Eclesiastes 6

Eclesiastes 6

Spurgeon - Eccl 6:10 - Solomon urges that it is idle and vain for one to attempt to contend with God. There is no hope for us in such contention, yet how frequently do we—even we who are his children—begin to contend with our God. If he chastens us, if he takes away our comforts, if he permits us to be disappointed in our aspirations, immediately we begin to enquire, “Why is this?” Our dear one was taken away and we called God cruel. If we did not say as much, we thought it. And we have kept the anniversary of that bereavement, year after year, still unforgiving toward our God. That kind of rebellious spirit creates ten times more pain than the affliction itself did. We ought to feel how absurd it is that we, who are but as a fly, should fight with the flame, for we can but burn ourselves by such folly. Since I am such an ephemeral creature, the insect of an hour, an aphid creeping on the bay leaf of existence, how dare I think of contending with God, who was long before the mountains were brought forth and who will be when mountains are gone forever? Ecclesiastes 6:11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? Ec 1:6-9,17,18 2:3-11 3:19 4:1-4,8,16 5:7 Ps 73:6 Ho 12:1 THE FUTILITY OF MUCH TALK For there are many words which increase futility (hebel; Lxx - mataiotes - emptiness, nothingness, purposelessness) - Solomon is continuing his critique of human limitations and vain pursuits, now turning to the futility of excessive words and reasoning. There are many words suggests the endless human tendency to talk, argue, philosophize, or explain life. In other words, it refers to multiplied speech, theories, or arguments which are a hallmark of man’s attempt to master the mysteries of life intellectually. Solomon observed that talk is cheap, and words can multiply without providing real value. Which increase futility emphasizes that instead of bringing clarity or fulfillment, too many words only add to the sense of meaninglessness (hebel)! Overthinking and over-talking are meaningless exercises. Donald Glenn writes that "The more man argues with words against God, the less he accomplishes (cf. Ecc. 10:12–15).(See The Bible Knowledge Commentary Wisdom - Page 272) Michael Eaton - Words cannot change the world; they may even add to its futility. What then is the advantage (yother; Lxx - perissos = exceeds usual expectation) to a man? This is a rhetorical question, similar to the one in Ecclesiastes 1:3+ “What advantage does man have in all his work?” Solomon is asking what real profit or benefit is there in talking or analyzing endlessly? The answer clearly is that endless words and speculations cannot overcome the vanity of life. True meaning is not found in human reasoning, but in God’s wisdom and fear of Him (cf. Ec. 12:13). The Noise of Futility - In our world of 24/7 media, opinions, social commentary, and self-help philosophies, Solomon’s words pierce through the noise: “Many words increase futility.” Not all speech is helpful. In fact, much of what we say, hear, or read may distract, confuse, or mask the truth rather than reveal it (just look at most of the major network news programs which are filled with lies, "fake news," character assassinations, and lately [2025] cursing by politicians!). Words without God become noise. They can’t answer the deepest questions: Why am I here? (Listen to this haunting song - Imago Dei) Where am I going? What truly satisfies? The Bible consistently teaches that true wisdom comes not from many words, but from fearing God (Ec. 12:13; Pr 1:7). Am I looking for meaning in human wisdom, endless debates, or intellectual explanations? Have I allowed too many voices to cloud God's voice out of my soul? Ask God to give you the grace to hear His Word above all others. Avoid speaking or consuming content that leads nowhere (much of the so-called "news" in 2025). Remember that wisdom listens while the fool floods life with noise. Don’t chase philosophies that add futility. Let God’s Word define your reality. While many words lead to vanity, God’s Word leads to life (Psalm 119:105, John 6:68). When words multiply, meaning often vanishes—unless those words come from God. D A Carson - Devotional from For the Love of God God help us! We need a Deliverer from outside our myopic horizons. The chapter ends with a series of blistering rhetorical questions, all designed to substantiate the thesis that, under the sun, everything is “utterly meaningless” (Ec 1:2). We work to eat, and eating gives us the strength to go on working: what is the point? (Ec 6:7). But if someone replies that a person may not only work and eat, but become a “wise man” (Ec 6:8), is it all that clear that the wise are better off than fools? After all, much wisdom may simply bring