Eclesiastes 5

Eclesiastes 5

Trapp - When some have a loss in their riches, it is, as it were, raked out of their bellies; a piece of their very heart goes with it, Job 20:15, and they are filled with unmedicinable sorrows, Ecc 5:12. Solomon uses two words for sleep - shenah and yashen. Sleep (08142) (shenah) describes a state of rest in which there is no physical activity (sure we all toss in bed and we all dream but essentially those functions are on "auto-pilot" so to speak). Sleep is a blessed gift of God to all men for it provides rest and refreshment for our body and our mind (but there seems to be a "special" blessing afforded to those who are His own children - Ps 127:2). Sadly, Samson was asleep spiritually (morally) and so when he awoke from his physical sleep after Delilah had cut his hair, "he did not know that the LORD had departed from him!" (Jdg 16:14, 20). Brown-Driver-Briggs Expanded Definition - noun feminine sleep — שֵׁנָה Psalm 90:5 3t.; שֵׁנָא Psalm 127:2, שְׁנָת Psalm 132:4 (Ges§ 80g, h.); construct שְׁנַת Jeremiah 51:39 3t.; שְׁנָתִי Genesis 31:40; Jeremiah 31:26, etc.; plural absolute שֵׁנוֺתProverbs 6:10; Proverbs 24:33; — sleep Genesis 28:16 (J), Judges 16:14,20; Proverbs 3:24; Proverbs 6:9; Proverbs 20:13; Ecclesiastes 5:11; Jeremiah 31:26; Zechariah 4:1; Proverbs 6:4 ("" תְּנוּמָה); מְעַט שֵׁנוֺת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֺת Proverbs 6:10 = Proverbs 24:33 (these two of sluggard אִישׁ עָצֵל; see also Proverbs 6:9; Proverbs 20:13); note also וַתִּדּד שְׁנָתִי מֵעֵינָ֑י Genesis 31:40 (E) and my sleep fled from mine eyes; נָ֑דֲדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ Esther 6:1; וְנִגְזְלָהשְׁנָתָם Proverbs 4:16; וּשְׁנָתוֺ נִהְיְתָה עָלָיו Daniel 2:1; שֵׁנָה בְּעֵינָיואֵינֶנּוּ רֹאֵה Ecclesiastes 8:16; אִם אֶתֵּן שְׁנָת לְעֵינָ֑י Psalm 132:4 (all of lack of sleep); יִתֵּן לִידִידוֺ שֵׁנָ֑א Psalm 127:2 = he giveth to his beloved in sleep, compare Ges§ 118, 3; of sleep of death (so Arabic Dozy ii. 806) Job 14:12; Psalm 90:5 (compare De Che); Song of Solomon , as accusative of cognate meaning with verb, Psalm 76:6; Jeremiah 51:39,57 (in these two שְׁנַתעֿוֺלָם). John Hartley -Sleep is a blessing; it provides rest and refreshment. One who works hard, though poor has sweet sleep; but the rich in their surfeit are denied this refreshment (Ec 5:12; cf Ps 3:5; 4:8). One is not to love sleep, for that will lead to poverty (Pr 6:10ff; 20:13). Neither is one to rob himself of rest to increase his wealth (Ps 127:2). Sleep, however, can afford the opportunity for an opponent to gain the advantage; e.g. Delilah robbed Samson of his strength during his sleep (Judges 16:20). In the new age Yahweh will make a new covenant of peace restoring harmony between man and nature once again. Then man may lie down to sleep in the woods unafraid of nature (Ezek 34:25). God may communicate a message during one's sleep; e.g. God caused Pharoah to dream about the approaching famine (Ge 41:1-7). While Adam slept very deeply, the Lord took part of his side and created Eve (Gen 2:21ff). Sleep was a quality ascribed to pagan gods, e. g. Elijah's taunt concerning Baal's being asleep (1Ki 18:27). In contrast, the Psalmist says concerning Yahweh, "He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep" (Ps 121:4). Amidst a polytheistic environment this confession possessed dramatic content. Yet figuratively sleep is attributed to Yahweh for his apparent inactivity by one who has heard about but not experienced his great deeds (Ps 44:23). Similarly Yahweh's bursting into action is described as his awaking from sleep (Ps 78:65ff). Sleep may stand as a euphemism for death (Ps 13:3; Ed: Frequently in NT to describe the death of God's children as "falling asleep" in Jesus! ). In the last days Yahweh will raise up "those who sleep in the dust of the earth" (Da 12:2). Their new life will be one of either everlasting life or everlasting contempt. - Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament SHENAH - 24v - translated - asleep(1), sleep(22), sleep*(1). Lxx - hupnos (5258) (cf our Eng "hypnosis")Gen. 28:16; Gen. 31:40; Jdg. 16:14; Jdg. 16:20; Est. 6:1; Job 14:12; Ps. 76:5; Ps. 90:5; Ps. 127:2; Ps. 132:4; Prov. 3:24; Prov. 4:16; Prov. 6:4; Prov. 6:9; Prov. 6:10; Prov. 20:13; Prov. 24:33; Eccl. 5:12; Eccl. 8:16; Jer. 31:26; Jer. 51:39; Jer. 51:57; Dan. 2:1; Zech. 4:1 Sleep (03462) (yashen) is a verb means to sleep, to go to sleep, to be asleep. In Leviticus 13:11 yashen refers to "chronic leprosy" which in the Niphal participle means "grown old", the idea beign that the mark is "an old enduring skin disease that keeps on developing or recurring." (NET Note). In Lev 26:10 yashen