Ecclesiastes 6:12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Who knoweth

The days of his vain life

For who can

Ecclesiastes 3:22

Ecclesiastes 8:7

Job 14:21

General references

Ecclesiastes 12:8

Bible References

Who knoweth

I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?”

Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.

As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;

I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.

He chooses our inheritance for us,
The glory of Jacob whom He loves.

Selah.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk

humbly with your God?

The days of his vain life

But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.

Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.

For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope.

“For we are only of yesterday and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are as a shadow.

“Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

“Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.

Selah.

Remember what my span of life is;

For what vanity You have created all the sons of men!

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.

My days are like a

lengthened shadow,

And I wither away like grass.

I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off like the locust.

Man is like a mere breath;

His days are like a passing shadow.

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

For who can

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?

“His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.

General references

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”