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Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Ecclesiastes 6:5

even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, - more quietness, hath this than the other.

Bible Study Resources

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 8;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he.
Hebrew Names Version
Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
King James Version
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
English Standard Version
Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he.
New American Standard Bible
"It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet it is better off than that man.
New Century Version
That baby never saw the sun and never knew anything, but it finds more rest than that man.
Amplified Bible
"It has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge; yet it has more rest and is better off than he.
World English Bible
Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also he hath not seene ye sunne, nor knowen it: therefore this hath more rest then the other.
Legacy Standard Bible
Indeed, that one never sees the sun and never knows anything; that one has more rest than he.
Berean Standard Bible
A stillborn child has more rest than he-though never seeing the sun or knowing anything-
Complete Jewish Bible
and although it has never seen or known the sun, it is more content than he is,
Darby Translation
moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.
Easy-to-Read Version
The baby never saw the sun and never knew anything. But the baby finds more rest than the man who never enjoyed what God gave him.
George Lamsa Translation
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known anything, yet this one has more rest than the other.
Good News Translation
It never sees the light of day or knows what life is like, but at least it has found rest—
Lexham English Bible
He has neither seen nor known the sun, yet he has more rest than him.
Literal Translation
Also he has not seen nor known the sun; this one has more rest than that one .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Morouer, he seyth not the Sonne, and knoweth of no rest nether here ner there:
American Standard Version
moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
Bible in Basic English
Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath gratification rather than the other;
King James Version (1611)
Moreouer hee hath not seene the Sunne, nor knowen any thing: this hath more rest then the other.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Moreouer he seeth not the sunne, and knoweth not of it: and yet hath he more rest then the other.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is no more rest to this one than another.
English Revised Version
moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
Update Bible Version
moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it; this has rest rather than the other:
Webster's Bible Translation
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.
New English Translation
though it never saw the light of day nor knew anything, yet it has more rest than that man—
New King James Version
Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man,
New Living Translation
and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man.
New Life Bible
It never sees the sun and it never knows anything. It is better off than he.
New Revised Standard
moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:
Revised Standard Version
moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he.
Young's Literal Translation
Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.

Contextual Overview

1 Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, - and it is, common, among men: 2 A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul - of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, - this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was. 3 Though a man should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth! 4 For, in vain, it came in, and, in darkness, it departeth, - and, with darkness, its name, is covered: 5 even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, - more quietness, hath this than the other. 6 Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, - is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

this: Job 3:10-13, Job 14:1, Psalms 58:8, Psalms 90:7-9

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
And it came to pass when men had begun to multiply on the face of the ground and daughters had been born to them,
Genesis 6:3
And Yahweh said - My spirit shall not rule in man to times age - abiding, for that, he also, is flesh, - Yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.
Genesis 6:4
The giants, were in the each in these days, and also, after that, when the sons of God began to go in unto the daughters of men, and sons were born to them, the same, were the heroes that were from age-past times the men of renown.
Genesis 6:9
These, are the generations of Noah, Noah, was, a righteous man blameless, in his generations, - with God, did Noah walk.
Genesis 6:19
Moreover of all the living creatures of all flesh - two of each, shalt thou bring into the ark to keep alive with thee, - male and female, shall they be.
Genesis 6:20
Of the bird after its kind and of the beast after its kind, and of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of each, shall come in unto thee. for keeping alive.
Genesis 6:21
But thou, take to thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it unto thee, - and it shall be for thee and for them for food.
Genesis 8:21
And Yahweh smelled a satisfying odour, so Yahweh said to himself. I will not, again, curse any more the ground for man's sake, although the device of the heart of man, be wicked from his youth, - neither will I again, any more smite every living thing, as I have done.
Genesis 13:13
Now, the men of Sodom were base and sinful, - against Yahweh, exceedingly.
Deuteronomy 29:19
and so it come to pass while he is hearing the words of this oath, that he will bless himself in his heart - saying, Prosperity, shall I have, although in the stubbornness of my heart, I go on, - so that the drunkenness addeth to the thirst:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 of good and evil";

nor known [anything]; not the sun, nor anything else: or "experienced" z and "felt" the heat of the sun, and its comfortable influences; which a man may, who is blind, and has never seen it, but an abortive has not; and indeed has known no man, nor any creature nor thing in this world, and therefore it is no concern to it to be without them; and besides, has never had any knowledge or experience of the troubles of lifts, which every living man is liable to. Wherefore this is certain,

this hath more rest than the other; that is, the abortive than the covetous man; having never been distressed with the troubles of life, and now not affected with the sense of loss.

z ולא ידע "ueque expertus est", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Rambachius, so Broughton.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, it hath not seen nor known the sun: this (the untimely birth) hath rest rather than the other.


 
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