Ecclesiastes 5:19

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. EVERY MAN ALSO TO WHOM GOD HATH GIVEN RICHES ... As refers to the "labouring" man (). so to the "rich" man, who gets wealth, not by "oppression" (). but by "God's gift." He is distinguished also from the "rich" man (), in having received by God's gift, not only "wealth," but also "power to eat thereof," which that one has not. "Power" - literally, dominion or rule (Hishlit, to...

18-20 Life is God's gift. We must not view our calling as a drudgery, but take pleasure in the calling where God puts us. A cheerful spirit is a great blessing; it makes employments easy, and afflictions light. Having made a proper use of riches, a man will remember the days of his past life with pleasure. The manner in which Solomon refers to God as the Giver, both of life and its enjoyments, shows they ought to be received and to be used, consistently with his will, and to his glory. Let this passage recommend to all the kind words of the merciful Redeemer, "Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." Christ is the Bread of life, the only food of the soul. All are invited to partake of this heavenly provision....

EXPOSITION ECCLESIASTES 5:1 Section 6. Man's outward and secular life being unable to secure happiness and satisfaction, can these be found in _popular religion?_ Religious exercises need the observation of strict rules, which are far from meeting with general attention. Koheleth proceeds to give instruction, in the form of maxims, concerning public worship, prayer, and vows. ECCLESIASTES 5:1 This verse, in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, forms the conclusion of Ecclesiastes 4:1; and is taken independently; but the division in our version is more natural, and the connection of this with the following verses is obvious....

EVERY MAN ALSO TO WHOM GOD HATH GIVEN RICHES AND WEALTH,.... Which include the whole of a man's substance; all his estate, personal and real; and all his goods and possessions, movable and immovable, as gold, silver, cattle, fields, and farms; which are all the gift of God, by whatsoever means they may be acquired or possessed; AND HATH GIVEN HIM POWER; or, "caused him to have dominion" r, over his wealth and riches, and not be a slave to them, as many are: but to have so much command of them and of himself, as TO EAT THEREOF; comfortably enjoy them; and dispose of them to his own good, the good of others, and the glory of God. It follows, AND TO TAKE HIS PORTION; which God hath allotted him; to take it thankfully, and use it freely and comfortably; AND TO REJOICE IN HIS LABOUR; in the things he has been labouring for, in a cheerful use of them; blessing God for them, and taking the...

3. EXHORTATIONS ON DIFFERENT VANITIES CHAPTER 5 _ 1. Concerning worship and vows (Ecclesiastes 5:1)_ 2. Concerning extortions (Ecclesiastes 5:8) 3. The vanities of wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:10) 4. The conclusion (Ecclesiastes 5:18) Ecclesiastes 5:1. The writer, King Solomon, seems to have been exhausted in his descriptions as to the things under the sun. He pauseth and turns to something different. He meditates on worship, that man aims to get in touch with the unsee

CONCERNING DESPOTISM AND WEALTH. Ecclesiastes 5:8 f. The oppression and injustice that one sees (_in_ an Oriental satrapy) are not to be wondered at when we remember the graded hierarchy of officials who are all eager simply to enrich themselves. There is no reference to God; read, One high official is watching over another, and there are higher ones (perhaps the king) over them. Yet on the whole a king, especially if he take an interest in agriculture, is an advantage to a country. So we may interpret the extremely difficult Ecclesiastes 5:9 (_cf. mg.)._ Ecclesiastes 5:10 ff. The avaricious man is always poor; though his wealth increases he lacks satisfaction, enlarged inc

MAN. Hebrew. _'adam._ App-14. See note on Ecclesiastes 1:13. THE GIFT. a gift....

_this is the gift of God_ The words indicate a return to the sense of dependence on the Divine bounty, which we have seen in chs. Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:13. Life itself, and the outward goods of life, few or many, and the power to enjoy these, all are alike God's gifts....

_ECCLESIASTES 5:19_. EVERY _MAN ALSO TO WHOM,_ &C.— _And indeed any man, to whom God,_ &c. (_for this very thing is certainly a gift of God_) Ecclesiastes 5:20 _will not much remember the days of his life._ Solomon means to say, that time floweth unobserved by men who enjoy a constant prosperity. Now this, together with the pious reflection, that God is the author of such temporal blessings, is the very sense put by the LXX upon Solomon's words, _Because God occupieth or taketh him in,_ or _with the joy of his heart._ Desvoeux. REFLECTIONS.—1st, Since in the world all is vanity, the substantial good must be sought, and can only be found in the ways of godliness, in the worship and service of God. But even here we must beware of va

c. Exhortation to enjoy the riches God permits Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 TEXT 5:18-20 18 Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart. THOUGHT QUESTIONS 5:18-20 140. List the four things which God does for, or gives to, men. 141. What is it that Solomon here calls good? 142. What is man's reward? 143. Who gives ever