Ecclesiastes 6

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:

a 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.

If 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;

for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.

Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Whatever 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.

For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

For 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?

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter reflects on the grievous disparity between divine blessing and human enjoyment, showing how wealth and long life, without the gift of contentment, become meaningless burdens. It challenges the assumption that earthly prosperity necessarily brings fulfillment, underscoring the sovereignty of God in granting the ability to enjoy His gifts.

Flow.

The chapter opens with a grievous anomaly: a man blessed with wealth and honor by God, yet denied the ability to enjoy it, while another consumes what he cannot (vv. 1–2).
A similarly tragic figure is one who lives long and has many children but lacks soul-satisfaction and even proper burial, making a stillborn child preferable for its rest and obscurity (vv. 3–6).
The futility of endless desire is underscored: labor feeds the mouth, yet appetite remains unsatisfied, and wisdom or poverty offers no clear advantage in this regard (vv. 7–9).
The chapter closes with reflections on human limitation: names and natures are long established, contention with God is futile, words are many but profit little, and no one truly knows what is good or what will follow after (vv. 10–12).

Connections.
Following chapter 5, which warns against the emptiness of oaths, the love of money, and the dangers of coveting wealth apart from reverence for God, chapter 6 intensifies this concern by exposing the tragedy of possessing riches without enjoyment—a gift only God can give. The argument prepares the reader for chapter 7, which begins to redirect the search for meaning toward wisdom and proper perspective under the sun, acknowledging that while life is fleeting and often inscrutable, there is value in fearing God and walking in His ways, even amidst uncertainty.

What it teaches.
True good in life is not found in the accumulation of wealth, longevity, or progeny, but in the capacity to enjoy God’s gifts, which is His sovereign gift (WCF 5.5). The inability to enjoy what one has renders even the greatest prosperity a form of death-in-life, while the One who gives all things also determines their use (HC LD 34). Human striving cannot secure contentment, nor can wisdom or effort overcome the vanity that marks life under the sun; such limitations guard against pride and point to our dependence on divine grace (WCF 16.5). The chapter does not dismiss earthly blessings but frames them as temporary and contingent, calling for humility before the One who gives and withholds (Eccl. 3:13; WCF 1.1).

Apply.
The ability to rejoice in daily bread and simple gifts is itself a gift from God to be received with thanksgiving.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.