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Christian Standard Bible ®

Ecclesiastes 6:5

Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he.

Bible Study Resources

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 8;  

Parallel Translations

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

1Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity: 2God gives a person riches, wealth, and honor so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself, but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy. 3A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. 6And if a person lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both 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
When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them,
Genesis 6:3
And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.”
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men.
Genesis 6:9
These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.
Genesis 6:19
You are also to bring into the ark two of all the living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
Genesis 6:20
Two of everything—from the birds according to their kinds, from the livestock according to their kinds, and from the animals that crawl on the ground according to their kinds—will come to you so that you can keep them alive.
Genesis 6:21
Take with you every kind of food that is eaten; gather it as food for you and for them.”
Genesis 8:21
When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, he said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of human beings, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth onward. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done.
Genesis 13:13
(Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning immensely against the Lord.)
Deuteronomy 29:19
When someone hears the words of this oath, he may consider himself exempt, thinking, ‘I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.’ This will lead to the destruction of the well-watered land as well as the dry land.

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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