Ecclesiastes 6:3
What does Ecclesiastes 6:3 mean?
A plain-English look at Ecclesiastes 6:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
KJV
King James Version · 1611If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, `Better than he <FI>is<Fi> the untimely birth.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890If a man beget a hundred [sons], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he.
Context
v.2a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
v.3This passage
v.4for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 2 Kings 9:35
And they went to bury her; but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
- Ecclesiastes 5:17
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.
- Psalms 127:4
As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth.
- Esther 5:11
And Haman recounted unto them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
- Psalms 58:8
Let them beas a snail which melteth and passeth away, Likethe untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.
- Isaiah 14:19
But thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, that are thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden under foot.
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