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New Revised Standard

Ecclesiastes 6:5

moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he.

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-
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.
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 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind: 2 those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous ill. 3 A man may beget a hundred children, and live many years; but however many are the days of his years, if he does not enjoy life's good things, or has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes into vanity and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered; 5 moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to one 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 people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them,
Genesis 6:3
Then the Lord said, "My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred twenty years."
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.
Genesis 6:9
These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.
Genesis 6:19
And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.
Genesis 6:20
Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive.
Genesis 6:21
Also take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them."
Genesis 8:21
And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the Lord said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.
Genesis 13:13
Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord .
Deuteronomy 29:19
All who hear the words of this oath and bless themselves, thinking in their hearts, "We are safe even though we go our own stubborn ways" (thus bringing disaster on moist and dry alike)—

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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