◄ Ecclesiastes 5:17 ►
Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.
Study Bible
Moreover
This word serves as a continuation or addition to the thoughts previously expressed. In the context of Ecclesiastes, it suggests a further elaboration on the vanity and futility of life without God. The Hebrew word "gam" often implies an intensification, indicating that what follows is a significant observation about human existence.

all his days
This phrase emphasizes the entirety of a person's life. In Hebrew, "kol yamav" suggests a comprehensive span, indicating that the condition described is not temporary but persistent. It reflects the preacher's observation of a life lived under the sun, where the pursuit of wealth and pleasure without divine purpose leads to a perpetual state of dissatisfaction.

he eats
Eating is a basic human activity, symbolizing sustenance and survival. In the Hebrew context, "okhel" can also imply consumption or enjoyment. However, here it is portrayed negatively, suggesting that even the most fundamental acts of life are tainted by the vanity and emptiness that Ecclesiastes often highlights.

in darkness
Darkness in biblical literature often symbolizes ignorance, despair, or evil. The Hebrew word "choshekh" conveys a sense of obscurity and lack of understanding. This imagery suggests a life lived without the light of God's wisdom, resulting in confusion and hopelessness.

with much sorrow
The phrase "with much sorrow" indicates a life filled with grief and emotional pain. The Hebrew word "ka'as" can denote vexation or frustration, highlighting the emotional turmoil that accompanies a life focused on earthly pursuits. It underscores the preacher's message that without God, even the most successful life is fraught with inner turmoil.

sickness
Sickness here can be understood both literally and metaphorically. The Hebrew "choliy" refers to physical illness, but it can also symbolize spiritual or moral decay. This reflects the broader biblical theme that sin and separation from God lead to a form of spiritual sickness, affecting one's entire being.

and anger
Anger, or "ka'as" in Hebrew, is often associated with wrath or indignation. In this context, it suggests a life marked by frustration and resentment. The preacher observes that a life lived apart from God is not only unfulfilling but also filled with emotional strife, as one grapples with the injustices and inequities of the world.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
Traditionally considered the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. Ecclesiastes is often seen as a reflection on the meaning of life and the pursuit of fulfillment.

2. Israel
The nation to which Solomon belonged and over which he reigned. The cultural and religious context of Israel during Solomon's time influences the themes of Ecclesiastes.

3. The Preacher (Qoheleth)
The voice in Ecclesiastes, often identified with Solomon, who explores the vanity of life and the pursuit of meaning.
Teaching Points
The Futility of Labor Without God
Ecclesiastes 5:17 highlights the emptiness and sorrow that accompany a life focused solely on material gain. The Hebrew word for "darkness" (choshekh) suggests a life devoid of divine light and purpose.

The Consequences of Discontent
The verse describes a life filled with "vexation, sickness, and anger." This serves as a warning against allowing dissatisfaction to dominate our lives, leading to spiritual and emotional turmoil.

The Importance of Spiritual Priorities
Aligning our lives with God's will and finding contentment in Him can transform our perspective on work and possessions, leading to true joy and peace.

The Call to Reflect on Life's Purpose
This passage encourages believers to examine their lives and priorities, ensuring that their pursuits align with eternal values rather than temporary gains.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Ecclesiastes 5:17 challenge our modern views on success and fulfillment?

2. In what ways can we guard against the "darkness" and "vexation" described in this verse in our daily lives?

3. How do the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6) provide a solution to the issues raised in Ecclesiastes 5:17?

4. Reflect on a time when you experienced "sickness and anger" due to misplaced priorities. How did you find resolution?

5. How can we apply the lessons from Ecclesiastes 5:17 to cultivate a life of contentment and spiritual richness?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 6:19-21
Jesus teaches about storing treasures in heaven rather than on earth, which aligns with the themes of vanity and the fleeting nature of earthly pursuits found in Ecclesiastes.

1 Timothy 6:6-10
Paul discusses contentment and the dangers of the love of money, echoing the warnings in Ecclesiastes about the futility of wealth without God.

