Ecclesiastes 6:1-5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ecclesiastes 6:1-6

Solomon had shown, in the close of the foregoing chapter, how good it is to make a comfortable use of the gifts of God's providence; now here he shows the evil of the contrary, having and not using, gathering to lay up for I know not what contingent emergencies to come, not to lay out on the most urgent occasions present. This is an evil which Solomon himself saw under the sun, Eccl. 6:1. A great deal of evil there is under the sun. There is a world above the sun where there is no evil, yet... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 6:1

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 6:2

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,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 6:3

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 6:4

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" F24 כי 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ecclesiastes 6:5

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ecclesiastes 6:3

If a man beget a hundred children - If he have the most numerous family and the largest possessions, and is so much attached to his riches that he grudges himself a monument; an abortion in the eye of reason is to be preferred to such a man; himself is contemptible, and his life worthless. The abortion comes in with vanity - baulks expectation, departs in darkness - never opened its eyes upon the light, and its name is covered with darkness - it has no place in the family register, or in the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 6:1

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun. The writer presents his personal experience, that which has fallen under his own observation (comp. Ecclesiastes 5:13 ; Ecclesiastes 10:5 ). And it is common among men. Rab , Translated "common," like πολὺς in Greek, is used of number and of degree; hence there is some doubt about its meaning here. The Septuagint has πολλή , the Vulgate frequens . Taking into account the fact that the circumstance stated is not one of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ecclesiastes 6:1-6

Section 9. Koheleth proceeds to illustrate the fact which he stated at the end of the last chapter, viz. that the possession and enjoyment of wealth are alike the free gift of God. We may see men possessed of all the gifts of fortune, yet denied the faculty of enjoying them. Hence we again conclude that wealth cannot secure happiness . read more

Group of Brands