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The Futility of Life
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 describes hard limits in human life. Riches, long years, labour, and many words do not automatically bring enjoyment, profit, or clear answers about what is truly good for a person.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
The speaker says he has seen a heavy evil “under the sun”. He moves through several examples: wealth without power to enjoy it, long life without being filled with good, labour that does not satisfy appetite, and many words that do not bring profit. The passage ends with questions about human limits and uncertainty.
Ecclesiastes 6:1–12Main takeaway
This passage says that people may lack enjoyment, profit, and knowledge of what is good or what comes after, even when much seems to be gained.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Riches without the power to enjoy themThe passage opens with an “evil” seen under the sun. A man may receive riches, wealth, and honour from God, so that he lacks nothing he desires, yet not be given power to eat of it.
Explanation
The passage opens with an “evil” seen under the sun. A man may receive riches, wealth, and honour from God, so that he lacks nothing he desires, yet not be given power to eat of it. Instead, an alien eats it. The speaker calls this vanity and an evil disease. Possessing much is not the same as enjoying good.
02A severe comparison about long life without goodThe speaker then makes a severe comparison within this passage. A man may have many children and many years, yet his soul is not filled with good, and he has no burial.
Explanation
The speaker then makes a severe comparison within this passage. A man may have many children and many years, yet his soul is not filled with good, and he has no burial. In that case, the speaker says a stillborn child is better than he, because it has rest, while the other has still not enjoyed good, though both go to one place.
03Labour, appetite, and unanswered advantageNext the focus shifts to work and desire. All human labour is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not filled.
Explanation
Next the focus shifts to work and desire. All human labour is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not filled. The speaker asks what advantage the wise have over the fool, and what the poor man has if he knows how to walk before the living. He adds that what the eyes see is better than wandering desire, yet even this is vanity.
04Many words do not solve human limitsThe last verses stress that humans are limited. What has been already has its name, and man cannot contend with one mightier than he.
Explanation
The last verses stress that humans are limited. What has been already has its name, and man cannot contend with one mightier than he. Many words create vanity rather than profit. So the passage closes with two hard questions: who knows what is good for a person in life, and who can tell what will be after him under the sun?
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Why does the speaker call wealth and honour “vanity” here?
Notice that the problem is not simply having riches, but not being given power to enjoy them while another person eats them.
02How does the passage make its comparison about long life especially sharp?
Trace the repeated lack in these verses: not filled with good, no burial, no enjoyment of good, and the same final place.
03What does the ending say people do not know?
Read the final questions closely and list the two unknowns named there.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ecclesiastes 6:1–12
1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:
2a 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.
3If 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;
4for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
5Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
6Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?
7All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
8For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
10Whatever 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.
11For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
12For 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?