1 Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun, l and it weighs heavily on humanity: 2 God gives a person riches, wealth, and honor m so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself, n but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy. 3 A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial, o I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. p 4 For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5 Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. 6 And if a person lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both go to the same place?
7 All of a person’s labor is for his stomach, ,q
yet the appetite is never satisfied.
8 What advantage then does the wise person have over the fool? r What advantage is there for the poor person who knows how to conduct himself before others? 9 Better what the eyes see than wandering desire. s This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. ,t
10 Whatever exists was given its name long ago, ,u and it is known what mankind is. But he is not able to contend with the one stronger than he. v 11 For when there are many words, they increase futility. w What is the advantage for mankind? 12 For who knows what is good for anyone in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? x Who can tell anyone what will happen after him under the sun?
6:1–6. The final scenario, which presents another weighty “tragedy” (6:1; cf. 8:6), is closely linked to the preceding unit. Here too God grants an individual the ability to achieve wealth, possessions, and the resultant deference (as Solomon himself enjoyed, according to 2 Ch 1:1–2), in principle supplying everything one could possibly desire. But, in this case, God prevents this individual from benefiting from these goods. Instead, God allows an outsider rather than another family member to consume them (6:2), as previously envisioned in 2:26—the height of futility!
6:7–9. The conclusion parallels the introduction (5:10–12). Human efforts fill the stomach but cannot satisfy the appetite (6:7; cf. 5:10). Ecclesiastes 6:8 fits somewhat awkwardly between verses 7 and 9, though it parallels 5:11b in its formulation. Just as wealth cannot satisfy, so also the wise are no better off than the foolish, nor is the poor person who has learned proper conduct. Being content with what one has is a gain, while pursuing satisfaction through further acquisition is futile (6:9a). The final occurrence in the book of “a pursuit of the wind” concludes its first major subdivision.
A. Recognize that bad days can bring about good (6:10–7:14). 6:10–12. Properly speaking, these verses are transitional, serving to summarize one section and introduce (or frame, with the parallel verses 7:13–14) the next. In 6:10–12 the author sets forth some basic assertions: (1) The world is unchangeable (6:10a; cf. 1:9; 3:15). (2) The limitations of human beings are well known, namely, that one cannot successfully contend with God, who is mightier, as Job also learned (6:10b–11). Since multiplying words before God only increases their vacuity, nothing can be gained thereby (similarly 5:3, 7). (3) Disputing God’s actions is futile and senseless, since we have insufficient knowledge of what is truly good for a person during the short span of life, which passes as quickly as a shadow (6:12a; cf. Jb 14:2). That is because no one can offer reliable information about future events (6:12b), regardless of whether “after” here refers to one’s immediate (7:14) or postmortem (3:22) future.