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Selected Verse: Ecclesiates 5:12 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ec 5:12	Strong Concordance	The sleep [08142] of a labouring man [05647] is sweet [04966], whether he eat [0398] little [04592] or much [07235]: but the abundance [07647] of the rich [06223] will not suffer [03240] him to sleep [03462].
	King James	The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Another argument against anxiety to gain riches. "Sleep . . . sweet" answers to "quietness" (Ecc 4:6); "not suffer . . . sleep," to "vexation of spirit." Fears for his wealth, and an overloaded stomach without "laboring" (compare Ecc 4:5), will not suffer the rich oppressor to sleep.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Another argument against anxiety to gain riches. "Sleep . . . sweet" answers to "quietness" (Ecc 4:6); "not suffer . . . sleep," to "vexation of spirit." Fears for his wealth, and an overloaded stomach without "laboring" (compare Ecc 4:5), will not suffer the rich oppressor to sleep.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Labouring man - Not a slave (Septuagint), but everyone who, according to the divine direction, earns his bread in the sweat of his brow.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
He can also eat that which is good, and can eat much; but he does not on that account sleep more quietly than the labourer who lives from hand to mouth: "Sweet is the sleep of the labourer, whether he eats little or much; but, on the contrary, the abundance of the rich does not permit him to sleep." The lxx, instead of "labourer," uses the word "slave" (δούλου), as if the original were העבד. But, as a rule, sound sleep is the reward of earnest labour; and since there are idle servants as well as active masters, there is no privilege to servants. The Venet. renders rightly by "of the husbandman" (ἐργάτου), the האדמה עבד; the "labourer" in general is called עמל, Ecc 4:8 and Jdg 5:26, post-bibl. פּעל. The labourer enjoys sweet, i.e., refreshing, sound sleep, whether his fare be abundant of scanty - the labour rewards him by sweet sleep, notwithstanding his poverty; while, on the contrary, the sleep of the rich is hindered and disturbed by his abundance, not: by his satiety, viz., repletion, as Jerome remarks: incocto cibo in stomachi angustiis aestuante; for the labourer also, if he eats much, eats his fill; and why should sufficiency have a different result in the one from what is has in the other? As שׂבע means satiety, not over-satiety; so, on the other hand, it means, objectively, sufficient and plentifully existing fulness to meet the wants of man, Pro 3:10, and the word is meant thus objectively here: the fulness of possession which the rich has at his disposal does not permit him to sleep, for all kinds of projects, cares, anxieties regarding it rise within him, which follow him into the night, and do not suffer his mind to be at rest, which is a condition of sleep. The expression השּׂ לע is the circumlocutio of the genit. relation, like לב ... חל, Rut 2:3; נע ... אם (lxx Αμνὼν τῆσ ̓Αχινόαμ), Sa2 3:2. Heiligstedt remarks that it stands for שׂבע העשׁיר; but the nouns צמא, רעב ,צמא snuon, שׂבע form no const., for which reason the circumloc. was necessary; שׂבע is the constr. of שׂבע. Falsely, Ginsburg: "aber der Ueberfluss den Reichen - er lsst ihn nicht schlafen" but superabundance the rich - it doth not suffer him to sleep; but this construction is neither in accordance with the genius of the German nor of the Heb. language. Only the subject is resumed in איננּוּ (as in Ecc 1:7); the construction of הניח is as at Ch1 16:21; cf. Psa 105:14. Of the two Hiphil forms, the properly Heb. הניח and the Aramaizing הנּיח, the latter is used in the weakened meaning of ἐᾶν, sinere. After showing that riches bring to their possessor no real gain, but, instead of that, dispeace, care, and unrest, the author records as a great evil the loss, sometimes suddenly, of wealth carefully amassed.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

