Semper Reformanda

Ecclesiastes 5:16 | Word Study

And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? Ecclesiastes 5:16 (KJV)

‘We come into this world, naked, and naked we shall go,’ is true for natural men, or in other words, this state of reality is true for reprobates. Because, they are blind to the reality of God and salvation. The physical existence, and earthly wealth is all they know and thereby, this is the realm they put all their labour in. Qoheleth refers to this as ‘a sore evil.’ And he uses the phrase ‘toiling for the wind’ as a graphic expression that captures this situation. (Bartholomew, 188)

References:

Bartholomew, C. (2009). Ecclesiastes, Baker Academic

Ecclesiastes 5:15 | Word Study

As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. Ecclesiastes 5:15 (KJV)

It does not seem that Qoheleth is speaking against labour itself. As humans, labour is our lot. The concern here however is where the labour is focused on. The phrase, ‘he came… naked shall he return,’ seems to show the complete futility of labour under the sun. The labour for earthly gain has no gain at all. (Provan, 145-146) Rather, the concern here is to labour for the right reason. Henry writes, “In respect of the body we must go as we came; the dust shall return to the earth as it was. But sad is our case if the soul return as it came, for we were born in sin, and if we die in sin, unsanctified, we had better never have been born; and that seems to be the case of the worldling here spoken of, for he is said to return in all points as he came, as sinful, as miserable, and much more so. This is a sore evil… But if we labour only for the world, to fill our hands with that, we cannot take that away with us; we are born with our hands griping, but we die with them extended, letting go what we held fast.”

References:

Henry, M. (1706). Commentary on the Whole Bible, Complete, Eccl. 5:9-17

Provan, I. (2001). Ecclesiastes/Song of Songs: The New Application Commentary, Zondervan

Ecclesiastes 5:14 | Word Study

But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. Ecclesiastes 5:14 (KJV)

Qoheleth puts forward the non-inheritable nature of wealth quite literally here. There are those without a son (4:7-8), and those with one as mentioned here. (Provan, 145) In both cases, there is no guarantee that the wealth would survive his death. The rich man’s wealth is not above the transient nature of things. As Henry notes, ‘riches are perishable things.’

References:

Henry, M. (1706). Commentary on the Whole Bible, Complete, Eccl. 5:9-17

Provan, I. (2001). Ecclesiastes/Song of Songs: The New Application Commentary, Zondervan