refers to "the old supply" referring to produce, this phrase speaking of produce that has been stored away from previous harvests. Yashen is used in Psalm 44:23 figuratively of the Lord's apparent (apparent because He is always working behind the scenes if not overtly on the scenes) lack of activity on the part of Israel. In Pr 4:16 "they cannot sleep" is paired with doing evil, so even as sleep is absolutely necessary, so too is the doing of evil for such depraved men! In Jeremiah 51:39, 57 yashen is used in the phrase "sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up" which is a metaphorical description of their death. Brown-Driver-Briggs Expanded Definition of yashen - [ [יָשֵׁן] verb sleep (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic noun sleep; Arabic be sleepy, , sleep Assyrian šittiu, sleep, Dl HWB 246, šunatu, šuttu, dream, Id ib, Flood: iv. 22 Asrb Annals,v R. 2,97) — Qal Perfect יָשַׁנְתִּי Job 3:13; וְיָָֽשְׁנוּ consecutive Jeremiah 51:39 2t.; Imperfect יִישָׁ֑ן Isaiah 5:27; Psalm 121:4; וַיִישַׁן 1 Kings 19:5, etc.; Infinitive construct לִישׁוֺן Ecclesiastes 5:11; — sleep, go to sleep, and be asleep, Genesis 2:21 (J), Genesis 41:5 (E), Ezekiel 34:25; Job 3:13; Psalm 3:6; Psalm 4:9; Proverbs 4:16; Ecclesiastes 5:11, also 2 Samuel 4:6 ᵐ5 We Dr Kit Bu, see חֹמֶשׁ; with לֹא, of Ass. army Isaiah 5:27 ("" נוּם); of Baal 1 Kings 19:5; of ׳י, עוּרָה לָמָּה תִישַׁןאֲדֹנָי 1 Kings 44:24; לֹא יִישָׁ֑ן 1 Kings 12:14 ("" נוּם); with accusative of congnate meaning with verb שְׁנַת עוֺלָם׳ישׁ Jeremiah 51:39,57 (see שֵׁנָה), of death, compare אִישַׁןהַמָּוֶת Psalm 13:4. Niph`al only in derivatives sense of become inactive or stationary; Perfect וְנוֺשַׁנְתֶּם consecutive Deuteronomy 4:25 and ye be grown old בָּאָרֶץ, i.e. (see Di Dr) have lost freshness of first impressions; of inanimate things, be old, stale , only Participle יָשָׁן נוֺשָׁןLeviticus 26:10 (H), feminine צרעת נוֺשֶׁנֶת Leviticus 13:11 = old leprosy (P); these possibly denominative from יָשָׁן Pi`el causat. Imperfect וַתְּיַשְּׁנֵהוּ Judges 16:19 and she made him sleep. Gesenius Definition of yashen יָשֵׁן fut. יִישַׁן, inf. יְשׁוֹן Ecclesiastes 5:11, pr. to be languid, weary (fchlaff, müde fehn), hence (1) of persons, to fall asleep, Genesis 2:21, 41:5 Ps. 4:9 to sleep, to be sleeping, Isaiah 5:27; 1 Kings 19:5. (Arab. وَسِنَ to begin to sleep, to slumber, [fchlummern; سِنَةُ the beginning of sleep. As to sleep itself, they commonly use the verb ذام, which on the contrary is used in Hebrew of slumbering, see נוּם ). Persons are said, poetically, to sleep who are (a) idle, doing nothing, whence ἀνθρωπομόρφως, Psalms 44:24, “why sleepest thou, O Jehovah?” Psalms 78:65. (b) dead. Job 3:13 concerning whom the idea is more fully expressed with an accus. following, יָשֵׁן שְׁנַת עוֹלָם Jeremiah 51:39, 57 Jeremiah 51:57, and יָשֵׁן מָוֶת Psalms 13:4. (2) used of inanimate things, to be flaccid, dried, hence to be old (opp. to fresh or new), compare נָבַל, נְבֵלָה. So adj. יָשָׁן, and Niphal נוֹשַׁן (1) to be dry, used of old [last year’s] corn, opp. to what is fresh. Leviticus 26:10. (2) to be old, inveterate, of leprosy, Leviticus 13:11 of a person who has long dwelt in any country, Deuteronomy 4:25. Piel, causat. of Kal No. 1, to cause to sleep, Judges 16:19. YASHEN 20v translated chronic(1), fell asleep(1), remained long(1), sleep(10), sleeps(1), slept(5), supply(1). Note most of uses are in Psalms. Gen. 2:21; Gen. 41:5; Lev. 13:11; Lev. 26:10; Deut. 4:25; Jdg. 16:14; Jdg. 16:19; 1 Ki. 19:5; Job 3:13; Ps. 3:5; Ps. 4:8; Ps. 13:3; Ps. 44:23; Ps. 121:4; Prov. 4:16; Eccl. 5:12; Isa. 5:27; Jer. 51:39; Jer. 51:57; Ezek. 34:25 God’s gifts in sleep I. PROTECTION (Ps 121:3-4; Ps 91:1; Ps 91:5; Psa 91:9-10). II. REFRESHMENT (Ecc 5:12; Jer 31:26). III. ENLIGHTENMENT (Gen 46:2; Dan 7:1; Act 16:9; Act 18:9). No one is foolish enough to think that there is a Providence--a voice from God--in all our dreams. Perhaps most of them are self-originated. But unquestionably there are gifts of God--revelations of God to His tried, and sorrowing, and faithful ones in sleep. There are, perhaps, few of His children who have not heard His voice in the night. He not only protects and refreshes us, but enlightens us. Let us not despise those good and perfect gifts which come from above in the hours of gloom and loneliness. Let us thank and bless God for all those precious things which He giveth to His beloved while they sleep. (A. G. Maitland) The Success Syndrome - The March 1991 issue of Omni magazine included an article about the success syndrome. Its victims suffer from the three A's: aloneness, adventure-seeking, and adultery. The article noted that the