He can also eat that which is good, and can eat much; but he does not on that account sleep more quietly than the labourer who lives from hand to mouth: "Sweet is the sleep of the labourer, whether he eats little or much; but, on the contrary, the abundance of the rich does not permit him to sleep." The lxx, instead of "labourer," uses the word "slave" (δούλου), as if the original were העבד. But, as a rule, sound sleep is the reward of earnest labour; and since there are idle servants as well as active masters, there is no privilege to servants. The Venet. renders rightly by "of the husbandman" (ἐργάτου), the האדמה עבד; the "labourer" in general is called עמל, Ecc 4:8 and Jdg 5:26, post-bibl. פּעל. The labourer enjoys sweet, i.e., refreshing, sound sleep, whether his fare be abundant of scanty - the labour rewards him by sweet sleep, notwithstanding his poverty; while, on the contrary, the sleep of the rich is hindered and disturbed by his abundance, not: by his satiety, viz., repletion, as Jerome remarks: incocto cibo in stomachi angustiis aestuante; for the labourer also, if he eats much, eats his fill; and why should sufficiency have a different result in the one from what is has in the other? As שׂבע means satiety, not over-satiety; so, on the other hand, it means, objectively, sufficient and plentifully existing fulness to meet the wants of man, Pro 3:10, and the word is meant thus objectively here: the fulness of possession which the rich has at his disposal does not permit him to sleep, for all kinds of projects, cares, anxieties regarding it rise within him, which follow him into the night, and do not suffer his mind to be at rest, which is a condition of sleep. The expression השּׂ לע is the circumlocutio of the genit. relation, like לב ... חל, Rut 2:3; נע ... אם (lxx Αμνὼν τῆσ ̓Αχινόαμ), Sa2 3:2. Heiligstedt remarks that it stands for שׂבע העשׁיר; but the nouns צמא, רעב ,צמא snuon, שׂבע form no const., for which reason the circumloc. was necessary; שׂבע is the constr. of שׂבע. Falsely, Ginsburg: "aber der Ueberfluss den Reichen - er lsst ihn nicht schlafen" but superabundance the rich - it doth not suffer him to sleep; but this construction is neither in accordance with the genius of the German nor of the Heb. language. Only the subject is resumed in איננּוּ (as in Ecc 1:7); the construction of הניח is as at Ch1 16:21; cf. Psa 105:14. Of the two Hiphil forms, the properly Heb. הניח and the Aramaizing הנּיח, the latter is used in the weakened meaning of ἐᾶν, sinere.

After showing that riches bring to their possessor no real gain, but, instead of that, dispeace, care, and unrest, the author records as a great evil the loss, sometimes suddenly, of wealth carefully amassed.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet - His labor is healthy exercise. He is without possessions, and without cares; his sleep, being undisturbed, is sound and refreshing.

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⁵ The fool [03684] foldeth [02263] his hands [03027] together [02263], and eateth [0398] his own flesh [01320].

⁶ Better [02896] is an handful [03709] with quietness [05183], than both the hands [02651] full [04393] with travail [05999] and vexation [07469] of spirit [07307].

¹⁴ He suffered [03240] no man [0120] to do them wrong [06231]: yea, he reproved [03198] kings [04428] for their sakes;

²¹ He suffered [03240] no man [0376] to do them wrong [06231]: yea, he reproved [03198] kings [04428] for their sakes,

⁷ All the rivers [05158] run [01980] into the sea [03220]; yet the sea [03220] is not full [04392]; unto the place [04725] from whence the rivers [05158] come [01980], thither they return [07725] again [03212].

² And unto David [01732] were sons [01121] born [03205] [03205] in Hebron [02275]: and his firstborn [01060] was Amnon [0550], of Ahinoam [0293] the Jezreelitess [03159];

³ And she went [03212], and came [0935], and gleaned [03950] in the field [07704] after [0310] the reapers [07114]: and her hap [04745] was to light [07136] on a part [02513] of the field [07704] belonging unto Boaz [01162], who was of the kindred [04940] of Elimelech [0458].

¹⁰ So shall thy barns [0618] be filled [04390] with plenty [07647], and thy presses [03342] shall burst out [06555] with new wine [08492].

²⁶ She put [07971] her hand [03027] to the nail [03489], and her right hand [03225] to the workmen's [06001] hammer [01989]; and with the hammer she smote [01986] Sisera [05516], she smote off [04277] his head [07218], when she had pierced [04272] and stricken through [02498] his temples [07541].

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].