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Selected Verse: Ecclesiates 6:2 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ec 6:2 |
Strong Concordance |
A man [0376] to whom God [0430] hath given [05414] riches [06239], wealth [05233], and honour [03519], so that he wanteth [02638] nothing for his soul [05315] of all that he desireth [0183], yet God [0430] giveth him not power [07980] to eat [0398] thereof, but a stranger [0376] [05237] eateth [0398] it: this is vanity [01892], and it is an evil [07451] disease [02483]. |
| |
King James |
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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
for his soul--that is, his enjoyment.
God giveth him not power to eat--This distinguishes him from the "rich" man in Ecc 5:19. "God hath given" distinguishes him also from the man who got his wealth by "oppression" (Ecc 5:8, Ecc 5:10).
stranger--those not akin, nay, even hostile to him (Jer 51:51; Lam 5:2; Hos 7:9). He seems to have it in his "power" to do as he will with his wealth, but an unseen power gives him up to his own avarice: God wills that he should toil for "a stranger" (Ecc 2:26), who has found favor in God's sight. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
To עשׁר וּנך, as at Ch2 1:11, וך and honour is added as a third thing. What follows we do not translate: "and there is nothing wanting ... ;" for that איננּוּ with the pleonastic suff. may mean: "there is not," is not to be proved from Gen 39:9, thus: and he spares not for his soul (lxx καὶ οὐκ κ.τ.λ) what he always desires. חסר is adj. in the sense of wanting, lacking, as at Sa1 21:1-15 :16; Kg1 11:22; Pro 12:9. לנפשׁו, "for his soul," i.e., his person, is = the synon. לעצמו found in the later usage of the language; מן (different from the min, Ecc 4:8) is, as at Gen 6:2, partitive. The נכרי, to whom this considerable estate, satisfying every wish, finally comes, is certainly not the legal heir (for that he enters into possession, in spite of the uncertainty of his moral character, Ecc 2:19, would be in itself nothing less than a misfortune, yet perfectly in order, Ecc 5:13 [14]), but some stranger without any just claim, not directly a foreigner (Heiligst.), but, as Burger explains: talis qui proprie nullum habet jus in bona ejus cui נכרי dicitur (cf. נכריּה of the unmarried wife in the Book of Proverbs).
That wealth without enjoyment is nothing but vanity and an evil disease, the author now shows by introducing another historical figure, and thereby showing that life without enjoyment is worse than never to have come into existence at all: |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Riches - All sorts of riches. To eat - Because God gives him up to a base and covetous mind. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
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." |
26 For God giveth [05414] to a man [0120] that is good [02896] in his sight [06440] wisdom [02451], and knowledge [01847], and joy [08057]: but to the sinner [02398] he giveth [05414] travail [06045], to gather [0622] and to heap up [03664], that he may give [05414] to him that is good [02896] before [06440] God [0430]. This also is vanity [01892] and vexation [07469] of spirit [07307].
9 Strangers [02114] have devoured [0398] his strength [03581], and he knoweth [03045] it not: yea, gray hairs [07872] are here and there [02236] upon him, yet he knoweth [03045] not.
2 Our inheritance [05159] is turned [02015] to strangers [02114], our houses [01004] to aliens [05237].
51 We are confounded [0954], because we have heard [08085] reproach [02781]: shame [03639] hath covered [03680] our faces [06440]: for strangers [02114] are come [0935] into the sanctuaries [04720] of the LORD'S [03068] house [01004].
10 He that loveth [0157] silver [03701] shall not be satisfied [07646] with silver [03701]; nor he that loveth [0157] abundance [01995] with increase [08393]: this is also vanity [01892].
8 If thou seest [07200] the oppression [06233] of the poor [07326], and violent [01499] perverting of judgment [04941] and justice [06664] in a province [04082], marvel [08539] not at the matter [02656]: for he that is higher [01364] than the highest [01364] regardeth [08104]; and there be higher [01364] than they [05921].
19 Every man [0120] also to whom God [0430] hath given [05414] riches [06239] and wealth [05233], and hath given him power [07980] to eat [0398] thereof, and to take [05375] his portion [02506], and to rejoice [08055] in his labour [05999]; this [02090] is the gift [04991] of God [0430].
13 There is [03426] a sore [02470] evil [07451] which I have seen [07200] under the sun [08121], namely, riches [06239] kept [08104] for the owners [01167] thereof to their hurt [07451].
19 And who knoweth [03045] whether he shall be a wise [02450] man or a fool [05530]? yet shall he have rule [07980] over all my labour [05999] wherein I have laboured [05998], and wherein I have shewed myself wise [02449] under the sun [08121]. This is also vanity [01892].
2 That the sons [01121] of God [0430] saw [07200] the daughters [01323] of men [0120] that they [02007] were fair [02896]; and they took [03947] them wives [0802] of all which they chose [0977].
8 There is [03426] one [0259] alone, and there is not a second [08145]; yea, he hath neither child [01121] nor brother [0251]: yet is there no end [07093] of all his labour [05999]; neither is his eye [05869] satisfied [07646] with riches [06239]; neither saith he, For whom do I labour [06001], and bereave [02637] my soul [05315] of good [02896]? This is also vanity [01892], yea, it is a sore [07451] travail [06045].
