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Ecclesiastes 5

Eccl. 5:18 KJV (With Strong’s)

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18
Behold that which I have seen
ra'ah (Hebrew #7200)
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
KJV usage: advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.
Pronounce: raw-aw'
Origin: a primitive root
: κit is good
towb (Hebrew #2896)
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
KJV usage: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ((-favoured)).
Pronounce: tobe
Origin: from 2895
and comely
yapheh (Hebrew #3303)
beautiful (literally or figuratively)
KJV usage: + beautiful, beauty, comely, fair(-est, one), + goodly, pleasant, well.
Pronounce: yaw-feh'
Origin: from 3302
for one to eat
'akal (Hebrew #398)
to eat (literally or figuratively)
KJV usage: X at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, X quite.
Pronounce: aw-kal'
Origin: a primitive root
and to drink
shathah (Hebrew #8354)
to imbibe (literally or figuratively)
KJV usage: X assuredly, banquet, X certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk (X -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of 8248.)
Pronounce: shaw-thaw'
Origin: a primitive root
, and to enjoy
ra'ah (Hebrew #7200)
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
KJV usage: advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.
Pronounce: raw-aw'
Origin: a primitive root
the good
towb (Hebrew #2896)
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
KJV usage: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ((-favoured)).
Pronounce: tobe
Origin: from 2895
of all his labor
`amal (Hebrew #5999)
toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mind
KJV usage: grievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.
Pronounce: aw-mawl'
Origin: from 5998
that he taketh
`amal (Hebrew #5998)
to toil, i.e. work severely and with irksomeness
KJV usage: (take) labour (in).
Pronounce: aw-mal'
Origin: a primitive root
under the sun
shemesh (Hebrew #8121)
the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (arch.) a notched battlement
KJV usage: + east side(-ward), sun ((rising)), + west(-ward), window. See also 1053.
Pronounce: sheh'-mesh
Origin: from an unused root meaning to be brilliant
λall
micpar (Hebrew #4557)
a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly) narration
KJV usage: + abundance, account, X all, X few, (in-)finite, (certain) number(-ed), tale, telling, + time.
Pronounce: mis-pawr'
Origin: from 5608
the days
yowm (Hebrew #3117)
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
KJV usage: age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
Pronounce: yome
Origin: from an unused root meaning to be hot
of his life
chay (Hebrew #2416)
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
KJV usage: + age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
Pronounce: khah'-ee
Origin: from 2421
, which God
'elohiym (Hebrew #430)
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
KJV usage: angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
Pronounce: el-o-heem'
Origin: plural of 433
giveth
nathan (Hebrew #5414)
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
KJV usage: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander, strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.
Pronounce: naw-than'
Origin: a primitive root
b him: for it is his portion
cheleq (Hebrew #2506)
properly, smoothness (of the tongue); also an allotment
KJV usage: flattery, inheritance, part, X partake, portion.
Pronounce: khay'lek
Origin: from 2505
.
κ
there is a good which is comely.
λ
the number of.
b
1 Tim. 6:17• 17Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (1 Tim. 6:17)

More on:

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God,
Life,
Sun

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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it is good and comely.
Heb. there is a good which is comely,etc.
Eccl. 2:24• 24There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. (Eccl. 2:24)
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Eccl. 3:12‑13,22• 12I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
 13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.
 22Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? (Eccl. 3:12‑13,22)
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Eccl. 8:15• 15Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labor the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. (Eccl. 8:15)
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Eccl. 9:7• 7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. (Eccl. 9:7)
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Eccl. 11:9• 9Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Eccl. 11:9)
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1 Tim. 6:17• 17Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (1 Tim. 6:17)
the days.
Heb. the number of the days.
it is his.
Eccl. 2:10• 10And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor. (Eccl. 2:10)
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Eccl. 3:22• 22Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? (Eccl. 3:22)
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Jer. 52:34• 34And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life. (Jer. 52:34)
• {v.18-20} The Preacher here says, in effect, “Now attend carefully to what I tell thee of the result of all my experience in this way. I have discerned a good that I can really call comely or fair. It is for a man to have the means at his command for enjoyment, and the power to enjoy those means. This combination is distinctly the ‘gift of God.’ From such an one all the evils that make up life pass off without eating deep into his being. A cheerful spirit takes him off from the present evil as soon as it is past. He does not think on it much; for the joy of heart within, to which God responds, enables him to meet and over-ride those waves of life and forget them.” (“Ecclesiastes 5” by F.C. Jennings)
• {v.18-20} Look at them. See how they recur: four times the name of God, thrice a word for joy. Now this raises Solomon far far above the malarial swamps of mere epicureanism, which excluded God entirely. It shows how perfect the harmony throughout the whole book. It is again, let us recall it, the high-water mark of human reason, intelligence, and experience. He reasons thus: (1) I have proved the vanity and unsatisfactory character of all created things in themselves, and yet can see no good beyond getting enjoyment from them. (2) The power, therefore, for enjoyment cannot be from the things themselves. It must be from God. He must give it. (3) This assumes that there must be some kind of accord between God and the heart, for God is the spring, and not the circumstances without. So far the power of human reason. (“Ecclesiastes 5” by F.C. Jennings)

J. N. Darby Translation

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18
Behold what I have seen good and comely: it is to eat and to drink, and to enjoyb good in all his labour wherewith man laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion.

JND Translation Notes

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b
Lit "see," as ch. 2.1.