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Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Complete Jewish Bible

Ecclesiastes 6:5

and although it has never seen or known the sun, it is more content than he is,

Bible Study Resources

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 8;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he.
Hebrew Names Version
Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
King James Version
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
English Standard Version
Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he.
New American Standard Bible
"It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet it is better off than that man.
New Century Version
That baby never saw the sun and never knew anything, but it finds more rest than that man.
Amplified Bible
"It has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge; yet it has more rest and is better off than he.
World English Bible
Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also he hath not seene ye sunne, nor knowen it: therefore this hath more rest then the other.
Legacy Standard Bible
Indeed, that one never sees the sun and never knows anything; that one has more rest than he.
Berean Standard Bible
A stillborn child has more rest than he-though never seeing the sun or knowing anything-
Darby Translation
moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.
Easy-to-Read Version
The baby never saw the sun and never knew anything. But the baby finds more rest than the man who never enjoyed what God gave him.
George Lamsa Translation
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known anything, yet this one has more rest than the other.
Good News Translation
It never sees the light of day or knows what life is like, but at least it has found rest—
Lexham English Bible
He has neither seen nor known the sun, yet he has more rest than him.
Literal Translation
Also he has not seen nor known the sun; this one has more rest than that one .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Morouer, he seyth not the Sonne, and knoweth of no rest nether here ner there:
American Standard Version
moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
Bible in Basic English
Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath gratification rather than the other;
King James Version (1611)
Moreouer hee hath not seene the Sunne, nor knowen any thing: this hath more rest then the other.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Moreouer he seeth not the sunne, and knoweth not of it: and yet hath he more rest then the other.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Moreover he has not seen the sun, nor known rest: there is no more rest to this one than another.
English Revised Version
moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He siy not the sunne, nether knew dyuersyte of good and of yuel;
Update Bible Version
moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it; this has rest rather than the other:
Webster's Bible Translation
Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.
New English Translation
though it never saw the light of day nor knew anything, yet it has more rest than that man—
New King James Version
Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man,
New Living Translation
and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man.
New Life Bible
It never sees the sun and it never knows anything. It is better off than he.
New Revised Standard
moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
even the sun, it never saw, nor aught did it know, - more quietness, hath this than the other.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:
Revised Standard Version
moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he.
Young's Literal Translation
Even the sun he hath not seen nor known, more rest hath this than that.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.

Contextual Overview

1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on people: 2 the case in which God gives someone riches, wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing that he wants; but God does not give him the power to enjoy them, and some stranger gets to enjoy them — this is meaningless, evil, sick. 3 Suppose a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that he has a long life, but he fails to enjoy himself; then, even if he were to [live indefinitely and therefore] never be buried, I say that it would be better to be born dead. 4 For the arrival of a stillborn baby is a futile thing, and its departure is in darkness; its name is [forgotten,] covered in darkness; 5 and although it has never seen or known the sun, it is more content than he is, 6 without enjoying himself, even if he were to live a thousand years twice over. Doesn't everyone go to the same place?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

this: Job 3:10-13, Job 14:1, Psalms 58:8, Psalms 90:7-9

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
In time, when men began to multiply on earth, and daughters were born to them,
Genesis 6:3
Adonai said, "My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore their life span is to be 120 years."
Genesis 6:4
The N'filim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the ancient heroes, men of renown.
Genesis 6:9
But Noach found grace in the sight of Adonai . Haftarah B'resheet: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 42:5–43:10 (A); 42:5–21 (S) B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B'resheet: Mattityahu (Matthew) 1:1–17; 19:3–9; Mark 10:1–12; Luke 3:23–38; Yochanan (John) 1:1–18; 1 Corinthians 6:15–20; 15:35–58; Romans 5:12–21; Ephesians 5:21–32; Colossians 1:14–17; 1 Timothy 2:11–15; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 1:1–3; 3:7–4:11; 11:1–7; 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 3:3–14; Revelation 21:1–5; 22:1–5 Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God.
Genesis 6:19
"From everything living, from each kind of living being, you are to bring two into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they are to be male and female.
Genesis 6:20
Of each kind of bird, each kind of livestock, and each kind of animal creeping on the ground, two are to come to you, so that they can be kept alive.
Genesis 6:21
Also take from all the kinds of food that are eaten, and collect it for yourself; it is to be food for you and for them."
Genesis 8:21
Adonai smelled the sweet aroma, and Adonai said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, since the imaginings of a person's heart are evil from his youth; nor will I ever again destroy all living things, as I have done.
Genesis 13:13
Now the men of S'dom were evil, committing great sins against Adonai .
Deuteronomy 29:19
But Adonai will not forgive him. Rather, the anger and jealousy of Adonai will blaze up against that person. Every curse written in this book will be upon him. Adonai will blot out his name from under heaven.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Moreover, he hath not seen the sun,.... This must be spoken of the abortive, and seems to confirm the sense of the former text, as belonging to it; and whereas it has never seen the light of the sun, nor enjoyed the pleasure and comfort of it, it is no ways distressing to it to be without it. The Targum is,

"the light of the law he seeth not; and knoweth not between good and evil, to judge between this world and that to come:''

so the Vulgate Latin version, "neither knows the difference of good and evil";

nor known [anything]; not the sun, nor anything else: or "experienced" z and "felt" the heat of the sun, and its comfortable influences; which a man may, who is blind, and has never seen it, but an abortive has not; and indeed has known no man, nor any creature nor thing in this world, and therefore it is no concern to it to be without them; and besides, has never had any knowledge or experience of the troubles of lifts, which every living man is liable to. Wherefore this is certain,

this hath more rest than the other; that is, the abortive than the covetous man; having never been distressed with the troubles of life, and now not affected with the sense of loss.

z ולא ידע "ueque expertus est", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Rambachius, so Broughton.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, it hath not seen nor known the sun: this (the untimely birth) hath rest rather than the other.


 
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