Eclesiastés 6:7

7 Mucho trabaja el hombre para comer, pero nunca se sacia.

Eclesiastés 6:7 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 6:7

All the labour of man [is] for his mouth
For the food of his mouth, as the Targum; for the sustenance of his body, for food and clothing, part being put for the whole: all that a man labours for is to get this; and if he does not enjoy it, his labour is in vain; meats are for the belly, which are taken in by the mouth, and for these a man labours; and if he does not eat them, when he has got them, he labours to no purpose; and yet the appetite is not filled;
even the bodily or sensual appetite; no, not even by those who eat the fruit of their labour; for though their hunger is allayed for the present, and the appetite is satisfied for a while, yet it returns again, and requires more food, and so continually: or, "the soul is not filled", or "satisfied" ^F3; it is the body only that is filled or satisfied with such things, at best; the mind of man grasps after greater things, and can find no contentment or satisfaction in earthly or sensual enjoyments. This seems to be a new argument, proving the vanity of riches, from the narrow use of them; which only reaches to the body, not to the soul.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F3 (almt al vpnh) "anima non implebitur", Pagninus, Montanus; "anima non expletur", Mercerus, Gejerus; "non impletur", Cocceius, so Broughton; "non satiatur", Drusius.

Eclesiastés 6:7 In-Context

5 Nunca llegará a ver el sol, ni sabrá nada; sin embargo, habrá tenido más tranquilidad que el

6 que pudo haber vivido dos mil años sin disfrutar jamás de lo bueno. ¿Y acaso no van todos a un mismo lugar?

7 Mucho trabaja el hombre para comer, pero nunca se sacia.

8 ¿Qué ventaja tiene el sabio sobre el necio? ¿Y qué gana el pobre con saber enfrentarse a la vida?

9 Vale más lo visible que lo imaginario. Y también esto es absurdo; ¡es correr tras el viento!