2 A man H376 to whom God H430 hath given H5414 riches, H6239 wealth, H5233 and honour, H3519 so that he wanteth H2638 nothing for his soul H5315 of all that he desireth, H183 yet God H430 giveth him not power H7980 to eat H398 thereof, but a stranger H376 H5237 eateth H398 it: this is vanity, H1892 and it is an evil H7451 disease. H2483
Every man H120 also to whom God H430 hath given H5414 riches H6239 and wealth, H5233 and hath given him power H7980 to eat H398 thereof, and to take H5375 his portion, H2506 and to rejoice H8055 in his labour; H5999 this H2090 is the gift H4991 of God. H430
From men H4962 which are thy hand, H3027 O LORD, H3068 from men H4962 of the world, H2465 which have their portion H2506 in this life, H2416 and whose belly H990 thou fillest H4390 with thy hid H6840 treasure: they are full H7646 of children, H1121 and leave H3240 the rest H3499 of their substance to their babes. H5768
And I have also given H5414 thee that which thou hast not asked, H7592 both riches, H6239 and honour: H3519 so that there shall not be any H376 among the kings H4428 like unto thee all thy days. H3117
And G2532 I will say G2046 to my G3450 soul, G5590 Soul, G5590 thou hast G2192 much G4183 goods G18 laid up G2749 for G1519 many G4183 years; G2094 take thine ease, G373 eat, G5315 drink, G4095 and be merry. G2165 But G1161 God G2316 said G2036 unto him, G846 Thou fool, G878 this G5026 night G3571 thy G4675 soul G5590 shall be required G523 of G575 thee: G4675 then G1161 whose G5101 shall those things be, G2071 which G3739 thou hast provided? G2090
Their houses H1004 are safe H7965 from fear, H6343 neither is the rod H7626 of God H433 upon them. Their bull H7794 gendereth, H5674 and faileth H1602 not; their cow H6510 calveth, H6403 and casteth not her calf. H7921 They send forth H7971 their little ones H5759 like a flock, H6629 and their children H3206 dance. H7540 They take H5375 the timbrel H8596 and harp, H3658 and rejoice H8055 at the sound H6963 of the organ. H5748 They spend H3615 H1086 their days H3117 in wealth, H2896 and in a moment H7281 go down H2865 H5181 to the grave. H7585 Therefore they say H559 unto God, H410 Depart H5493 from us; for we desire H2654 not the knowledge H1847 of thy ways. H1870 What is the Almighty, H7706 that we should serve H5647 him? and what profit H3276 should we have, if we pray H6293 unto him?
There is H3426 one H259 alone, and there is not a second; H8145 yea, he hath neither child H1121 nor brother: H251 yet is there no end H7093 of all his labour; H5999 neither is his eye H5869 satisfied H7646 with riches; H6239 neither saith he, For whom do I labour, H6001 and bereave H2637 my soul H5315 of good? H2896 This is also vanity, H1892 yea, it is a sore H7451 travail. H6045
Our inheritance H5159 is turned H2015 to strangers, H2114 our houses H1004 to aliens. H5237
And this H2090 also is a sore H2470 evil, H7451 that in all points H5980 as he came, H935 so shall he go: H3212 and what profit H3504 hath he that hath laboured H5998 for the wind? H7307
For the LORD H3068 thy God H430 bringeth H935 thee into a good H2896 land, H776 a land H776 of brooks H5158 of water, H4325 of fountains H5869 and depths H8415 that spring out H3318 of valleys H1237 and hills; H2022 A land H776 of wheat, H2406 and barley, H8184 and vines, H1612 and fig trees, H8384 and pomegranates; H7416 a land H776 of oil H8081 olive, H2132 and honey; H1706 A land H776 wherein H834 thou shalt eat H398 bread H3899 without H3808 scarceness, H4544 thou shalt not lack H2637 any thing in it; a land H776 whose stones H68 are iron, H1270 and out of whose hills H2042 thou mayest dig H2672 brass. H5178 When thou hast eaten H398 and art full, H7646 then thou shalt bless H1288 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 for the good H2896 land H776 which he hath given H5414 thee.
Again, I considered H7200 all travail, H5999 and every right H3788 work, H4639 that for this a man H376 is envied H7068 of his neighbour. H7453 This is also vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit. H7307
I made me great H1431 works; H4639 I builded H1129 me houses; H1004 I planted H5193 me vineyards: H3754 I made H6213 me gardens H1593 and orchards, H6508 and I planted H5193 trees H6086 in them of all kind of fruits: H6529 I made H6213 me pools H1295 of water, H4325 to water H8248 therewith the wood H3293 that bringeth forth H6779 trees: H6086 I got H7069 me servants H5650 and maidens, H8198 and had servants born H1121 in my house; H1004 also I had great H7235 possessions H4735 of great H1241 and small cattle H6629 above all that were in Jerusalem H3389 before H6440 me: I gathered H3664 me also silver H3701 and gold, H2091 and the peculiar treasure H5459 of kings H4428 and of the provinces: H4082 I gat H6213 me men singers H7891 and women singers, H7891 and the delights H8588 of the sons H1121 of men, H120 as musical instruments, H7705 H7705 and that of all sorts. So I was great, H1431 and increased H3254 more than all that were before H6440 me in Jerusalem: H3389 also my wisdom H2451 remained H5975 with me. And whatsoever mine eyes H5869 desired H7592 I kept H680 not from them, I withheld H4513 not my heart H3820 from any joy; H8057 for my heart H3820 rejoiced H8056 in all my labour: H5999 and this was my portion H2506 of all my labour. H5999
And God H430 said H559 to Solomon, H8010 Because this was in thine heart, H3824 and thou hast not asked H7592 riches, H6239 wealth, H5233 or honour, H3519 nor the life H5315 of thine enemies, H8130 neither yet hast asked H7592 long H7227 life; H3117 but hast asked H7592 wisdom H2451 and knowledge H4093 for thyself, that thou mayest judge H8199 my people, H5971 over whom I have made thee king: H4427
When ye go, H935 ye shall come H935 unto a people H5971 secure, H982 and to a large H7342 land: H776 for God H430 hath given H5414 it into your hands; H3027 a place H4725 where there is no want H4270 of any thing H1697 that is in the earth. H776
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ecclesiastes 6
Commentary on Ecclesiastes 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
In this chapter,
Ecc 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, v. 1. A great deal of evil there is under the sun. There is a world above the sun where there is no evil, yet God causes his sun to shine upon the evil as well as upon the good, which is an aggravation of the evil. God has lighted up a candle for his servants to work by, but they bury their talent as slothful and unprofitable, and so waste the light and are unworthy of it. Solomon, as a king, inspected the manners of his subjects, and took notice of this evil as a prejudice to the public, who are damaged not only by men's prodigality on the one hand, but by their penuriousness on the other. 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. Solomon as a preacher observed the evils that were done that he might reprove them and warn people against them. This evil was, in his days, common, and yet then there was great plenty of silver and gold, which, one would think, should have made people less fond of riches; the times also were peaceable, nor was there any prospect of trouble, which to some is a temptation to hoard. But no providence will of itself, unless the grace of God work with it, cure the corrupt affection that is in the carnal mind to the world and the things of it; nay, when riches increase we are most apt to set our hearts upon them. Now concerning this miser observe,
Ecc 6:7-10
The preacher here further shows the vanity and folly of heaping up worldly wealth and expecting happiness in it.
Ecc 6:11-12
Here,