Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.
Moreover he hath not seen {H7200} the sun {H8121}, nor known {H3045} any thing: this {H2088} hath more rest {H5183} than {H2088} the other.
and although it has never seen or known the sun, it is more content than he is,
The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man,
moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
-
Psalms 58:8
As a snail [which] melteth, let [every one of them] pass away: [like] the untimely birth of a woman, [that] they may not see the sun. -
Job 3:10
Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother's] womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. -
Job 3:13
For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, -
Psalms 90:7
¶ For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. -
Psalms 90:9
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale [that is told]. -
Job 14:1
¶ Man [that is] born of a woman [is] of few days, and full of trouble.
Context
Ecclesiastes 6:5 is part of a larger argument by the Preacher (Qoheleth) about the vanity and futility of life "under the sun", especially when lived without true satisfaction or meaning. In the preceding verses (Ecclesiastes 6:3-4), the Preacher presents a stark comparison: a man who lives a long, prosperous life but fails to enjoy his wealth and is denied proper burial is deemed worse off than a stillborn child. This verse continues that unsettling comparison, emphasizing the "advantage" of never having experienced life's sorrows.
Meaning and Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The expression "seen the sun" is a common Hebrew idiom for experiencing life or being alive. The KJV's addition of "[any thing]" helps clarify that the stillborn child has known nothing of the world's troubles or the vanity the Preacher so often laments. The Hebrew word for "rest" here (נוּחַ - nuach) conveys a sense of quietness, repose, or cessation from trouble, emphasizing the relief from suffering that the stillborn experiences by default.
Practical Application
While seemingly dark, Ecclesiastes 6:5 serves as a profound challenge to our understanding of what constitutes a "good" or "meaningful" life. It prompts us to consider: