Ecclesiastes 6 Study Notes

6:1-6 A person who has money but who derives no real joy from his privileges is a pitiful wretch. His money serves no purpose but to be passed on to others. Ecclesiastes again wants us to see that because life is short, it should be enjoyed. A life spent huddled over work or eaten away by anxieties is wasted.

6:2-3 These verses describe typical measures of prosperity: wealth, honors, children, and long life (in ancient societies, having many children was a measure of success). But none of these is any good if a person is not able to enjoy them.

6:3-6 These verses use a stillborn child for rhetorical purposes, to make the point that a life without joy, no matter how rich a person may be, is wasted. This text should not be used for attempting to discern what happens to the souls of stillborn children.

6:7-9 This passage contains three proverbs, and it makes the transition from a major discussion of wealth (5:10-6:6) to a major discussion of wisdom and death (6:10-7:4). The proverbs teach that appetite is the thing that drives us, but it is never satisfied, that wisdom cannot save us from our appetite or from poverty, and that it is important to be satisfied with what we have. These proverbs can relate equally well to the desire for riches or for knowledge. Both are important in their places, but neither is the key to life.

6:10-7:4 The main point of this passage is given in 6:10: the fundamental truths of life are well known and there is nothing to be added. This means that the quest for great knowledge is folly, since no one will find out something that changes the basic truths of life. Thus, a person should not prattle on about supposedly new insights (6:11). Our understanding is limited, as is shown by our inability to predict the future (6:12). Therefore, the truly wise give attention to the fact of death (7:1-4). Funerals should sober us to the reality of death and encourage us to live well and contentedly.