Ecclesiastes 6:5 kjv
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
Ecclesiastes 6:5 nkjv
Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man,
Ecclesiastes 6:5 niv
Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man?
Ecclesiastes 6:5 esv
Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he.
Ecclesiastes 6:5 nlt
and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man.
Ecclesiastes 6 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ecc 1:2 | "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "vanity of vanities, all is vanity." | Introduces the overarching theme of futility |
| Ecc 2:11 | Then I considered all my works...and behold, all was vanity and striving after wind... | All human striving is futile |
| Ecc 3:19 | For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same...both have the same breath...so man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. | Equality of death; all life is vanity |
| Ecc 4:3 | But better than both is he who has never been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. | Expresses a similar sentiment as Ecc 6:5 |
| Ecc 5:10 | He who loves money will not be satisfied with money...This also is vanity. | Pursuit of wealth is vain |
| Ecc 6:3-4 | If a man beget a hundred children...yet enjoy no good, or even have no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he. For it comes in vanity... | Immediate context: better than an unhappy life |
| Ecc 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, to which you are going. | Darkness and finality of death |
| Ecc 12:8 | "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "all is vanity." | Conclusion reiterating vanity |
| Job 3:11-16 | Why did I not die at birth... For now I would have lain down in peace; I would have slept then, with the kings and counselors...or like a hidden stillborn child. | Desiring the peace of the unborn/stillborn |
| Psa 6:5 | For in death there is no remembrance of You; in Sheol who will give You praise? | Death's oblivion; lack of remembrance |
| Psa 30:9 | "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it tell of Your faithfulness?" | Grave as a place of no praise or activity |
| Psa 49:10-12 | For he sees that even the wise die...Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue forever...though they call their lands by their own names. But man in his pomp will not endure. | Both wise and foolish die, their names forgotten |
| Psa 88:12 | Will Your wonders be known in the darkness? Or Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? | Darkness as land of forgetfulness |
| Psa 90:10 | The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. | Life is short, full of toil and trouble |
| Psa 109:13 | May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out from under heaven! | Fear of name being forgotten |
| Prov 10:7 | The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. | Importance of a remembered name |
| Isa 38:18-19 | For Sheol cannot thank you; Death cannot praise you; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness... | No praise of God in death |
| 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 extreme brevity and impermanence |
| 1 Pet 1:24 | For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass; The grass withers, and the flower falls." | Fleeting nature of human existence |
| Rev 14:13 | And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" | Rest in death (but with hope, in the Lord) |
| Isa 53:8 | By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living; stricken for the transgression of my people? | Describing one whose "name" is cut off/unknown |
| Deut 25:6 | ...his name will not be blotted out from Israel. | Preservation of a name |
Ecclesiastes 6 verses
Ecclesiastes 6 5 Meaning
Ecclesiastes 6:5 describes the state of a stillborn child, asserting that it is preferable to a long and unhappy life. The verse conveys that this life begins and ends in meaninglessness and darkness, symbolizing its non-existence, absence of experience, and ultimately, its complete lack of remembrance or legacy in the world. From Qoheleth's perspective "under the sun," the stillborn child avoids the vanity, toil, and unfulfilled desires that often plague a human life, finding a form of "rest" or escape from such suffering by never experiencing it.
Ecclesiastes 6 5 Context
Ecclesiastes 6:5 is part of Qoheleth's broader discourse on the "vanity" (hebel) of life "under the sun"—meaning life viewed purely from a human, earthly perspective, without the explicit revelation of God's full plan or an eternal afterlife. In the preceding verses (Ecc 6:3-4), Qoheleth contrasts a person who lives a long life, begets many children, yet remains unhappy and is not even properly buried, with a stillborn child. From Qoheleth's jaded perspective, the stillborn child is better off because it has avoided the painful futility and sorrow of human existence. Verse 5 elaborates on why the stillborn's fate is preferable: it escapes the burden of life, passing into darkness and anonymity, thereby never experiencing life's struggles or accumulating meaningless achievements. The concept of "name" in ancient Near Eastern culture signified memory, identity, and legacy; to have one's "name covered" meant complete obliteration from communal remembrance, highlighting utter non-existence and insignificance.
Ecclesiastes 6 5 Word analysis
- כִּי (ki) - "For" / "Indeed": An explanatory conjunction, introducing the reason for the statement made in the preceding verses. It links the superiority of the stillborn child to its characteristics.
