1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
3If a man begets a hundred children and lives many
years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied
with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is
better than he— 4for it comes in
vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. 5Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this
has more rest than that man, 6even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do
not all go to one place?
7All the labor of man is for his mouth,
And yet the soul is not
satisfied.
8For what more has the wise man than the fool?
What does the poor man have,
Who knows how to walk before
the living?
9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of
desire.
This also is vanity and
grasping for the wind.
10Whatever one is, he has been named already,
For it is known that he is
man;
And he cannot contend with Him
who is mightier than he.
11Since there are many things that increase vanity,
How is man the better?
12For who knows what is good for man in life, all the
days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow?
Who can tell a man what will
happen after him under the sun?
Commentary
Vs. 1-2 1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
King Solomon now presents us with another individual who seemingly lacked nothing, for they were given by God, riches, wealth, and honor, but for whatever reasons they themselves never got to experience or enjoy it all. But rather a foreigner; thus not even someone of their own household; gets to consume it. This is vanity, and an evil affliction. The lesson then is don’t presume upon anything, either your life, or your prosperity, or your prospects etc., because we are assured of nothing in this life, better than to seek God and have eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while you can, than to lose it all, and have nothing in the end. So lay up your treasures in heaven now while you can, for your lawyers and such will consume it all when you are gone.
Vs. 3-6 3If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he— 4for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. 5Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, 6even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?
King Solomon also considered the man whose household overflows with children (i.e. a sign of God’s blessing, Ps. 127:3-5), who also lives well into his old age (again another sign of God’s blessing in one’s life), and so he has children and grand children and great grand children, and yet for all of that you would think he would consider himself truly blessed, and yet his soul is not satisfied with goodness. His long life and many offspring did not satisfy his soul, and so now at the end of his life he longs for something more, again this is a tragedy, when people make their children or having long life what their lives are about down here under the sun. For we all die, and to die without Christ is the greatest tragedy of all. Thus, a still born child is better than that person, for at least they will never have to live for all eternity with that great regret at the end. Of having traded one for the other.
Vs. 7 All the labor of man is for his mouth,
And yet the soul is not
satisfied.
This is a great truth, and grave misfortune all in one. For truly to work and live only to feed and gratify one’s flesh, will leave your soul hungering for so much more (consider John 6:35, also Matt. 11:28-30).
Vs. 8 “For what more has the wise man than the fool?
What does the poor man have,
Who knows how to walk before
the living?”
King Solomon now sees that having wisdom in of itself, does make one any better off than the fool, because we all face the same end. And if a "fool" finds Christ but a "wise man" does not, who is the wiser in the end (consider 1 Cor. 1:26-31).
Vs. 9 “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire.
This also is vanity and
grasping for the wind.”
Contentment is always a great advantage to overcoming..., rather than always desiring…, because having a wandering heart and desiring for… will always lead you astray, for covetousness is sin and the ruin of many (consider Jer. 17:9).
Vs. 10 “Whatever one is, he has been named already,
For it is known that he is
man;
And he cannot contend with Him
who is mightier than he.”
There are things and attributes about ourselves that we cannot change, only God can, which He does when we become new creations In Christ by faith in His Person. Therefore, to contend with Him about the way we now are, when we are merely men and women of clay is only to pick a “fight” that one cannot win (consider Rom. 9:14-28).
Vs. 11-12 11Since there are many things that increase vanity, How is man the better? 12For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?
There are many things in this life that only increase vanity, many things (and people) that will allure and mislead you if you let them. Therefore, don’t go seeking gurus’ and the like. For neither they, nor anyone else down here under the sun can tell you how to spend your lifetime down here. They do not know what your end will be. However, there is One, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ who does know and He can direct your life and make your time well spent down here if you let Him. For He has not only the keys to the Kingdom of heaven, but also the key to living a rich and full and abundant life down here, therefore seek Him!
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.
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