Ecclésiaste 6:6

6 Et quand celui-ci aurait vécu deux fois mille ans, sans jouir d'aucun bien, tous ne vont-ils pas en un même lieu?

Ecclésiaste 6:6 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 6:6

Yea, though he live a thousand years twice [told]
Or two thousand years, which no man ever did, nor even one thousand years; Methuselah, the oldest man, did not live so long as that; this is than twice the age of the oldest man: there is one sort of the Ethiopians, who are said ^F1 to live almost half space of time longer than usual, called from thence Macrobii; which Pliny ^F2 makes to be one hundred and forty years, which is just double the common term of life. This here is only a supposition. Aben Ezra interprets it, "a thousand thousand", but wrongly; so the Arabic version, "though he lives many thousand years"; yet hath he seen no good,
not enjoyed the good of his labour, what he has been labouring for and was possessed of; and therefore has lived so long as he has to very little purpose, and with very little comfort or credit; and especially he has had no experience of spiritual good; do not all go to one place?
that is, the grave; they do, even all men; it is the house appointed for all living, ( Job 30:23 ) ; and hither go both the abortive, and the covetous rich man; so that he has in this no pre-eminence to it. Jarchi interprets it of hell, the one place, whither all sinners go; but the former sense is best.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Mela tie Situ Orbis, l. 3. c. 9.
F2 Nat. Hist. 1. 7. c. 2.

Ecclésiaste 6:6 In-Context

4 Car il est venu en vain, et s'en va dans les ténèbres, et son nom est couvert de ténèbres;

5 Il n'a même point vu le soleil; il n'a rien connu; il a plus de repos que l'autre.

6 Et quand celui-ci aurait vécu deux fois mille ans, sans jouir d'aucun bien, tous ne vont-ils pas en un même lieu?

7 Tout le travail de l'homme est pour sa bouche, et toutefois son désir n'est jamais assouvi.

8 Car quel avantage le sage a-t-il sur l'insensé? Quel avantage a l'affligé qui sait se conduire parmi les vivants?