Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

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ECCLESIASTES

CHAPTER SIX:
LIFE PRINCIPLES UNDER THE SUN

Summary

A terrible misfortune is described where a person may be blessed by God but circumstances do not permit enjoyment of such blessings, finding true satisfaction, the futility of life.

Ecclesiastes 6:1-9 – True Satisfaction

EC6:1 I have witnessed another terrible misfortune 136 under the sun – something experienced by some 137 –
136 Terrible misfortune: Or, KJV: evil; KNX: hardship.
137 Something experienced by some: Or, KJV: common among men; DAR: frequent among men; LXX: abundant [HYPO].
EC6:2 The God gives someone riches, possessions and respect – so the person lacks nothing the heart desires 138 – and yet The God does not give such a person the ability to eat and enjoy it. 139 Instead, another unknown person devours it. 140 This is all complete futility. Something to make one sick! 141
138 The God gives someone riches, possessions and respect – so the person lacks nothing the heart desires: Or, BAS: A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires; LXX: a man [ANER] to whom God [HO THEOS] shall give wealth, and substance, and honour, and he wants nothing for his soul [PSYCHE] of all things that he shall desire. The rich worshipper of God must credit Him for his many blessings.
139 And yet The God does not give such a person the ability to eat and enjoy it: Or, BAS: but God does not give him the power to have joy of it; LXX: yet God [HO THEOS] shall not give him power to eat of it. A person’s blessing from God does not mean such will be enjoyed to the full. Circumstances such as war, disease, misfortune, or death may not permit the enjoyment of such blessings.
140 Another unknown person devours it: Or, BAS: a strange man; MOF: outsider; NET: someone else. [Hosea 7:9] Such as invading armies.
141 This is all complete futility. Something to make one sick: Or, BAS: This is to no purpose and an evil disease; LXX: vanity, and an evil infirmity; RHM: incurable evil; SPR: distressing evil; MOF: sore misfortune; NAB: dire plague.
EC6:3 Now consider the person who has a hundred children, living many years into old age, and yet such a person is never satisfied with such goodness, and indeed ends up even without a grave. 142 I say of such a person: “Better be traumatically still-born!” 143
142 Ends up even without a grave: Or, BAS: not honoured at his death; DAR: no burial. Consider the example of a woman. [2 Kings 9:35]
143 Better be traumatically still-born: Or, BAS: a birth before its time; LXX: untimely birth [EKTROMA]; GDS: premature birth; NEB: still-born child; TAY: born dead. The LXX Greek uses the source word for the English “traumatic” and here means an abortion, miscarriage or still-born. Return to Ecclesiastes 4:3. The same word is used in Job 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:8.
EC6:4 For such a baby experienced complete futility and will depart in darkness with an obscure name. 144
144 For such a baby experienced complete futility and will depart in darkness with an obscure name: Or, BAS: In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered; DAR: its name is covered with darkness; LXX: For he came in vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered in darkness. [Psalm 109:13]
EC6:5 Though such a baby never saw daylight or experienced life, it enjoys more tranquility than this person [about whom I speak]. 145
145 Though such a baby never saw daylight or experienced life, it enjoys more tranquility than this person [about whom I speak]: Or, BAS: Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other. Compare Job 3:11, 13; 14:1. [Psalm 58:8]
EC6:6 Even though a person live two-thousand years – and yet has not experienced good – such a person only ends upon in one place – [the grave]. 146
146 Even though a person live two-thousand years – and yet has not experienced good – such a person only ends upon in one place – [the grave]: Or, BAS: And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place; LXX: Though he has lived to the return of a thousand years, yet he has seen no good: do not all go to one place. Return to Ecclesiastes 3:19-21. [Job 30:23]
EC6:7 All a person’s hard labor is only for the mouth to swallow even though the stomach is never satisfied. 147
147 All a person’s hard labor is only for the mouth to swallow even though the stomach is never satisfied: Or, BAS: All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food; DAR: and yet the appetite is not filled; LXX: appetite [PSYCHE]. [Genesis 3:19; Proverbs 16:26] A person may work hard for food on the plate but hours later hunger strikes again. Some cultures devote 80% of their labor on just food, while in other places less than 1% is exerted as the person gets fat.
EC6:8 So how is the wise person better off than the stupid person? or the pauper for all life’s [hard] experience? 148
148 So how is the wise person better off than the stupid person? or the pauper for all life’s [hard] experience: Or, BAS: What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living. Return to Ecclesiastes 2:15. [Psalm 49:10]
EC6:9 It is best to be satisfied with what one has than continually wander about unfulfilled. 149
149 It is best to be satisfied with what one has than continually wander about unfulfilled: Or, BAS: What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind; DAR: Better is the seeing of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and pursuit of the wind; KNX: better aim at what lies in view than hanker after dreams; MOF: better a joy at hand than wants that roam abroad; NEB: it is better to be satisfied with what is before your eyes than give rein to desire; LXX: The sight of the eyes is better than that which wanders in soul [PSYCHE]: this is also vanity, and waywardness of spirit [PNEUMATOS]. [1 John 2:15-17; James 4:2]

Ecclesiastes 6:10-12 – The Futility of Life

EC6:10 Whatever exists has already been called something by someone as that is only human. 150 So you cannot argue with someone with seniority. 151
150 Whatever exists has already been called something by someone as that is only human: Or, BAS: That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge; BAS: That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known; JPS: Whatsoever cometh into being, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is foreknown what man is; NET: foreordained already; LXX: If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known [EGNOSOTHE] what man is. Some tend toward predestination, while others see a general principle regarding God.
151 So you cannot argue with someone with seniority: Or, BAS: He has no power against one stronger than he; DAR: and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he; JPS: neither can he contend with Him that is mightier than he. [Job 9:2, 32]
EC6:11 The more one says the more is something completely futile! So what is the benefit? 152
152 The more one says the more is something completely futile! So what is the benefit: Or, BAS: There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them; BER: the more words the more worthlessness; JB: the more words, the greater the vanity of it all. Return to Ecclesiastes 2:11; 4:4.
EC6:12 For who can predict what good may happen in a person’s life? 153 All those days in complete futility! For even the length of life is something completely futile, because life is but a darkening shadow. 154 No one can predict what will happen to a person during life’s experience under the sun. 155
153 For who can predict what good may happen in a person’s life: Or, BAS: Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life; JPS: For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life.
154 Life is but a darkening shadow: Or, BAS: life which he goes through like a shade; LXX: and he has spent them as a shadow [SKIA]. [1 Chronicles 29:15; Job 8:9; 14:2; Psalm 102:11; 144:4] Contrast this with God. [James 1:17; 4:14] As a shadow darkens it vanishes.
155 No one can predict what will happen to a person during life’s experience under the sun: Or, BAS: who will say what is to be after him under the sun. Compare Ecclesiastes 8:7. [Job 14:21; Proverbs 27:1]

Mark Heber Miller