much frustration and grief, as Qoheleth has already pointed out (Ec 1:18). Moreover, isn’t it better to be satisfied with the material world—with what one can touch and hear and see and feel, with “what the eye sees”—than to pursue “the roving of the appetite,” i.e., all the things hidden from view that we hanker after? For this, too, “is meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (Ec 6:9). Is this too wretchedly pessimistic to be realistic? But for those who are “under the sun” (Ec 6:12) and nothing more, what else is there? We talk too much and know too little (Ec 6:11–12). God help us! We need a Deliverer from outside our myopic horizons. (See For the Love of God (Vol. 2): A Daily Companion for ... - Page 19) (ED: PLAY RICH MULLINS' SONG - MY DELIVERER) Ray Pritchard - Something New Under the Sun TRUE HAPPINESS Ecclesiastes 6:11-12 Life poses many questions that it does not answer. We instinctively search for happiness, but we're frustrated by the fact that we don't know where to look. So we spend our days running down one blind alley after another, desperately seeking something we can never find. What's the meaning of life? In the first half of Ecclesiastes, summarized in verses 11-12, Solomon has considered the question from many standpoints: education, pleasure, justice, prosperity, business success, busy activity, and being the king on his throne. He finds no satisfactory results and no lasting answers. Indeed, the longer he looks, the more questions he has. Life is short, like a shadow that disappears when the sun goes behind a cloud. Everything about this life lacks substance. Then we die, and who knows what happens then? Would you like a happy life? The Bible says it is possible. Consider the familiar words of Jesus in Matthew 5:3-12, the verses commonly called the Beatitudes. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the word "Blessed." But the word translated "Blessed" actually means something like "deeply and profoundly happy." That throws a different light on this passage. God says that the truly happy people of the world are those who have chosen to follow Jesus' teaching. They are poor in spirit. . . but theirs is the kingdom of heaven. They mourn ... but they are comforted. They are meek . . . but they inherit the earth. They are hungry for righteousness. . . then they are filled. They are merciful . . . in the end they receive mercy. They are pure in heart. . . as a result they see God. They are peacemakers . . . now they are called the sons of God. They are persecuted ... but great is their reward. Do you have the courage to be happy? "Courage?" you say. "What does courage have to do with it?" Everything. Happiness comes from making the right moral choices in life. Happiness is not a goal you seek; it's the by-product of seeking the right goals. Happy are those who love the Lord. Happy are those who put Him first. Happy are those who respect God's laws. Happy are those who are not ashamed of Jesus. Happy are those who live according to the Bible. They are blessed—and shall be the happiest people on earth. Father, I pray for the wisdom to make godly choices that lead to true happiness. Amen. SHINING THE LIGHT Name three Bible characters who discovered that there is no lasting satisfaction in this life—and that ultimate satisfaction can be found in God alone. How would you answer the person who says, "Why bother searching if I can't find the answers I need?" MORE LIGHT FROM GOD'S WORD Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-16; Matthew 11:1-6; and John 5:36-47. Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun? KJV Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? NKJ Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun? BGT Ecclesiastes 6:12 ὅτι τίς οἶδεν τί ἀγαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς ματαιότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰς ἐν σκιᾷ ὅτι τίς ἀπαγγελεῖ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τί ἔσται ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον LXE Ecclesiastes 6:12 for who knows what is good for a man in his life, during the number of the life of the days of his vanity? and he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? NET Ecclesiastes 6:12 For no one knows what is best for a person during his life– during the few days of his fleeting life– for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth. CSB Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for man in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell man what will happen after him under the sun? ESV Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? NIV Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone? NLT Ecclesiastes 