1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.
3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he—
4 for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man,
6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied.
8 For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, who knows how to walk before the living
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
10 Whatever one is, he has been named already, for it is known that he is man; and he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.
11 Since there are many things that increase vanity, how is man the better?
12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his [f]vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?
evil (v.1) = misfortune, injustice — not evil in a moral sense
riches, wealth, and honor (v.2) — said of Solomon in 2 Chronicles 1:11.
A man (v.2) may possess much earthly goods, and yet have neither the heart nor power to enjoy them. Possession and fruition are not necessarily joined together; and this is also among the vanities of life, and was and still is a very common evil among men. It belongs to God as much to give the power to enjoy, as it does to give earthly blessings. — Treasury, page 425
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Men … labor in the pursuit of wealth with such abandonment that they risk total failure in this life. The masses never rise above avarice; theirs is a grievous misery. For even though God allows them the acquisition of wealth and honor, He withholds from them the ability to enjoy their acquisitions. Surrounded by abundance, they are unable to enjoy even the smallest elements of the beauty that surrounds them. Their unrest is heightened as they view the evident satisfaction that others are able to derive from the fruits of their labor. Long life has always been viewed as a token of good fortune. However, for these men whose souls are destitute of enjoyment, long life is a curse. — KJV Commentary, pages 744-755.
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evil affliction (v.2) — This is a double tragedy. Not only is the man unable to enjoy his wealth and possessions which he has amassed, but a stranger, who did not work for it, is the one to enjoy all of it. — Grace, page 1174.
power to eat (v.2) — ability to enjoy
has no burial (v.3) — In the culture, not having a proper burial was considered a curse.
A large family (Psalm 127:3-5) and a long life (v.3) were considered blessings from God (1 Kings 3:11). But even if a man had all that, if he did not enjoy life, he would be better off to have never been born. — Grace, page 1174.
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stillborn (v.3) — An “untimely birth” (born before the time) does not mean one born prematurely since the notion of time is not in the word. Rather the word refers to a … still-born child (miscarriage). — Grace, page 1174.
it (v.5) — the stillborn child
man (v.7) — all men, but specifically misers like the man in verses 3-6.
The “mouth” (v.7) speaks of man’s desire and the “appetite” is literally the soul. This verse is saying that the person who seeks to find satisfaction in things and wealth will never be satisfied or “filled.” The flesh is never satisfied—it will always be “chasing after the wind.” Our soul will never be satisfied, and our spirit will never be at peace, until we rest in God. — Grace, page 1174.
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The question in [verse 8] is “What advantage has a sensible man over a fool, and what advantage has a rightly living poor man over a miser? This is answered in verse 9 by the statement that what is before the eyes is better than what is vainly imagined by the mind. — Williams, page 443.
In other words (v.9), it is better to enjoy what you have than wish for what you don’t have.
In verse 10 the Preacher summarizes the rationale for the life he advocates by once again calling man’s attention to the sovereignty of God. The type of being man is, proclaims the Preacher, is fully revealed by the name that God has given him long ago. His name is “Adam,” and earthen men tend to be earthy. The Preacher has pointed out the folly in pursuing the earthy and has taught the way to lasting profit.. Men may wish to rebel against this instruction; but the opulent are, after all, only frail creatures, unable to contend with the Almighty. — KJV Commentary, page 745.
who can tell (v.12) — As it says in 3:21, who can know what is really best for man during this life?
To name something (v.10) is to study or identify it. Man has already been studied and identified for who he is. — Grace, page 1175.
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Man’s ignorance and limitation may be recognized by his impotence to procure for himself a life of satisfying contentment, and by his inability to tell what will take place in the world after he has left it. — Williams, page 444.
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