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Ecclesiastes 6

12 verses

TL;DR

Ecclesiastes 6 laments that wealth, long life, and even many children fail to provide lasting satisfaction, underscoring the vanity of human pursuits and the certainty of death.

Summary

The chapter opens with the observation of a common evil among men: the emptiness that follows material blessings. It explains that a man may be given riches, wealth, and honour yet still be powerless to enjoy them, as a stranger eats them instead, highlighting vanity. The text then describes a man with many children and a long life who remains unfulfilled, suggesting that an untimely death could be preferable. It portrays human existence as a shadow, with people arriving in vanity and departing in darkness, unable to find true rest. The author comments on the futility of human labor, the unquenched appetite, and the limitations of the wise versus the fool. Ultimately, he questions what is good for a man in a life that is fleeting and cannot predict the afterlife, emphasizing the pervasive sense of futility.

Outline
  1. Riches and honour do not guarantee satisfaction or enjoyment.
  2. Long life and many children can still lead to emptiness and disappointment.
  3. Human existence is portrayed as a fleeting shadow culminating in death.
Themes
VanityFutility of wealth and desiresMortality and the unknown afterlife
Keywords
vanitywealthdesirelifedeathdarknessfoolwiseappetiteshadow
People
God
Places
Things
wealthricheshonourchildrenlong lifevanitydarknessrestappetitesightdesireshadow
Key Verses
  • Ecclesiastes 6:2: Shows the paradox of abundance without the ability to enjoy it, illustrating vanity.
  • Ecclesiastes 6:7: Highlights the unfulfilled appetite that drives human labor, reinforcing the theme of futility.
  • Ecclesiastes 6:12: Encapsulates the mystery of the afterlife and the overall sense of uncertainty that permeates the chapter.
Questions
  • What does it mean that a stranger eats the wealth that a man receives, and how does this reflect on human agency?
  • Why does the author suggest that an untimely death might be preferable to a long, unfulfilled life?
  • How does the portrayal of life as a 'shadow' influence our understanding of purpose and fulfillment?
Sentiment

negative
Lamenting the futility of wealth, life, and desire.