- בַּהֶבֶל (ba'hevel) - "in futility" / "in vanity": From the root הֶבֶל (hebel), a core theological and literary concept in Ecclesiastes, often translated as "vanity," "futility," "meaninglessness," or "vapor" / "breath." Here, it describes the state in which the stillborn child "comes"—its beginning is characterized by an absolute lack of substance, experience, or purpose in life. It emphasizes its insubstantial and fleeting nature, reflecting the overarching theme of the book regarding human endeavors "under the sun."
- יָבֹא (yavo) - "it comes" / "it enters": A Qal imperfect verb, referring to the stillborn child's arrival. It implies entry into a state of existence, though a fleeting one. It's an arrival characterized by the quality of hebel.
- וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ (u'vachoshek) - "and in darkness": The first occurrence of "darkness." This signifies obscurity, the unknown, and lack of awareness or experience. The stillborn neither sees the sun nor experiences the world, residing perpetually in the metaphorical "darkness" of non-existence or unknowing. It emphasizes that the stillborn's journey and entire (non-)life is shrouded in a void of experience.
- יֵלֵךְ (yelech) - "it goes" / "it departs": A Qal imperfect verb, referring to the stillborn's departure. This implies movement from its non-experiential "coming" back to absolute non-existence. It underscores the fleeting nature of its "presence," emphasizing its total lack of impact or continuity.
- וּבַחֹשֶׁךְ (u'vachoshek) - "and in darkness": The second occurrence, powerfully reiterating and intensifying the concept of obscurity. This "darkness" points to the oblivion of the grave, the complete erasure from memory, and the lack of a known burial place or enduring remembrance.
- שְׁמוֹ (sh'mo) - "its name": "Name" in biblical culture represented more than just an identifier; it encompassed a person's identity, reputation, character, and legacy. To have a name was to have a presence and an impact.
- יְכֻסֶּה (yekhusseh) - "is covered" / "is forgotten": A Pual imperfect verb, indicating a passive action: the name is made to be covered. It implies an active effacement, not just fading. This is the crucial point: not only does the stillborn child not experience life's futility, but it also escapes the dread of a significant human aspiration—to leave a lasting mark. Its very identity is obliterated from remembrance, ensuring absolute peace from human struggle or the vanity of striving for an earthly legacy.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "For it comes in futility": This phrase sets the initial condition of the stillborn. Its arrival (or lack thereof into true life) is inherently empty of substance, joy, or meaning, directly aligned with the book's central message of "vanity." It points to a beginning that is already devoid of human hope.
- "and goes in darkness": This describes its non-existence. Having no conscious arrival, it similarly has no conscious departure. The "darkness" here symbolizes ignorance, non-experience, and the void. It underscores the lack of perception, joy, or suffering.
- "and in darkness its name is covered": This final, potent phrase reinforces the themes of obscurity and oblivion. The repetition of "darkness" emphasizes the complete void it occupies, both in terms of perception and memory. The "covering of its name" signifies that no record, no memory, and no legacy of this being will ever exist among humankind, highlighting its perfect escape from the struggles of striving for earthly significance. It's the ultimate anonymity and freedom from the anxieties of meaning.
Ecclesiastes 6 5 Bonus section
The Teacher's emphasis on the "covered name" is significant. In ancient cultures, a name represented the essence of a person and was crucial for remembrance and perpetuating a family line. The fear of one's name being blotted out was profound. For the stillborn, the name is not just forgotten, but "covered," suggesting a complete and active erasure from the memory of man, securing it from any entanglement with the vain pursuits of earthly fame or legacy. This paradoxically becomes its blessing in Qoheleth's cynical assessment: freedom from striving by having nothing to lose or gain. While challenging human conceptions of life's inherent sanctity, it's a testament to the acute awareness Qoheleth has of the suffering and unsatisfactoriness that often defines a human life lived without heavenly wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 6 5 Commentary
Ecclesiastes 6:5 serves as a bleak commentary on the perceived value of life "under the sun." From Qoheleth's vantage point, a life burdened by unsatisfying toil, unfulfilled desires, and a lack of true enjoyment, even if long and seemingly prosperous, is ultimately inferior to the peace found in never having existed. The stillborn escapes the "futility" (hebel) that permeates human experience and the suffering associated with it. Its fate is depicted as preferable not because of any inherent virtue, but purely because it avoids the cumulative sorrows and empty strivings that life inevitably presents. Its "darkness" implies a serene unconsciousness, unblemished by experience, while its "covered name" signifies the perfect cessation of any claim to legacy, identity, or future sorrow, achieving the ultimate state of rest and disengagement from life's meaningless endeavors. This perspective highlights the despair that can arise from evaluating life without a clear understanding of God's overarching purpose and eternal design.