Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? New Living Translation For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? English Standard Version for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? Berean Standard Bible For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? King James Bible For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? New King James Version For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? New American Standard Bible For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? NASB 1995 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? NASB 1977 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? Legacy Standard Bible For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of Him? Amplified Bible For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? Christian Standard Bible because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him? Holman Christian Standard Bible because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from Him? American Standard Version For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? Contemporary English Version and no one enjoys eating and living more than I do. English Revised Version For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? GOD'S WORD® Translation Who can eat or enjoy themselves without God? Good News Translation How else could you have anything to eat or enjoy yourself at all? International Standard Version for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him? Majority Standard Bible For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? NET Bible For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him. New Heart English Bible For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, apart from him? Webster's Bible Translation For who can eat, or who else can hasten to it more than I? World English Bible For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor who eats and who hurries out more than I? Young's Literal Translation For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I? Smith's Literal Translation For who shall eat, and who shall hasten forth above me? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWho shall so feast and abound with delights as I? Catholic Public Domain Version So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have? New American Bible For who can eat or drink apart from God? New Revised Standard Version for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor who can eat or who can drink except he? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated For who is going to eat and who will drink apart from him? OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I? Brenton Septuagint Translation For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Futility of Work…24Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God. 25For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? 26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.… Cross References James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow. 1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 104:15 wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart. Proverbs 15:13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit. 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. / I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. In any and every situation I have learned the secret of being filled and being hungry, of having plenty and having need. / I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Psalm 4:7 You have filled my heart with more joy than when grain and new wine abound. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. John 15:11 I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Isaiah 55:2 Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods. Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ / For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. / But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Psalm 63:5 My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You. Nehemiah 8:10 Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Treasury of Scripture For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? who can Ecclesiastes 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 1 Kings 4:21-24 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life… Jump to Previous Apart Eager Eat Eateth Enjoy Enjoyment Find Food Hasten Hasteth Hereunto PleasureJump to Next Apart Eager Eat Eateth Enjoy Enjoyment Find Food Hasten Hasteth Hereunto PleasureEcclesiastes 2 1. the vanity of human courses is the work of pleasure12. Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event 18. The vanity of human labor, in leaving it they know not to whom 24. Nothing better than joy in our labor but that is God's gift For apart from Him This phrase emphasizes the centrality of God in the pursuit of true satisfaction and joy. The Hebrew word for "apart" (בִּלְעָדָיו, bil'adayv) suggests a separation or exclusion. In the context of Ecclesiastes, Solomon is reflecting on the futility of life without God. Historically, this aligns with the wisdom literature's broader theme that life under the sun, when lived without divine perspective, is ultimately meaningless. The phrase calls believers to recognize that God is the source of all good things, and without Him, life lacks true purpose and fulfillment. who can eat and who can find enjoyment? More than I.--There is a various rendering, which has the authority of the LXX., and which has every appearance of being right: "without Him." Verse 25. - For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? This is the translation of the received text. "Eat" means enjoy one's self, as in the preceding verse; "hasten hereunto" implies eager pursuit of pleasure; and Koheleth asks - Who had better opportunity than he for verifying the principle that all depends upon the gift of God? Vulgate, Quis ita devorabit, et deliciis affluet ut ego? The Septuagint had a different reading, which obtains also in the Syriac and Arabic versions, and has been adopted by many modern critics. Instead of מִמֶּנִּי, they read מִמֶּנְּוּ, "without him," i.e. except from God. "For who shall eat or who shall drink without him (πάρεξ αὐτοῦ)?" This merely repeats the thought of the last verse, in agreement with the saying of St. James (James 1:17), "Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father' of lights." But the received reading, if it admits the rendering of the Authorized Version (which is somewhat doubtful), stands in close connection with the personal remark just preceding, "This also I saw," etc., and is a more sensible confirmation thereof than a tautological observation can be. The next verse carries on the thought that substantial enjoyment is entirely the gift of God, and granted by him as the moral Governor of the world.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Forכִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction apart from ח֥וּץ (ḥūṣ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors Him, מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (mim·men·nî) Preposition | first person common singular Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of who מִ֥י (mî) Interrogative Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix can eat יֹאכַ֛ל (yō·ḵal) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 398: To eat and who וּמִ֥י (ū·mî) Conjunctive waw | Interrogative Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix can find enjoyment? יָח֖וּשׁ (yā·ḥūš) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 2363: To hurry, to be eager with excitement, enjoyment Links Ecclesiastes 2:25 NIVEcclesiastes 2:25 NLT Ecclesiastes 2:25 ESV Ecclesiastes 2:25 NASB Ecclesiastes 2:25 KJV Ecclesiastes 2:25 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 2:25 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 2:25 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 2:25 French Bible Ecclesiastes 2:25 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:25 For who can eat or who can (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) |
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