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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 4:6

Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Contentment;   Peace;   Poor;   Poverty;   Thompson Chain Reference - Care;   Quietness;   Quietness-Tumult;   Rest-Unrest;   Trouble;   Worldly;   The Topic Concordance - Foolishness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Peace;  

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Handful;   Travail;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - AḥiḴar;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 17;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Better is an handfull with quietnesse, then two handfuls with labour and vexation of spirit.
Christian Standard Bible®
Better one handful with restthan two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind.
Hebrew Names Version
Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.
Easy-to-Read Version
Maybe that is true. But I say it is better to be satisfied with the few things you have than to always be struggling to get more.
Amplified Bible
One hand full of rest and patience is better than two fists full of labor and chasing after the wind.
American Standard Version
Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.
Contemporary English Version
Yet a very little food eaten in peace is better than twice as much earned from overwork and chasing the wind.
Complete Jewish Bible
Better an armload with tranquillity than both arms full of effort and feeding on wind.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Better is a handful of quietness, than both the hands full of labour and striving after wind.
King James Version (1611)
Better is an handfull with quietnesse, then both the hands full with trauell and vexation of spirit.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Better is a handful of rest than two handfuls of trouble and waywardness of spirit.
English Revised Version
Better is an handful with quietness, than two handfuls with labour and striving after wind.
Berean Standard Bible
Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.
Lexham English Bible
Better is one handful with peace than two fists full with toil and chasing wind.
Literal Translation
Better is a hand filled with rest, than two fists with labor and striving after wind.
New Century Version
Maybe so, but I say it is better to be content with what little you have. Otherwise, you will always be struggling for more, and that is like chasing the wind.
New English Translation
Better is one handful with some rest than two hands full of toil and chasing the wind.
New King James Version
Better a handful with quietness Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.
New Living Translation
And yet, "Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind."
New Life Bible
One hand full of rest is better than two hands full of work and trying to catch the wind.
New Revised Standard
Better is a handful with quiet than two handfuls with toil, and a chasing after wind.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Better a handful - with quietness, - than both hands, full - with toil, and feeding on wind.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Better is a handful with rest, than both hands full with labour, and vexation of mind.
George Lamsa Translation
Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full with toil and vexation of spirit.
Good News Translation
Maybe so, but it is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.
New American Standard Bible
One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.
King James Version
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
One handfull [saith he] is better with rest, then both the handes full with labour and trauayle of mynde.
Darby Translation
Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
Young's Literal Translation
`Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than two handfuls [with] labour and vexation of spirit.'
World English Bible
Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.
Update Bible Version
Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.
Webster's Bible Translation
Better [is] a handful [with] quietness, than both the hands full [with] toil and vexation of spirit.
Bible in Basic English
One hand full of rest is better than two hands full of trouble and desire for wind.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
One handfull (saieth he) is better wt rest, the both ye handes full with labor and trauayle.
THE MESSAGE
One handful of peaceful repose Is better than two fistfuls of worried work— More spitting into the wind.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.
Legacy Standard Bible
One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

Contextual Overview

4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5 The fool folds his hands, and eats his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 37:16, Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 15:17, Proverbs 16:8, Proverbs 17:1

Reciprocal: Proverbs 15:6 - in the revenues Ecclesiastes 2:22 - and of the Luke 12:15 - for 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - that 2 Thessalonians 3:12 - that with

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD."
Genesis 4:3
In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground,
Genesis 4:4
and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,
Genesis 4:5
but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Genesis 4:8
Cain said to Abel his brother, "Let us go out to the field." And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.
Genesis 4:11
And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
Genesis 4:13
Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Job 5:2
Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple.
Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Jeremiah 2:5
Thus says the LORD: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Better [is] a handful [with] quietness,.... These are the words of the fool, according to Aben Ezra; and which is the sense of other interpreters, particularly Mr. Broughton, who connects this verse with Ecclesiastes 4:5 by adding at the end of that the word "saying"; making an excuse or an apology for himself and conduct, from the use and profitableness of his sloth; that little had with ease, and without toil and labour, is much better

than both the hands full [with] travail and vexation of spirit; than large possessions gotten with a great deal of trouble, and enjoyed with much vexation and uneasiness; in which he mistakes slothful ease for true quietness; calls honest labour and industry travail and vexation; and supposes that true contentment lies in the enjoyment of little, and cannot be had where there is much; whereas it is to be found in a good man in every state: or else these words express the true sentiments of Solomon's mind, steering between the two extremes of slothfulness, and too toilsome labour to be rich; that it is much more eligible to have a competency, though it is but small, with a good conscience, with tranquillity of mind, with the love and fear of God, and a contented heart, than to have a large estate, with great trouble and fatigue in getting and keeping it, especially with discontent and uneasiness; and this agrees with what the wise man says elsewhere, Proverbs 15:16. The Targum is,

"better to a man is a handful of food with quietness of soul, and without robbery and rapine, than two handfuls of food with robbery and rapine;''

or with what is gotten in an ill way.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Either the fool’s sarcasm on his successful but restless neighbor; or the comment of Solomon recommending contentment with a moderate competence. The former meaning seems preferable.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 4:6. Better is a handful with quietness — These may be the words of the slothful man, and spoken in vindication of his idleness; as if he had said, "Every man who labours and amasses property is the object of envy, and is marked by the oppressor as a subject for spoil; better, therefore, to act as I do; gain little, and have little, and enjoy my handful with quietness." Or the words may contain Solomon's reflection on the subject.


 
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