What happensPermalink
The Preacher considers people who possess wealth and honor, or long life and many children, yet cannot enjoy their blessings. A stranger enjoys one man’s wealth, while another dies unsatisfied and without proper burial. A stillborn child, he says, is better off. Contentment with what lies before one’s eyes is better than an endless appetite. Humanity cannot contend with the One stronger than they are, and multiplying words cannot reveal what is good or what will happen afterward.
Why it mattersPermalink
Wealth, descendants, and long life are genuine biblical blessings, yet possession alone cannot produce enjoyment. The shocking comparison with stillbirth dramatizes abundance without satisfaction. Enjoyment comes from God, so wisdom receives present gifts rather than feeding limitless desire. The closing questions recall Job and prepare for chapter 7: finite people cannot master God’s sovereign purposes or discover the good life through argument alone.
Key versePermalink
All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.