Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Ecclesiastes 6
Ecclesiastes 6:2a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
This verse captures the chapter's central tragedy: a person blessed with everything imaginable but cursed with an inability to find happiness in it, ultimately leaving it all for someone else.Ecclesiastes 6:7All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.
Here, the Teacher observes that all our work is to feed ourselves. Our deeper hunger for meaning and satisfaction is never truly filled, highlighting the endless cycle of human striving.Ecclesiastes 6:12For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
The chapter concludes with a humbling question that exposes our limitations. We don't know what is truly good for us in our short lives, nor can we know the future.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Paradox of the Unfulfilled Millionaire
Continuing his observations 'under the sun,' the Teacher shifts from a general discussion of wealth in chapter 5 to a specific, heartbreaking scenario. He paints a picture of a man who has achieved the pinnacle of worldly success - possessions, wealth, and honor - only to reveal a deep, internal emptiness. This is not a story of misfortune where wealth is lost. It is a story of a spiritual inability to enjoy what one already has, a problem the Teacher calls a 'grievous evil.'
The Emptiness of a Long, Unsatisfied Life
The Teacher then broadens his argument beyond money. He imagines a man with a hundred children and an incredibly long life, two of the highest cultural blessings of his time. Yet, even these are declared meaningless if the man's 'soul is not satisfied with life's good things.' The chapter ends with great uncertainty, questioning humanity's ability to discern what is truly good or to know what the future holds, leaving the reader to ponder the limits of human wisdom.
Anatomy of Dissatisfaction
In this chapter, the Teacher acts like a physician diagnosing a spiritual sickness that afflicts humanity. He moves from one symptom to another, exposing the futility of a life rich in possessions but poor in joy. The scene is not a specific location but a universal observation of the human condition, examining why the things we chase often fail to bring the happiness we expect.
The Gift You Can't Enjoy (Ecclesiastes 6:1-2)
1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind:
2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
Commentary:
Having everything but being unable to enjoy it is a deep and painful tragedy.
A Long Life Isn't Always a Good Life (Ecclesiastes 6:3-6)
3 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 satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.
4 for it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered.
5 It has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he.
6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good - do not all go to the one place?
Commentary:
A long, prosperous life without inner satisfaction is more tragic than a life that never began.
The Never-Ending Treadmill of Desire (Ecclesiastes 6:7-9)
7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.
8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Commentary:
Our work may fill our stomachs, but it can never satisfy our souls, so it's wiser to enjoy what we have than to always crave more.
Humanity's Great Unknowns (Ecclesiastes 6:10-12)
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he.
11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man?
12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Commentary:
We are finite and cannot control our destiny or even know what is truly good for us, making much of our striving pointless.
The Heart of the Matter
The Emptiness of Materialism
Ecclesiastes 6 powerfully demonstrates that wealth, status, and possessions have no built-in power to bring happiness. The chapter separates the having from the enjoying, showing that a life dedicated to accumulation can still be deeply empty and meaningless.
Contentment as a Divine Gift
The ability to enjoy life's blessings is presented not as a natural result of having them, but as a separate gift from God. This theme challenges the idea that we can manufacture our own happiness, suggesting instead that true satisfaction is something we must receive from a source outside ourselves.
The Limits of Human Wisdom and Control
The chapter concludes by emphasizing how little we actually know and control. We cannot change our fundamental nature, argue with God's sovereign plan, or know what is ultimately best for us. This theme serves to humble us, pushing us away from self-reliance and toward dependence on God.
Bringing Wisdom into Your World
This chapter directly confronts the modern belief that success is measured by wealth, achievements, and experiences. Ecclesiastes 6:2 shows that you can have all of these things and still be miserable. It encourages you to redefine 'the good life' not by what you own, but by your capacity for gratitude and joy in what God has already given you.
Living by the 'sight of the eyes' means finding contentment in your present reality - your family, your job, your home, the simple blessings right in front of you (Ecclesiastes 6:9). The 'wandering of the appetite' is the restless, modern urge to always want more - the next upgrade, the better vacation, the different life you see on social media. This verse calls you to practice gratitude for what is, rather than anxiety for what isn't.
The final verses (Ecclesiastes 6:12) are not a call to despair, but to humility. Since you cannot control the future or know all the answers, you are freed from the pressure of having to figure it all out. It invites you to live with trust in God, focusing on walking faithfully and enjoying the simple gifts of each day, leaving the ultimate outcomes in His hands.
The Emptiness of a Full Hand
Ecclesiastes 6 delivers a sobering message: a life overflowing with the world's goods can be deeply empty. The Teacher shows that satisfaction is not a guaranteed result of success, but a separate, precious gift from God. The ultimate point is that our restless striving for more is a chase after wind, because true contentment can't be earned or owned. This chapter forces us to look past our possessions and ambitions to ask a deeper question: what truly satisfies the human soul?
What This Means for Us Today
Ecclesiastes 6 doesn't offer a simple solution, but an invitation to honesty. It invites us to admit our limitations and confess that our definitions of success are often hollow. The chapter calls us to stop chasing the wind and instead turn to God, the only one who can grant the gift of a truly satisfied heart.
- What blessing in your life do you need to ask God for the power to truly enjoy?
- Where are you striving for more when God is calling you to be content with what you have?
- How can you practice gratitude today for the simple 'sight of your eyes'?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter sets the stage by discussing the vanity of riches and the dangers of loving money, leading directly into chapter 6's example of unenjoyed wealth.
After concluding that we cannot know what is good, this chapter offers a series of practical proverbs on how to live wisely in a frustrating and unpredictable world.
Connections Across Scripture
Jesus' parable of the rich fool perfectly illustrates Ecclesiastes 6, telling of a man who stored up great wealth for himself but was not 'rich toward God' and lost it all in an instant.
Paul echoes the Teacher's wisdom, stating that 'godliness with contentment is great gain' and warning that the love of money leads to ruin.
This psalm reflects on the foolishness of trusting in wealth, reminding the reader that 'man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.'
Discussion Questions
- In what areas of your life do you most often experience the 'wandering of the appetite' (Ecclesiastes 6:9)? What helps you focus on the 'sight of the eyes' and be content?
- The Teacher says a stillborn child is better off than a man with a long, prosperous, but unsatisfied life (Ecclesiastes 6:3-5). Why do you think he makes such a shocking statement, and what does it teach us about what God values?
- The chapter ends by saying we can't know what is truly good for us (Ecclesiastes 6:12). How can this truth be freeing rather than frightening in your daily walk with God?