9 He that is despised [07034], and hath a servant [05650], is better [02896] than he that honoureth [03513] himself, and lacketh [02638] bread [03899].
22 Then Pharaoh [06547] said [0559] unto him, But what hast thou lacked [02638] with me, that, behold, thou seekest [01245] to go [03212] to thine own country [0776]? And he answered [0559], Nothing: howbeit let me go [07971] in any wise [07971].
1 Then came [0935] David [01732] to Nob [05011] to Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548]: and Ahimelech [0288] was afraid [02729] at the meeting [07125] of David [01732], and said [0559] unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man [0376] with thee?
2 And David [01732] said [0559] unto Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548], The king [04428] hath commanded [06680] me a business [01697], and hath said [0559] unto me, Let no man [0376] know [03045] any thing [03972] of the business [01697] whereabout I send [07971] thee, and what I have commanded [06680] thee: and I have appointed [03045] my servants [05288] to such [06423] and such [0492] a place [04725].
3 Now therefore what is [03426] under thine hand [03027]? give [05414] me five [02568] loaves of bread [03899] in mine hand [03027], or what there is present [04672].
4 And the priest [03548] answered [06030] David [01732], and said [0559], There is no common [02455] bread [03899] under mine hand [03027], but there is [03426] hallowed [06944] bread [03899]; if the young men [05288] have kept [08104] themselves at least [0389] from women [0802].
5 And David [01732] answered [06030] the priest [03548], and said [0559] unto him, Of a truth [0518] women [0802] have been kept [06113] from us about these three [08032] days [08543], since I came out [03318], and the vessels [03627] of the young men [05288] are holy [06944], and the bread is in a manner [01870] common [02455], yea, though it were sanctified [06942] this day [03117] in the vessel [03627].
6 So the priest [03548] gave [05414] him hallowed [06944] bread: for there was no bread [03899] there but the shewbread [03899] [06440], that was taken [05493] from before [06440] the LORD [03068], to put [07760] hot [02527] bread [03899] in the day [03117] when it was taken away [03947].
7 Now a certain man [0376] of the servants [05650] of Saul [07586] was there that day [03117], detained [06113] before [06440] the LORD [03068]; and his name [08034] was Doeg [01673], an Edomite [0130], the chiefest [047] of the herdmen [07462] that belonged to Saul [07586].
8 And David [01732] said [0559] unto Ahimelech [0288], And is there [03426] not [0371] here under thine hand [03027] spear [02595] or sword [02719]? for I have neither brought [03947] my sword [02719] nor my weapons [03627] with me [03027], because the king's [04428] business [01697] required [01961] haste [05169].
9 And the priest [03548] said [0559], The sword [02719] of Goliath [01555] the Philistine [06430], whom thou slewest [05221] in the valley [06010] of Elah [0425], behold, it is here wrapped [03874] in a cloth [08071] behind [0310] the ephod [0646]: if thou wilt take [03947] that, take [03947] it: for there is no other [0312] save [02108] that here [02088]. And David [01732] said [0559], There is none like that; give [05414] it me.
10 And David [01732] arose [06965], and fled [01272] that day [03117] for fear [06440] of Saul [07586], and went [0935] to Achish [0397] the king [04428] of Gath [01661].
11 And the servants [05650] of Achish [0397] said [0559] unto him, Is not this David [01732] the king [04428] of the land [0776]? did they not sing [06030] one to another of him [02088] in dances [04246], saying [0559], Saul [07586] hath slain [05221] his thousands [0505], and David [01732] his ten thousands [07233]?
12 And David [01732] laid up [07760] these words [01697] in his heart [03824], and was sore [03966] afraid [03372] of [06440] Achish [0397] the king [04428] of Gath [01661].
13 And he changed [08138] his behaviour [02940] before [05869] them, and feigned himself mad [01984] in their hands [03027], and scrabbled [08427] on the doors [01817] of the gate [08179], and let his spittle [07388] fall down [03381] upon his beard [02206].
14 Then said [0559] Achish [0397] unto his servants [05650], Lo, ye see [07200] the man [0376] is mad [07696]: wherefore then have ye brought [0935] him to me?
15 Have I need [02638] of mad men [07696], that ye have brought [0935] this fellow to play the mad man [07696] in my presence? shall this fellow come [0935] into my house [01004]?
9 There is none greater [01419] in this house [01004] than I; neither [03808] hath he kept back [02820] any thing [03972] from me but thee, because [0834] thou [0859] art his wife [0802]: how then can I do [06213] this great [01419] wickedness [07451], and sin [02398] against God [0430]?
11 And God [0430] said [0559] to Solomon [08010], Because this was in thine heart [03824], and thou hast not asked [07592] riches [06239], wealth [05233], or honour [03519], nor the life [05315] of thine enemies [08130], neither yet hast asked [07592] long [07227] life [03117]; but hast asked [07592] wisdom [02451] and knowledge [04093] for thyself, that thou mayest judge [08199] my people [05971], over whom I have made thee king [04427]: