Ecclesiastes 6:4 kjv
For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
Ecclesiastes 6:4 nkjv
for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.
Ecclesiastes 6:4 niv
It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded.
Ecclesiastes 6:4 esv
For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered.
Ecclesiastes 6:4 nlt
His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn't even have had a name,
Ecclesiastes 6 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eccl 1:2 | "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "vanity of vanities! All is vanity." | Core theme of futility. |
| Eccl 2:16 | For of the wise man as of the fool there is no lasting remembrance, since in the days to come all will be forgotten... | Echoes lack of remembrance. |
| Eccl 4:3 | But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds... | Compares non-existence to earthly suffering. |
| Eccl 4:6 | Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and striving after wind. | Emphasizes peaceful rest over futile effort. |
| Eccl 9:10 | Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going. | Sheol (death) is a place of no activity or remembrance. |
| Eccl 9:5 | For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. | The dead have no memory or reward. |
| Eccl 11:8 | So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. | Foreshadows "days of darkness" or oblivion. |
| Job 3:16 | Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light? | Job's wish for never having been born, similar theme. |
| Job 10:21-22 | Before I go—and I shall not return—to the land of darkness and deep shadow... a land of thick darkness as darkness itself... | Describes death as deep darkness. |
| Ps 39:5-6 | ...my days are as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best is an absolute futility... every man walks about as a phantom; surely they make an uproar for nothing... | Emphasizes brevity and futility of human life. |
| Ps 49:10-13 | For he sees that even wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others... they call their lands by their own names; yet man in his pomp will not abide; he is like the beasts that perish. | Wealth and name do not grant eternal memory. |
| Ps 88:12 | Are Your wonders known in the darkness? Or Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? | Implies oblivion in death. |
| Ps 115:17 | The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. | The inability of the dead to interact or worship God. |
| Isa 26:14 | The dead will not live, the departed will not rise; therefore You have punished and destroyed them, and have wiped out all memory of them. | God wiping out memory of the wicked; connection to lack of remembrance. |
| Jas 4:14 | Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. | Life's brevity and transient nature. |
| Luke 12:20 | But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' | Sudden end to a life focused on earthly gain. |
| 1 Cor 15:19 | If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. | Highlights futility of life without eternal hope. |
| 1 Cor 15:32 | If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." | Embraces a hedonistic worldview if no afterlife, a result of earthly futility. |
| Php 3:20-21 | But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body... | Provides an ultimate hope beyond earthly futility and physical death. |
| Heb 9:27 | And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment... | Establishes the finality and purpose of death from God's perspective. |
| 2 Sam 18:18 | Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar... For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." And he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's monument to this day. | An example of trying to create a lasting name due to lack of an heir. |
Ecclesiastes 6 verses
Ecclesiastes 6 4 Meaning
Ecclesiastes 6:4 describes the brief and unnoticed existence of a stillborn child, using it as a stark example of futility and oblivion. The verse emphasizes that such a child's short or non-existent life begins without purpose (vanity), ends in obscurity (darkness), and leaves no lasting memory or legacy (its name covered in darkness). This bleak imagery serves to illustrate the Preacher's broader argument about the inherent meaninglessness of all human striving and achievements when viewed solely from an earthly perspective, separate from divine purpose. The child's unremembered life is presented as ironically preferable to a long, affluent, yet ultimately unsatisfied and unhonored life.
Ecclesiastes 6 4 Context
Ecclesiastes 6:4 is part of a larger discussion by the Preacher (Koheleth) regarding the vanity and ultimate futility of human existence and achievements. Specifically, verses 3-6 present a vivid comparison: a man who lives a long life, begets many children, accumulates wealth, and yet fails to find satisfaction or receive proper burial and remembrance is deemed less fortunate than a stillborn child. The stillborn, by never having experienced the hardships and dissatisfactions of life, is said to "have more rest." Verse 4 specifically details the stillborn's lot: a transient appearance in "vanity," a departure into "darkness," and a name forgotten. The surrounding chapters (especially 1-5) consistently build on the theme of hebel (vanity/meaninglessness) in pursuits like wisdom, pleasure, toil, wealth, and honor, contrasting these earthly endeavors with the singular wisdom of fearing God.
Ecclesiastes 6 4 Word analysis
- For (כִּי, kī): A conjunction, introducing the reason or explanation for the preceding statement in Eccl 6:3 regarding the stillborn being better off. It points to the nature of the stillborn's brief existence.
- it (הוּא, hū): Refers to the stillborn child (nefel) mentioned in verse 3. This pronoun emphasizes the subject of the previous clause, linking the "better off" to the child's specific fate.
- comes (בָּא, bā’): Hebrew verb meaning "to come," "to enter," or "to arrive." Here, it signifies its coming into existence or appearing on the scene of life, however fleetingly. It implies the potential for life, even if unfulfilled.
- in vanity (בַּהֶבֶל, ba-hebel): The preposition ba- ("in" or "with") coupled with hebel. This is a pivotal term in Ecclesiastes, meaning "vapor," "breath," "futility," "meaninglessness," "absurdity," or "transience." Its use here indicates that even the moment of birth or emergence into the world for this child is inherently without substance, lasting purpose, or achievement. It signifies an utterly insubstantial start to an existence.
- and departs (וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ יֵצֵא, u-ba-ḥōšeḵ yēṣē’):
- and (וּ, u-): A conjunction "and," linking the two stages of the stillborn's brief existence.
- departs (יֵצֵא, yēṣē’): Hebrew verb "to go out," "to leave." It denotes the ending or vanishing of its existence. It contrasts with "comes," forming a complete cycle of meaninglessness.
- in darkness (בַּחֹשֶׁךְ, ba-ḥōšeḵ): The preposition ba- with ḥōšeḵ. This Hebrew term refers to literal "darkness," but also metaphorically implies obscurity, oblivion, secrecy, or death. It suggests the lack of recognition, memory, or presence. It departs unseen and unremembered.
- and in darkness (וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ, u-ba-ḥōšeḵ): A repetition for emphasis. This intensifies the idea of oblivion, applying it not just to its departure but specifically to its name being covered.
- its name (שְׁמוֹ, šemô): šēm refers to "name," "reputation," "character," or "legacy." In ancient cultures, a name signified identity, remembrance, and the continuation of one's presence. Not having one's name remembered was a severe tragedy, a true effacement of existence.
- is covered (יְכֻסֶּה, yəḵussāh): Hebrew verb "to cover," "to hide," "to obscure." In this context, it means the name is hidden from memory, forgotten, unremembered, never having been proclaimed or honored. There is no memorial, no lasting trace.
- "comes in vanity and departs in darkness": This phrase succinctly encapsulates the complete futility of such an existence. It highlights a life that has no substantial beginning or meaningful end, entering without purpose and exiting into utter oblivion. The repetition of hebel (vanity) and ḥōšeḵ (darkness) drives home the cyclical nature of meaninglessness observed by the Preacher in many human endeavors. It is an "empty coming and going," symbolizing a lack of essence or lasting impact.
- "in darkness its name is covered": This emphasizes the total obliteration of identity and legacy. In a culture where memory and progeny were paramount for continuing one's "name," the idea that a name is "covered in darkness" signifies a profound tragedy—absolute non-existence in memory. It contrasts sharply with the aspirations of powerful figures and the wealthy to make a lasting name for themselves, revealing the ultimate fragility of such human desires without divine underpinning.
Ecclesiastes 6 4 Bonus section
The concept of "darkness" (ḥōšeḵ) is rich in biblical symbolism. Beyond mere physical absence of light, it frequently signifies evil, ignorance, chaos, sorrow, and especially death or the grave (Sheol). In Eccl 6:4, it profoundly speaks of utter oblivion and the loss of any possibility for remembrance or legacy. This aligns with other biblical texts that portray death as a descent into darkness where memory fades and deeds are forgotten. This verse, therefore, taps into a primal human fear: to exist without meaning, to depart unnoticed, and to leave no lasting imprint—a testament to humanity's inherent desire for significance that the Preacher continually finds unfulfilled apart from divine intervention.
Ecclesiastes 6 4 Commentary
Ecclesiastes 6:4 lays bare the Preacher's pessimistic assessment of life lived "under the sun," highlighting ultimate vanity through the stark example of a stillborn child. The choice of a stillborn is not an incidental one; it represents the extreme antithesis of the ancient ideal of a long life blessed with numerous progeny and enduring renown. Such a non-existence is characterized by hebel from its very beginning, an "in vain" emergence that leads immediately to being "covered in darkness." The repetition of "darkness" underscores the profound absence of light, life, recognition, and remembrance. It means no monument, no heir to carry the name, no story to be told. Paradoxically, the Preacher suggests that this forgotten, un-lived life holds more "rest" than a life lived long and prosperously but without joy or proper burial (Eccl 6:3, 5). This deep cynicism highlights the Preacher's consistent message: apart from God's favor and ultimate divine purpose, all human striving—for longevity, wealth, children, fame—is but chasing the wind, dissolving into obscurity with death, leaving no permanent legacy, only an ephemeral vapor.