronicles 1:12therefore wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will also give you riches and wealth and honor unlike anything given to the kings before you or after you.”
it leads to
- James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- 2 Chronicles 9:22
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
- Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- James 1:5
Where this verse is studied
About Ecclesiastes

This page draws on Bonaventure, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 5; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Ecclesiastes; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 164:1; Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