Psalm 39:6
This Psalm reflects on the brevity and vanity of life, similar to the themes in Ecclesiastes.
Sermons
The Unsatisfying Nature of RichesD. Thomas Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
The Drawbacks Upon WealthJ. Willcock Ecclesiastes 5:10-20
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abound, Affliction, Anger, Consumeth, Dark, Darkness, Disease, Eateth, Eats, Frustrated, Frustration, Grief, Irritation, Pain, Resentment, Sadness, Sickness, Sore, Sorrow, Spent, Throughout, Trouble, Vexation, Vexed, Wrath
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ecclesiastes 5:16-17

     5634   work, and the fall

Library
Naked or Clothed?
'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.'--ECCLES. v. 15. '... Their works do follow them.'--REV. xiv. 13. It is to be observed that these two sharply contrasted texts do not refer to the same persons. The former is spoken of a rich worldling, the latter of 'the dead who die in the Lord.' The unrelieved gloom of the one is as a dark background against which the triumphant assurance of …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Lessons for Worship and for Work
'Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. 3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Things to be Meditated on as Thou Goest to the Church.
1. That thou art going to the court of the Lord, and to speak with the great God by prayer; and to hear his majesty speak unto thee by his word; and to receive his blessing on thy soul, and thy honest labour, in the six days past. 2. Say with thyself by the way--"As the hart brayeth for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Literature.
i. editions of chrysostom's works. S. Joannis Chrysostomi, archiepiscopi Constantinopolitani, Opera omnia quæ exstant vel quæ ejus nomine circumferuntur, ad mss. codices Gallicos, Vaticanos, Anglicos, Germanicosque castigata, etc. Opera et studio D.Bernardi de Montfaucon, monachi ordinis S. Benedicti e congregatione S. Mauri, opem ferentibus aliis ex codem sodalitio, monachis. Greek and Latin, Paris, 1718-'38, in 13 vols., fol. This is the best edition, and the result of about twenty …
St. Chrysostom—On the Priesthood

Ninth Day for God's Spirit on Our Mission Work
WHAT TO PRAY.--For God's Spirit on our Mission Work "The evangelisation of the world depends first of all upon a revival of prayer. Deeper than the need for men--ay, deep down at the bottom of our spiritless life, is the need for the forgotten secret of prevailing, world-wide prayer." "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul. Then when they had fasted and prayed, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed."--ACTS …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii.
TIMOTHY after his Conversion to the Christian Faith, being found to be a Man of great Parts, Learning, and Piety, and so every way qualified for the work of the Ministry, St. Paul who had planted a Church at Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of all Asia, left him to dress and propagate it, after his departure from it, giving him Power to ordain Elders or Priests, and to visit and exercise Jurisdiction over them, to see they did not teach false Doctrines, 1 Tim. i. 3. That they be unblameable in …
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life

There is a Blessedness in Reversion
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Matthew 5:3 Having done with the occasion, I come now to the sermon itself. Blessed are the poor in spirit'. Christ does not begin his Sermon on the Mount as the Law was delivered on the mount, with commands and threatenings, the trumpet sounding, the fire flaming, the earth quaking, and the hearts of the Israelites too for fear; but our Saviour (whose lips dropped as the honeycomb') begins with promises and blessings. So sweet and ravishing was the doctrine of this …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

How to be Admonished are those who Give Away what is their Own, and those who Seize what Belongs to Others.
(Admonition 21.) Differently to be admonished are those who already give compassionately of their own, and those who still would fain seize even what belongs to others. For those who already give compassionately of their own are to be admonished not to lift themselves up in swelling thought above those to whom they impart earthly things; not to esteem themselves better than others because they see others to be supported by them. For the Lord of an earthly household, in distributing the ranks and …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Ecclesiastes
It is not surprising that the book of Ecclesiastes had a struggle to maintain its place in the canon, and it was probably only its reputed Solomonic authorship and the last two verses of the book that permanently secured its position at the synod of Jamnia in 90 A.D. The Jewish scholars of the first century A.D. were struck by the manner in which it contradicted itself: e.g., "I praised the dead more than the living," iv. 2, "A living dog is better than a dead lion," ix. 4; but they were still more …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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