successful person snaps his Midas fingers and people jump. Yet, when a person seems to have it all, the castle comes crashing down and everything he or she touches turns to garbage. —Joel Gregory, ILLUSTRATION - He Won the State Lottery - Bill Curry of the south Boston worked most of his life as a cafeteria cook for the Merit Food Company—modest income but he managed to provide for his wife and his son and his daughter. So when Bill Curry won the state lottery, 3.6 million dollars, his first thought was just to buy a Dalmatian puppy for the youngsters. That was the extent of the celebration. But then the parasites converged—the lawyers and the investment advisers, the accountants and the financial analysts—he was overwhelmed by them. And by people wanting handouts for all manner of charities. He returned to his job in the cafeteria, but even there financial advisers were everywhere. His nearest relative says there's no doubt about it, in the weeks since he won the lottery, it was not the money that caused his stress but it was all of those people who wanted to deal themselves in. Bill Curry has died of a heart attack at 37. Today in the Word on Ecclesiastes 5:12 - Since the Sacagawea dollar was introduced in late January, the U.S. Mint has made hundreds of millions of the gold-colored coins. But these coins, which honor the Shoshone Indian woman who was an interpreter on the Lewis and Clark expedition, seem to be having circulation problems. A newspaper report in May said that relatively few people were using Sacagawea dollars, although 500 million had been minted by that time. The reason is that people are apparently collecting Sacagaweas instead of using them--either because of their novelty or because people think the coins will be valuable someday. The problem of loving and hoarding money is not a new phenomenon. Some people who have a Sacagawea dollar or two will want to add them to their collection--just in case the coins become valuable. The result of this is summed up in verse 11. Solomon didn’t have coin collecting in mind when he wrote these words, but the Sacagawea situation illustrates the problem. In fact, the government is worried that as more Sacagawea coins are put into circulation, more people will collect instead of use them. But the only benefit to the coin owners will be a stack of coins they can feast their eyes on. This part of Ecclesiastes isn’t one of the book’s summaries, and the writer doesn’t offer any particular advice. But the beginning of verse 12 makes it clear that gaining real satisfaction and enjoyment from our work has nothing to do with what we have, but with what has us. God warns us against wearing ourselves out to accumulate money and the stuff it can buy not because He doesn’t want us to enjoy ourselves. Solomon says repeatedly that God is the only source of true satisfaction. God warns us about loving money because it can replace our love for Him (Matt. 6:24), and devour the people who chase after it. We have heard this admonition before, but we still need to be reminded of it. Greed and contentment have nothing to do with the amount of money we have. Ray Pritchard - Something New Under the Sun LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FRUSTRATED The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. Ecclesiastes 5:12-14 Whenever I am under pressure, worry, or have problems I can't easily solve, I toss and turn all night long. Meanwhile my sweetheart sleeps contentedly next to me, blissfully unaware that I doze off and wake up every fifteen minutes. Over the years I have tried many remedies—taking a hot shower, drinking a glass of milk, counting sheep, praying through my problems, reading a book, and watching TV. I should mention these bouts with insomnia don't happen all the time—or even most of the time—but they happen often enough that when I read about the rich man of verse 12 1 didn't think about someone else. I thought about me. So I sympathize with the rich man, even though I am not rich. The poor guy has trouble sleeping at night. There's a real contrast in verse 12: "The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep." The rich man is the classic Type A personality. Hard-driving, demanding of himself and everyone around him. A workaholic. Up early. In bed late. Stressed out. Worried about protecting his investments. Doesn't exercise because it's a waste of time. Doesn't eat right because he doesn't have time. Doesn't spend much time with the kids and wife because he's got a business to run. He's living on the edge with a time bomb ticking inside his chest. And do you know the worst of it? He can't sleep. The poor fellow tosses and turns, adjusts