AI-generated illustration: an ancient olive tree on a terraced hillside in morning sun. — AI-generated

Ecclesiastes

Bible text

Edition Compare with

SpeedVoiceSleep timer Continue to next chapter

Synthetic voice (AI)

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men: See also: Ecclesiastes 5:13a 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. See also: Ecclesiastes 5:19 Psalms 73:7 Psalms 17:14If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives 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 a stillborn child is better than he; See also: Job 3:16 Jeremiah 22:19 Ecclesiastes 4:3for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. See also: Psalms 109:13Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other. See also: Job 14:1 Psalms 90:7-9 Job 3:10-13Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place? See also: Hebrews 9:27 Ecclesiastes 3:20 Job 30:23All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. See also: John 6:27 Proverbs 16:26 1 Timothy 6:6-8For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living? See also: Proverbs 19:1 Ecclesiastes 2:14-16 Ecclesiastes 5:11Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind. See also: Ecclesiastes 1:14 Job 31:7 Ecclesiastes 11:9Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he. See also: Job 9:32 Isaiah 45:9-10 Job 40:2For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man? See also: Ecclesiastes 4:16 Ecclesiastes 5:7 Ecclesiastes 1:6-9For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun? See also: James 4:14 Job 14:2 Ecclesiastes 3:22

See also: Cross references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), derived in part from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)8 notes

Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.

These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity

Ecclesiastes 6:2

Ver. 2. Thereof. " Di tibi divitias dederunt artemque fruendi." Hor. i. Ep. 4. ---

The proper use of riches is rare. C. --- Misery. Riches do not make people happy. W.

↑ 2

Ecclesiastes 6:3

Ver. 3. Than he, since the latter has injured no one, nor experienced any evil in the world, (C.) by his own fault; (M.) whereas the miser has both hurt himself and others, and has neglected to make himself friends of the mammon of iniquity.

↑ 3

Ecclesiastes 6:4

Ver. 4. He. The infant, though some explain it of the miser. C.

↑ 4

Ecclesiastes 6:7

Ver. 7. Mouth. We are always providing food. S. Jer. --- The rich are wholly bent on pleasure; or the poor cannot get a sufficiency.

↑ 7

Ecclesiastes 6:8

Ver. 8. Life. The wise poor shall be blessed. Heb. "the poor knowing how to walk before the living," (H.) in society (C.) among the saints. H.

↑ 8

Ecclesiastes 6:9

Ver. 9. Know. Enjoyment has the advantage over hope. Heb. "better is the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul," which denotes her desires. C. ---

Presumption. Heb. "vexation." H.

↑ 9

Ecclesiastes 6:10

Ver. 10. He, &c. This is plainly spoken of Christ, whose name was given before he was born; (S. Jer. W.) or men resemble each other in all ages, (C. i. 9. C.) being proud, fragile, &c.

↑ 10

Ecclesiastes 6:11

Ver. 11. Disputing. Are we better acquainted with nature than former ages?

This is another subject of confusion. C.

↑ 11

License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses

Reflections

No reviewed reflections for this passage yet.