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Updated Bible Version

Ecclesiastes 6:2

a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to eat thereof, but an alien eats it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Vanity;   Thompson Chain Reference - Honour;   Honour-Dishonour;   Poverty-Riches;   Riches, Earthly;   Treasures, Earthly;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Evil;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Presumption;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Wealth;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Akiba ben Joseph;   Covetousness;   Didascalia;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 9;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
a man to whom God gives riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God does not empower him to eat from them, for a foreigner eats from them. This is vanity and a sickening evil.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
when God geueth a man riches, goodes, and honour, so that he wanteth nothyng of all that his heart can desire, and yet God geueth him not leaue to enioy the same, but another man spendeth them: This is a vayne thyng and a miserable plague.
Darby Translation
one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil.
New King James Version
A 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.
Literal Translation
A man to whom God has given riches, and wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires; yet God does not give him the power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it; this disease.
Easy-to-Read Version
God gives some people great wealth, riches, and honor. They have everything they need and everything they could ever want. But then God does not let them enjoy those things. Some stranger comes and takes everything. This is a very bad and senseless thing.
World English Bible
a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
King James Version (1611)
A man to whom God hath giuen riches, wealth and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that he desireth, yet God giueth him not power to eate thereof, but a stranger eateth it: This is vanitie, and it is an euill disease.
King James Version
A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
when God geueth a man riches, goodes & honoure, so that he wanteth nothinge of all that his herte can desyre: and yet God geueth him not leue to enioye the same, but another man spedeth them. This is a vayne thinge & a miserable plage.
Amplified Bible
a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the power or capacity to enjoy them [all those things which are gifts from God], but a stranger [in whom he has no interest succeeds him and] enjoys them. This is vanity and it is a [cause of] great distress.
American Standard Version
a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Bible in Basic English
A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.
Webster's Bible Translation
A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it: this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.
New English Translation
God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor— instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.
Contemporary English Version
God may give you everything you want—money, property, and wealth. Then God doesn't let you enjoy it, and someone you don't even know gets it all. That's senseless and terribly unfair!
Complete Jewish Bible
the case in which God gives someone riches, wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing that he wants; but God does not give him the power to enjoy them, and some stranger gets to enjoy them — this is meaningless, evil, sick.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth: but God giueth him not power to eate thereof, but a strange man shall eate it vp: this is vanitie, and this is an euill sicknesse.
George Lamsa Translation
There is a man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to eat of them; but a stranger eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Hebrew Names Version
a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
New Living Translation
God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn't give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.
New Life Bible
God gives a man riches and many good things and honor, so that he has everything he wants. But He does not allow him to have joy from them, for a stranger has joy from them. This is for nothing, and is very bad.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
a man to whom God shall give wealth, and substance, and honour, and he wants nothing for his soul of all things that he shall desire, yet God shall not give him power to eat of it, for a stranger shall devour it: this is vanity, and an evil infirmity.
English Revised Version
a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Berean Standard Bible
God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous evil.
New Revised Standard
those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous ill.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
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.
Douay-Rheims Bible
A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.
Lexham English Bible
God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; yet God does not enable him to enjoy it—instead someone else ends up enjoying it. This is vanity—indeed, it is a grievous ill!
English Standard Version
a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
New American Standard Bible
a person to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the opportunity to enjoy these things, but a foreigner enjoys them. This is futility and a severe affliction.
New Century Version
God gives great wealth, riches, and honor to some people; they have everything they want. But God does not let them enjoy such things; a stranger enjoys them instead. This is useless and very wrong.
Good News Translation
God will give us wealth, honor, and property, yes, everything we want, but then will not let us enjoy it. Some stranger will enjoy it instead. It is useless, and it just isn't right.
Christian Standard Bible®
God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself, but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A man is, to whom God yaf richessis, and catel, and onour; and no thing failith to his soule of alle thingis which he desirith; and God yyueth not power to hym, that he ete therof, but a straunge man shal deuoure it. This is vanyte, and a greet wretchidnesse.
Revised Standard Version
a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them; this is vanity; it is a sore affliction.
Young's Literal Translation
A man to whom God giveth wealth, and riches, and honour, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desireth, and God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it; this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.

