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?

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
knoweth	יוֹדֵעַ֩ yo.de.a'	H3045	to know (properly · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
good	טּ֨וֹב Tov	H2896	good (as an adjective) in the widest sense · adjective, masculine singular absolute
man	לָֽאָדָ֜ם la.'a.Dam	H120	ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
life	בַּֽחַיִּ֗ים ba.chai.Yim	H2416	alive · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
all	מִסְפַּ֛ר mis.Par	H4557	a number · noun, common masculine singular construct
days	יְמֵי ye.mei-	H3117	a day (as the warm hours) · noun, common masculine plural construct
vain	הֶבְל֖וֹ hev.Lo	H1892	emptiness or vanity · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
life	חַיֵּ֥י chai.Yei	H2416	alive · noun, common masculine plural construct
spendeth	וְיַעֲשֵׂ֣ם ve.ya.'a.Sem	H6213	to do or make · conjunction + verb, qal, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
shadow	כַּצֵּ֑ל ka.Tzel	H6738	shade · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
tell	יַגִּ֣יד ya.Gid	H5046	properly · verb, hiphil imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
man	לָֽאָדָ֔ם la.'a.Dam	H120	ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
after	אַחֲרָ֖יו 'a.cha.Rav	H310	properly · cardinal number, masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
sun	הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ ha.Sha.mesh	H8121	the sun · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vani…
Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
Ecclesiastes 3:22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall b…
Psalms 144:4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Lamentations 3:24-27 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Psalms 39:5-6 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether v…
1 Chronicles 29:15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
Job 8:9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 6:11–end

Here, 1. Solomon lays down his conclusion which he had undertaken to prove, as that which was fully confirmed by the foregoing discourse: There be many things that increase vanity; the life of man is vain, at the best, and there are abundance of accidents that concur to make it more so; even that which pretends to increase the vanity and make it more vexatious. 2. He draws some inferences from it, which serve further to evince the truth of it. (1.) That a man is never the nearer to true happiness for the abundance that he has in this world: What is man the better for his wealth and pleasure, his honour and preferment? What remains to man? What residuum has he, what overplus, what real advant…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 6:12

For who knoweth, &c.--The ungodly know not what is really "good" during life, nor "what shall be after them," that is, what will be the event of their undertakings (Ecc 3:22; Ecc 8:7). The godly might be tempted to "contend with God" (Ecc 6:10) as to His dispensations; but they cannot fully know the wise purposes served by them now and hereafter. Their sufferings from the oppressors are more really good for them than cloudless prosperity; sinners are being allowed to fill up their measure of guilt. Retribution in part vindicates God's ways even now. The judgment shall make all clear. In Ecc. 7:1-29, he states what is good, in answer to this verse. Next: Ecclesiastes Chapter 7

John Gill on Ecclesiastes 6:12

For who knoweth what is good for man in this life?.... To be in a higher or lower station of life, to live in grandeur or meanness, to be rich or poor, learned or unlearned; since that which seems most agreeable to human nature is at, ended with so much vanity, the occasion of so much sin, and often issues in ruin and misery, that no man knows what is best for him; and therefore it is the wisest way to be content with what a man has, and enjoy it in the most comfortable manner, and use it to the best ends and purposes he can. The Targum is, "for who is he that knows what is good for a man in this world, but to study in the law, which is the life of the world?'' so the Midrash, all the day…

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Dictionary and topics

Branch · .A title of Christ — .A title of Christ
Ignorance · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Life · BREVITY AND UNCERTAINTY OF — BREVITY AND UNCERTAINTY OF
Life, Natural · Described as: Vain — Described as: Vain
Man · Not profited by all his labour and travail — Not profited by all his labour and travail
Types · .High priest, typi — .High priest, typi
Vanity · The days of man are — The days of man are

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Ecclesiastes 6:12

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 6:11–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 6:12

John Gill on Ecclesiastes 6:12

Dictionary and topics

Ecclesiastes 6:12

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 6:11–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ecclesiastes 6:12

John Gill on Ecclesiastes 6:12

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Ecclesiastes 6:12–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Ecclesiastes 6:12

Rashi on Ecclesiastes 6:12