the pillows, lies awake staring into space worrying about his investments and whether he can fight off that hostile takeover. This man eats, sleeps, and drinks his work. In contrast, the employee who runs his computer system for him is sleeping just fine. And why not? He doesn't have the boss's money; he doesn't have his problems either. His wife sleeps beside him. She works to help make ends meet. Between them they do just fine. It's a good life, made better by the fact that they aren't driven by the fear of losing all that they have. He's not as rich as his boss, but he's a much happier man—and he has a better life. Best of all, he sleeps like a baby, because he's learned that being rich has nothing to do with having money in the bank. Father of Glory, I pray to discover the true riches that are already mine in Christ Jesus. Amen. SHINING THE LIGHT How well did you sleep last night? How important is money in your life? Did you tell the truth when you answered that question? MORE LIGHT FROM GOD'S WORD Read Psalm 127:1-2; Proverbs 27:23-27; and 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. KJV Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. BGT Ecclesiastes 5:12 ἔστιν ἀρρωστία ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον πλοῦτον φυλασσόμενον τῷ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ εἰς κακίαν αὐτοῦ LXE Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, namely, wealth kept for its owner to his hurt. NET Ecclesiastes 5:13 Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen: Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery. CSB Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. ESV Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, NIV Ecclesiastes 5:13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, NLT Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. YLT Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil. NJB Ecclesiastes 5:12 Something grossly unjust I observe under the sun: riches stored and turning to loss for their owner. NRS Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt, NAB Ecclesiastes 5:12 This is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches kept by their owner to his hurt. GWN Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a painful tragedy that I have seen under the sun: Riches lead to the downfall of those who hoard them. BBE Ecclesiastes 5:13 There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun -- wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall. There is a grievous evil : Ec 4:8 6:1,2 riches: Ec 8:9 Ge 13:5-11 14:16 19:14,26,31-38 Pr 1:11-13,19,32 Pr 11:4,24,25 Isa 2:20 32:6-8 Zep 1:18 Lu 12:16-21 Lu 16:1-13,19,22,23 18:22,23 19:8 1Ti 6:9,10 Jas 2:5-7 5:1-4 Clinging to a crumbling chest of gold RICHES HOARDED TO OWNER'S HURT There is a grievous (chalah) evil (note) which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded (shamar; Lxx - phulasso) by their owner to his hurt - NLT - "There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver," A grievous evil is a Hebrew phrase that can be translated “a sickening evil,” meaning something morally and emotionally disturbing. It conveys a strong disapproval of what is being described. Riches (ʿōsher) means wealth, material possessions, abundance. It is often used neutrally but in the present context speak of a snare or false security. Hoarded (shamar) in the Greek is phulasso which helps under what this person is doing, for this verb pictures one carrying out the functions of a sentinel on guard duty, protecting by taking special measures and in the present tense signifies this is the person's lifestyle or habitual practice. To his hurt speaks of the self-destructive nature of greed, the curse of clutching, so to speak. Hoarding brings harm, injury, or calamity, so that the end result of hoarding is not blessing, but personal damage. This verse pierces through the illusion that wealth equals security. The tragedy isn't simply that the man is rich—but that he hoards it selfishly, and in doing so, destroys himself. Riches, when selfishly clung to, bring not security—but sorrow. William Barrick - Some people tend to hoard their financial gains, never investing them in the lives of others or themselves (Eccl 5:13). 