6:12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone? YLT Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knoweth what is good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he maketh them as a shadow? for who declareth to man what is after him under the sun? NJB Ecclesiastes 6:12 And who knows what is best for someone during life, during the days of futile life which are spent like a shadow? Who can tell anyone what will happen after him under the sun? NRS Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for mortals while they live the few days of their vain life, which they pass like a shadow? For who can tell them what will be after them under the sun? NAB Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for a man in life, the limited days of his vain life (which God has made like a shadow)? Because-- who is there to tell a man what will come after him under the sun? GWN Ecclesiastes 6:12 Who knows what may be good for mortals while they are alive, during the brief, pointless days they live? Mortals pass by like a shadow. Who will tell them about their future under the sun? who knows: Ec 2:3, Ec 3:21 12:13 Ps 4:6 16:5 17:15 47:4 La 3:24-27 Mic 6:8 during the few years of his futile life Ec 8:13 9:6 1Ch 29:15 Job 8:9 Job 14:2 Ps 39:5,6 Ps 89:47 Ps 90:10-12 Ps 102:11 109:23 Ps 144:4 Jas 4:14 For who can tell a man: Ec 3:22 8:7 Job 14:21 Related Passages: Ecclesiastes 2:19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? Ecclesiastes 8:1 Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam. Mark 10:29–30+ Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30 but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. Psalm 144:4+ Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow. James 4:14+ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. WHAT IS GOOD FOR MAN - ONLY GOD KNOWS. For who knows (yada) what is good (tob; Lxx - agathos - beneficial) for a man (adam) during his lifetime (his entire life), during the few years of his futile (hebel; Lxx - mataiotes - emptiness, nothingness, purposelessness) life? - Who knows is a rhetorical way of expressing man's ignorance! Solomon is questioning man’s ability to discern what is truly beneficial in a fleeting life? There can be only one answer that is correct and beneficial and that is ONLY GOD KNOWS what is good for a man! This question challenges our assumption that we know what’s best in life. Only God, who controls all things and cannot be controlled, is able to provide true meaning and purpose -- Charles Swindoll He will spend them like a shadow - Solomon uses the metaphor of a shadow, for life like a shadow is insubstantial and fleeting. This metaphor emphasizes life’s ephemeral nature and lack of certainty. Ryken on shadow - At other times shadow can be an image of the ephemeral nature of life. Associated especially with “evening” shadows (Ps 102:11; 109:23), the ephemeral nature of life is depicted as a shadow (1 Chron 29:15; Job 8:9; Eccles 6:12). It is uncertain whether the image is based on the non-substantial nature of shadows (Job 17:7) or on their transitory nature (Job 14:2; Ps 144:4). See also the sense of lost opportunity suggested by evening shadows in Jeremiah 6:4. Evening shadows may, however, represent the peaceful end of the righteous (Eccles 8:13) or even a time for romantic repose (Song 2:17). The ephemeral nature of shadows is applied in the NT [NT NT. New Testament] to the institutions of the Mosaic covenant (Col 2:17), which are but a shadow of the heavenly realities to come (Heb 8:5; 10:1). (Online Dictionary Of Biblical Imagery page 2623) For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun? - NLT - "Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?" Not only is life short and unclear, but we also don’t know the future or our legacy. No one can accurately predict what will happen after death or even after one’s decisions. Thy way, not mine, O Lord, However dark it be! Lead me by thine own hand; Choose out the path for me. I dare not choose my lot; I would not, if I might; Choose thou for me, my God, So shall I walk aright. ---Bonar’s Hymns, p. 258. “Only God Knows What Is Good” This verse is not meant to plunge us into despair, but into humble dependence. Solomon dismantles every false confidence—riches, wisdom, pleasure, even time—and concludes: we do not know what is best, or what comes next. So what do we do? We listen to the One who does know. Jesus said in John 10:10,“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Only God defines what is truly good—not based on circumstances, but on what leads us to Him. And only He knows what lies ahead. The proper response is found in Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Fear God and keep His commandments…” Am I chasing what seems good to me? Or am I seeking what God says is