Ecclesiastes 4:8

Translations

Modern

There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.

Traditional

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Literal

There is one, and there is not a second—there is not even a son or brother for him—and there is not end to all his toils; and his eye is not satisfied with wealth: “For whom am I toiling and depriving my soul of good?” This also is vapor, and it is a task of evil.

Latin

Unus est, et secundum non habet, non filium, non fratrem, et tamen laborare non cessat, nec satiantur oculi ejus divitiis; nec recogitat, dicens: Cui laboro, et fraudo animam meam bonis? In hoc quoque vanitas est et afflictio pessima.

Original

Hebrew

English

There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.

Notes

Ecclesiastes 4:7–8

This lonely man is an example of the idea in Ecclesiastes 4:6.

Ecclesiastes 3:16–5:7

This section discusses various topics, such as justice, humans and animals, oppression, moderation, companionship, politics, and worship.

Related verses

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
Proverbs 27:20
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Luke 12:20
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
Ecclesiastes 1:8
All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
Ecclesiastes 1:13
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Isaiah 5:8
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
Isaiah 56:3–5
Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.”
Psalm 39:6
Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.
Genesis 2:18
The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”

Glossary

Book of Ecclesiastes

Topics

Avarice: General Scriptures Concerning Care: Worldly Covetousness is Vanity Covetousness: General Scriptures Concerning Miser: General Scriptures Concerning Overmuch Care: Vanity of Riches: Unsatisfying The Eye: Not Satisfied with Riches Vanity: Heaping up Riches Is

Ecclesiastes 4:8

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