🙏 THOUGHT - What am I holding onto so tightly that it’s hurting me spiritually, emotionally, or relationally? Is my love of money crowding out trust in God? Am I using what God has given—or just guarding it? Saving is wise, but hoarding out of fear or greed leads to spiritual sickness. Let your possessions serve others, not enslave you. Wealth is meant to bless, not just accumulate. Invest in the kingdom, in others, and in eternal things. Are you saving because you're a good steward or because you don’t trust God to provide? Selfish storing turns blessings into burdens. Far better to give freely and live lightly. Freedom comes not in how much you have, but in how lightly you hold it. Grievous (Make ill, sick, weak)(02470)(chalah) means to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry. In OT usage, of the various expressions referring to general conditions of bodily malaise and disease. The basic meaning, "to be weak," "to be sick" or "to be tired," occurs in the Qal stem. In Gen. 48:1, Joseph was told that his father was "weak" or "sick." Jeroboam's son also "became sick" (1 Ki. 14:1, 5). Illness is spoken of as the result of accidents (2 Ki. 1:2), or it may be the state of animals (Ezek. 34:4). Chālāh may refer to mortal illness (2 Ki. 20:1), or it may refer to love-sickness (Song 2:5). The wicked do not become ill in the face of the Lord's rebuke because they have hardened themselves to his correction (Jer. 5:3). Eternal Legacy I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners. Ecclesiastes 5:13 As Dust Bowl sandstorms ravaged the United States during the Great Depression, John Millburn Davis, a resident of Hiawatha, Kansas, decided to make a name for himself. A self-made millionaire with no children, Davis might have invested in charity or economic development. Instead, at great expense, he commissioned eleven life-size statues of himself and his deceased wife to stand in the local cemetery. “They hate me in Kansas,” Davis told journalist Ernie Pyle. Local residents wanted him to fund the construction of public facilities like a hospital, swimming pool, or park. Yet all he said was, “It’s my money and I spend it the way I please.” King Solomon, the wealthiest man of his day, wrote, “Whoever loves money never has enough,” and “as goods increase, so do those who consume them” (Ecclesiastes 5:10–11). Solomon had grown keenly aware of the corrupting tendencies of wealth. The apostle Paul also understood the temptation of wealth and chose to invest his life in obedience to Jesus. Awaiting execution in a Roman prison, he wrote triumphantly, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering . . . . I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6–7). What lasts isn’t what we chisel in stone or hoard for ourselves. It’s what we give out of love for each other and for Him—the One who shows us how to love. What will others remember about you? What changes might you need to make as you ponder your eternal legacy? Heavenly Father, please help me pour out my life for others in some small way today. Today's Insights In Ecclesiastes, Solomon has a lot to say about material wealth. He also devotes a hundred or so sayings in the book of Proverbs to the subject of riches and money. Material wealth can either be a blessing (Proverbs 10:22) or a curse (30:7-9), depending on how one relates to it (see Deuteronomy 8:7-19). God warns us not to get rich by wrongdoing or unjust means (Proverbs 15:27; 22:16; 22:22-23). We’re to seek wisdom rather than wealth (3:13-15; 8:10-11; 16:16), for the godly life is better than the good life. Right living is better than rich living (15:16; 16:8; 28:6). Money is a fleeting commodity that gives us false security (23:4-5; 27:24; Ecclesiastes 5:10-11). Rather, we need to invest for eternity. Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where . . . thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). Ecclesiastes 5:14 When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. KJV Ecclesiastes 5:14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. NKJ Ecclesiastes 5:14 But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand. BGT Ecclesiastes 5:13 καὶ ἀπολεῖται ὁ πλοῦτος ἐκεῖνος ἐν περισπασμῷ πονηρῷ καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱόν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ οὐδέν LXE Ecclesiastes 5:14 And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and the man begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand. NET Ecclesiastes 5:14 Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. CSB Ecclesiastes 5:14 That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. ESV Ecclesiastes 5:14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. NIV Ecclesiastes 5:14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. NLT Ecclesiastes 5:14 Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one's children. YLT Ecclesiastes 5:14 And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand! NJB Ecclesiastes 5:13 An unlucky venture, and those riches are lost; a son is born to him, and he has nothing to leave him. NRS