truly good? Do I accept that my time is short and my vision limited? We don’t know the best path—God does. We must seek His guidance daily. What seems “good” now may be eternally empty. Invest in what lasts beyond the shadow. Because life is short and unpredictable, every day is sacred. Use it to worship, serve, and obey. Rest in God’s sovereignty over your legacy. You don’t control what happens after you—but you can live faithfully now, trusting God with the fruit. The wisest life is one lived in fear of the Lord, trusting Him to define good and direct our fleeting days. Who Knows What Is Good?" Whatever is, was named before, By One whose strength we can’t ignore. Man cannot argue, strive, or stand Against the might of God's own hand. We speak in streams of countless words, Yet find no rest in what is heard. The more we say, the less we gain, Just echoes lost in wind and rain. What is good for fleeting breath? Who can outrun life’s end—its death? Like shadows stretch and fade away, So pass the numbered, restless days. We chase the wind, we seek to know, What lies ahead, what seeds will grow. But who can tell what time will bring? Or what awaits beyond the king? So hush the tongue, the wisdom seek, Walk humbly, still, content, and meek. For only God can show the way That leads through shadow into day. CORAM DEO LIVING Adoniram Judson once wrote A life once spent is irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity… If it has been a useless life, it can never be improved. Such will stand forever and ever. The same may be said of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever… Each day will not only be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting destiny (Note: Not in loss of salvation but of rewards - cp 1Co 3:11-15+, Jn 15:5, 2Co 5:10+, cp 1Ti 4:7, 8+). No day will lose its share of influence in determining where shall be our seat in heaven. How shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness! It will then be too late to mend its appearance. It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly marked. (See page 33-34 of A memoir of the life and labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson) William Barrick - Eccl 6:12 opens with a question that implies that it is God who “knows what is good for a man during his lifetime.” “Good” operates as a bridge to what follows in chapter 7. A brief statement to emphasize the brevity of a person’s life follows (“He will spend them like a shadow”). “Shadow” depicts the ephemeral nature of human existence (Eccl. 8:13; 1 Chron 29:15; Job 8:9; 14:12; Pss 102:11; 109:23; 144:4). Then Solomon asks a second question with the same implication as the first question: only God can reveal to a person what will happen “under the sun.” This verse is a fitting wisdom summary for the thematic elements in both Ecclesiastes 1–6 and Isaiah 40–46. According to Roland Murphy, “The uncertainty of life tomorrow is as bad, if not worse, than the uncertainty of ‘life’ after death.” (Roland E. Murphy, Ecclesiastes, Word Biblical Commentary, p 59. - Borrow related book by Murphy) The ultimate message is that human beings do not possess control over the present or future. (See Romans 9:20+) Solomon carefully demolishes every question, every observation, that mere mortals might make in the process of questioning their Creator’s wisdom. Solomon draws the reader to the conclusion that only God can control one’s destiny. The reasons things are as they are is due to the fact that the Sovereign Lord of creation does it that way for His purposes. As Michael Eaton puts it, “Like the Mosaic law (cf. Gal. 3:22), the Preacher is slamming every door except the door of faith.” (Borrow Eaton, Ecclesiastes, 108) Hubbard aptly summarizes Ecclesiastes 6 with a series of truths the reader must acknowledge: • Contentment is more satisfying than wealth. • Doing God’s will is more important than gaining goods. • Doing God’s will brings the highest wealth of all. (Borrow Hubbard, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) In Mark 10:29–30+ Jesus speaks clearly to this matter of not finding satisfaction in possessions, family, and longevity. May we learn these lessons well and continue to look up, beyond the sun, to our Creator. Satisfaction comes only through obedience to His will and in accepting all things He grants to us with thanksgiving and joy. Questions: • What are the essentials for enjoying a satisfied life? • Why are some people unmourned in their death? • Why do large families (many children) sometimes fail to provide satisfaction and joy? • What are some of the disadvantages of a very long life? (Ecclesiastes 6 Commentary) C H Spurgeon - Ec 6:12 “For who knows what is good for anyone in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell anyone what will happen after him under the sun?” Humanity is but vapor; we appear for a little while and then vanish away. We are as thin and airy and insubstantial as our own breath. We come and we go—we are here such a little while that we can scarcely be said to be, for we do but begin to be before we close our being so far as this world is concerned. We do not know what is best for us—not even in temporal things, much less in spiritual things. Which is better for someone in this life—wealth or poverty, health or sickness, fame or obscurity? All depends on our being where God puts us. We had better be content to remain just as we are and be satisfied and thankful to be where God has placed us in his providence. Who knows what is good for us? God does, and that is better than for us to know. Furthermore, it is not for us to know what will happen when we are called away from the earth. Many are plotting and planning to settle what will happen after they are gone, yet much of their scheming is in vain. Somebody else will take that house we have had such trouble to build. Are we not to leave the future as we leave the present—in the hands of God? And will not all be well? The Lord did very well without us before we were born, and he will do very well without us after we are dead. It is not for me to be worried because of what happens to me, or to quarrel with God about it. It is for you and me to know that God sees further than we do and not to begin to measure his work with our ruler. Just leave it all with him, you who are troubled either about the present or the future. PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ECCLESIASTES 6:12; MARK 8:36 Contentment; Desire; Fulfillment; Greed; Happiness; Joy; Materialism; Satisfaction In Dangers, Toils & Snares, John Ortberg writes: When we take our children to the shrine of the Golden Arches, they always lust for the meal that comes with a cheap little prize, a combination christened, in a moment of marketing genius, the Happy Meal. You’re not just buying fries, McNuggets, and a dinosaur stamp; you’re buying happiness. Their advertisements have convinced my children they have a little McDonald’s-shaped vacuum in their souls: “Our hearts are restless till they find their rest in a happy meal.” I try to buy off the kids sometimes. I tell them to order only the food and I’ll give them a quarter to buy a little toy on their own. But the cry goes up, “I want a Happy Meal.” All over the restaurant, people crane their necks to look at the tight-fisted, penny-pinching cheapskate of a parent who would deny a child the meal of great joy. The problem with the Happy Meal is that the happy wears off, and they need a new fix. No child discovers lasting happiness in just one: “Remember that Happy Meal? What great joy I found there!” Happy Meals bring happiness only to McDonald’s. You ever wonder why Ronald McDonald wears that grin? Twenty billion Happy Meals, that’s why. When you get older, you don’t get any smarter; your happy meals just get more expensive. Citation: John Ortberg, Dangers, Toils & Snares: Resisting the Hidden Temptations of Ministry (Multnomah, 1994), pp. 99–100 The Image of Time Greek mythology has the image of time being like a man with long hair in front and bald in the back. The picture is of one you must catch coming toward you, because once it has passed, nothing is left to grab. (See study of Greek Word kairos, name of this Greek god depicted below. See also study on Redeem the Time.) Epigram On the statue of Kairos Who … was thy sculptor? Lysippos. And who are you? Kairos (opportunity) who subdues all things. Why do you stand on tip-toe? I am ever running. And why you have a pair of wings on your feet? I fly on the wings of the wind. And why does your hair hang over your face? For him who meets me to seize me by the forelock. (Ed: Notice the forelock but no hair on back of Kairos' head!) And why is the back of your head bald? Because none may clutch me from behind, howsoe’er he desire it, when once my winged feet have darted past him. Application: As someone has well said “Seize your opportunities as they come.” God presents believers with all manner of opportunities and one of the tragedies of life is that we so often fail to even see them (unconfessed sin being a great impediment to spiritual vision), much less to grasp them for our good and God's glory. (If you feel like time is flying by, first of all you are correct, but second, you can do something about it - you can seize the moments, those God ordained opportunities that come and go so quickly - if your spiritual passion is waning, let me suggest that you read John Piper's free book Don't Waste Your Life) Only one life Twill soon pass Only what's done for (in) Christ will last