Contextual Overview

1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on man: 2 a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to eat thereof, but an alien eats it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease. 3 If a man begets a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he: 4 for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness; 5 moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it; this has rest rather than the other: 6 yes, though he lives a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoys no good, do not all go to one place?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a man: Ecclesiastes 5:19, 1 Kings 3:13, 1 Chronicles 29:25, 1 Chronicles 29:28, 2 Chronicles 1:11, Daniel 5:18

so: Ecclesiastes 2:4-10, Deuteronomy 8:7-10, Judges 18:10, Job 21:9-15, Psalms 17:14, Psalms 73:7, Luke 12:19, Luke 12:20

yet: A man may possess much earthly goods, and yet have neither the heart nor power to enjoy them. Possession and fruition are not necessarily joined together; and this is also among the vanities of life, and was and still is a very "common evil among men." It belongs to God as much to give the power to enjoy, as it does to give earthly blessings.

but: Deuteronomy 28:33, Deuteronomy 28:43, Psalms 39:6, Lamentations 5:2, Hosea 7:9

vanity: Ecclesiastes 4:4, Ecclesiastes 4:8, Ecclesiastes 5:16

Reciprocal: Job 21:25 - never Ecclesiastes 2:24 - that it Ecclesiastes 3:13 - General Ecclesiastes 5:13 - a sore Ecclesiastes 6:9 - this Zechariah 9:6 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he named him Enosh. Then it was begun to call on the name of Yahweh.
Genesis 6:1
And it came to pass, when man began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them,
Genesis 6:2
that the sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were fair; and they took for themselves wives of all that they chose.
Genesis 6:3
And Yahweh said, My spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh: and his days shall be 120 years.
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man, and they bore [children] to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.
Genesis 6:6
And it repented Yahweh that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Genesis 6:7
And Yahweh said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repents me that I have made them.
Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh.
Genesis 6:12
And God saw the earth, and, look, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour,.... By "riches" may be meant gold and silver, things which a covetous man is never satisfied with; and by "wealth", cattle, with which farms and fields are stocked: the wealth of men, especially in former times, and in the eastern countries, lay very much in these, as did the wealth of Abraham and Job, Genesis 13:2; and all these, as they are reckoned glorious and honourable in themselves; so they create honour and glory among men, and raise to high and honourable places; and these, as they go, they are usually put together, and are called by the name of honour and glory itself; see Proverbs 3:16. And they are all the gifts of God, which he either as blessings bestows upon men, or suffers men to attain unto, though a curse may go along with them; which is the case here, for no man whatever is possessed of them but by the will of God or his divine permission; see 1 Chronicles 29:12; and which a man may, and sometimes has, such a plentiful portion of;

so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth: he has not only for the supply of his wants, what is necessary for his daily use and service, but even what is for delight and pleasure; yea, as much as he could reasonably wish for; nay, more than heart could wish,

Psalms 73:7;

yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof; the Targum adds, "because of his sin"; either he takes it away from him, he making no use of it; or his appetite is taken away, that he has no desire to it; or rather he has no heart to enjoy what he has, and scarce any part of it; not to eat and drink, and wear suitably to his circumstances, but grudges whatever he lays out on his back or belly, or in housekeeping in his family; for though God gives him a large substance, yet not a heart to make use of it, without which he cannot enjoy it; and therefore it would have been as good, or better for him, to have been without it; see Ecclesiastes 5:19;

but a stranger eateth it; the Syriac version adds, "after him"; enjoys it, not only a part of it, but the whole; one that is not akin to him, and perhaps was never known by him; and yet, by one means or another, either in a lawful or unlawful way, comes into the possession of all he has; this has been always reckoned a great unhappiness, Lamentations 5:2. Hence it follows,

this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease; it is a vain thing to be possessed of great substance, and not enjoy anything of it in a comfortable way, through the sin of covetousness; which is a spiritual disease, and a very bad one; very prejudicial to the soul, and the state of it, and is rarely cured. Juvenal w calls it frenzy and madness for a man to live poor, that be may die rich; he is like the ass that Crassus Agelastus saw, loaded with figs, and eating thorns.

w "Cum furor dubius", &c. Satyr. 14. v. 136. exposed by Persius, Sat. 6. v. 69, &c. "unge puer caules", &c.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 6:2. A man to whom God hath given riches — A man may possess much earthly goods, and yet enjoy nothing of them. Possession and fruition are not necessarily joined together; and this is also among the vanities of life. It is worthy of remark, that it belongs to God as much to give the power to enjoy as it does to give the earthly blessings. A wise heathen saw this: -

Di tibi divitias dederant, artemque fruendi.

HOR. Ep. lib. i., ep. 4, ver. 7.

"The gods had given thee riches, and the art

to enjoy them."


 
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