Ecclesiastes 5:14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. NAB Ecclesiastes 5:13 Should the riches be lost through some misfortune, he may have a son when he is without means. GWN Ecclesiastes 5:14 These hoarded riches were then lost in bad business deals. The owners had children, but now they have nothing to give them. BBE Ecclesiastes 5:14 And I saw the destruction of his wealth by an evil chance; and when he became the father of a son he had nothing in his hand. RSV Ecclesiastes 5:14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture; and he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. those: Ec 2:26 Job 5:5 20:15-29 27:16,17 Ps 39:6 Pr 23:5 Hag 1:9 Hag 2:16,17 Mt 6:19,20 and he: 1Sa 2:6-8,36 1Ki 14:26 Ps 109:9-12 CASH CLUTCHED CAN QUICKLY CRASH When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. Money makes itself wings no matter how well we manage or hoard it. If we don't lose our assets in this life, we will definitely lose them when we die. As you've surely heard, there is never a "U Haul" trailer following a funeral hearse. When time becomes eternity, earthly riches are eternally lost. As my wife likes to say when I fret over something that breaks -- "It's all gonna burn someday anyway!" There is an exception clause and that is if we have been diligent in using our riches to store up for ourselves treasure in heaven, then as Jesus promised moth and rust will not destroy and thieves will not be able to break in and steal. This begs the question - Where is your treasure stored - in this present passing world or in God's eternal vault in heaven? Solomon observes the futility and danger of hoarding wealth. Accumulated riches can be lost through misfortune, leaving nothing for one's heirs. This highlights the transient nature of material wealth and the potential harm in prioritizing accumulation over prudent stewardship. William Barrick - Others engage in risky investments that result in leaving their families without adequate support (Eccl 5:14). Ecclesiastes 5:15 As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. Job 1:21 Ps 49:17 Lu 12:20 1Ti 6:7 Related Passages: Job 1:21 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Luke 12:20+ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 1 Timothy 6:7+ For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. THE END OF EARTHLY GAIN As he had come naked from his mother's womb - We enter life with nothing. So will he return as he came - This emphasizes life's cyclical nature. Death reverses all earthly accumulation. We depart exactly as we arrived: empty-handed. This verse emphasizes the inevitability of death and the inability to take material possessions beyond the grave. It serves as a reminder of life's brevity and the importance of focusing on eternal values. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand - No matter how hard a person worked, none of it can be carried beyond the grave. In his hand is a vivid image for once his physical hand was full of treasure from his toil, but in the end it will be empty. The message is clear that earthly wealth is temporary. Labor without an eternal perspective ends in loss. In the Septuagint take nothing is a double negative (ouden ou) strongly emphasizing he will take absolutely nothing. There will be no U-Haul following his hearse! No title, no bank account, no achievement follows us into eternity. 🙏 THOUGHT - Given the futility and emptiness and transience of earthly treasures we all do well to hear and obey Jesus' wise words in Mt 6:19-21+ - "Do not store up (present imperative with a negative = stop doing this or do not begin) for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for (term of explanation - why obey Jesus?) where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." What you keep, you lose. What you give for God’s purposes, you keep forever. Make your investment in the "Bank of Heaven" where you will reap an eternal "R.O.I." (Return On Investment)! You were born with nothing and will die with nothing except what you sent on ahead to Heaven! Live not to fill your hands, but to fill heaven with the fruit of a life lived in the power of the Spirit and for the glory of God. William Barrick - Most biblically literate people recognize Eccl 5:15 as one of the more familiar verses in Scripture when it comes to the topic of money. No one takes their money with them when they die—they all go empty-handed (cp. Ps 49:10, 17). Paul cites this concept indirectly in 1 Timothy 6:7 in the context in which he commends godly contentment and warns against the love of money (1Ti 6:6–10). I have not sought eternal treasures, therefore I actually have nothing at all.